Vitalii Vernydub, one of the coaches of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, shared his impressions of the Ukraine vs Iceland 2-1 play-off final of the Euro 2024 qualifying round and recalled his time with the Ukrainian national team.
Vitalii Vernydub. Photo — fckryvbas.com- The Ukrainian national team has made it to the Euros. What emotions do you feel inside?
- It's a great joy. Especially at this time. It was necessary. I believe that the current national team is the strongest since Ukraine's independence. Therefore, these guys should be there and represent us with dignity at the European Championship.
- UEFA President Alexander Čeferin talked a lot about our national team. He wanted the Italians to win the game against us, and later he said the same about the Bosnians. But we still got there despite these provocative statements.
- Yes, indeed. This man talks a lot. In my opinion, he says the wrong things. When he has such a status, he should not make such statements. He should be neutral. So I believe that these words motivated our guys and they showed the full strength of our football. Not everything worked out, but the character of our players is obvious.
- We conceded first again. Why did they allow us to score so easily? Gudmundsson's individual actions, when he put Malinowski on the pitch, contributed to the goal.
- Now is the time when there are no weak teams. Everyone has learnt to play football. Bosnians or Icelanders are great teams. If on paper they don't look very powerful, in reality it's different. Their defence is well set up. They played compactly and covered all the zones. That's why it's much easier for them to run out to attack when there is space behind our guys. It is very difficult to neutralise this.
Somewhere the high level and class of the tenth number of the Icelandic national team showed, who successfully understood the situation. And the fact that Malinowski fell was just an accident. And then, when there was space, Gudmundsson showed his skills. I think that Ukraine understands this without my analysis. They will review everything and correct their mistakes.
- You once played for the Ukrainian national team, you have one game to your name. How does it feel to play for the main team of the country?
- Everyone wants to feel it, if a footballer really wants to play football. He wants to represent his national team and perform at the highest level. Yes, I was lucky enough to play one game and then sit as a substitute. It's a great feeling. Every footballer should strive for this. Unfortunately, I was called up only once, but this is a lifelong experience. I will always remember it.
- In Andrii Shevchenko's team, there was a tradition for newcomers to sing songs in front of the team. A kind of initiation. Did you have something like that?
- No, there was no such thing. There were other times. I read interviews with our teammates and they said that the climate in the team is simpler now. There are a lot of young performers with a small age difference. But at that time, it was different. There were a lot of experienced players, and the youngsters were also getting better. There was this gap between the years, and now there is virtually no such thing. That's why it's easier to build such a friendly and good microclimate when everyone communicates with each other.
- The Tsygankov effect, it worked. If he had played with the Bosnians, would it have been sharper up front?
- It's hard to say what would or wouldn't have happened. He came out and played like a big name. He showed his level and made a difference. For me, this is very powerful. When a player is injured, and everyone understands his level and is waiting for him to come back, and then he comes out and makes a difference. I think he still had some discomfort. And despite this, he played and showed his level. This is worth a lot. You can applaud him. This once again emphasises that the country and the flag are dear to our guys. They are ready to fight for it.
- Did the choice in favour of Yaremchuk surprise you or was it natural?
- No, I was not surprised. Dovbyk and Yaremchuk are about the same level. They are two highly skilled players. And when you have such players in the squad, you can rotate them without any consequences. Dovbyk played more in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yaremchuk played more here. And there is nothing to be surprised about, the coach did everything right. He guessed right with the squad. There are just two powerful players here. And there is competition between three goalkeepers in the goal. They are very high level players. I think it is very difficult for the coach to make a choice. It's such a nice headache.
- Sudakov also had a good game, he gave two assists. This plus how many millions in his coffers?
- Everyone understands that he is a top footballer. I didn't think about money and his price. I think that with his head, technique and mobility that he gives to the national team and Shakhtar, it is a lot of money. But what kind of money is not for me to judge. I know for sure that he is a great footballer who has a great future.
- What can we expect at the Euros? We are in a group worth qualifying from.
- Everything is possible. The main thing is that by the start of the forum all the guys are healthy and have good functional conditions at the end of the club season. This is the most important thing. We need them to prepare and reach the peak of their form. If we do, Belgium and other teams will be very afraid of us. I believe in it. Because this is a generation, their mentality, technical and physical training is very high. We have high expectations, we will wait for the old Euro.
- We will play at the European Championship for the fourth time in a row. The best result is the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Can this team surpass this result?
- I am sure. Under certain circumstances, we can show a very solid result. We must surpass the bar we set at the last Euro. The guys are capable and they can do it. I believe in it and think it will happen.
Nazariy Shmigil
