On the eve of the friendly match with the Polish national team, the head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhiy Rebrov gave a press conference.
Sergiy Rebrov-What composition can we expect tomorrow? Will there be any changes?
- There will definitely be changes. We have three games to test all the candidates.
-How important is it for you to play in Poland?
- I always express my gratitude to the Poles, we play a lot of games here. Poland helps Ukraine and our people a lot, and we are very grateful for that. There are many Poles who come to our matches and support us. We feel very comfortable playing here.
-How will you motivate your players?
- In the situation in which our country is now, the players do not need any motivational speeches. Sometimes we show them the messages of our soldiers. We all realize that football is not in the first place in Ukraine today. All the players representing our country today understand who they are doing it for and why. They don't need any additional motivation. Every day they watch the news, see how Russia is destroying our cities, killing our children...
I always remind them that we represent a great country, we are fighting for our independence. The players on the football field show that Ukraine wants to be in the European family. Therefore, getting to the Euro is a big step for our country to join the EU.
- Does therecent victory of Oleksandr Usyk add to your motivation?
- We were all rooting for Oleksandr, we saw how the fight was. This is a very important victory for all of us. He not only won, but he won very beautifully. So this victory also inspires our players, because they saw how the world treats Ukraine. All our players see what they can really do for Ukraine at the Euros.
- Is the current Ukrainian national team the strongest in history?
- We have a lot of young players, this team has a lot of potential. Let's see how we prove ourselves at the European Championship. This is a very promising team for the future, we will build it, try to show results with young and experienced players.
-Describe the strengths of the Polish national team. Who would you single out among the players?
- Everyone in Europe will think of Robert Lewandowski, because he is a brilliant footballer, a legend. The Polish national team deserved to reach the Euros despite the difficulties in qualifying. This team has high-level performers. It's important for a coach to make a national team out of his players, and I think he succeeded in the qualifying round. When I once played against the Polish national team, we probably lost all the matches. So there are very strong players here individually, and it is very important to organize them.
