Former Dynamo forward Artem Milevsky commented on the defeat of the Ukrainian national team by Romania in the Euro 2024 match.
Artem Milevsky
- Artem, why did you fail in the match with Romania, as our team was considered a favorite?
- I had a lot of friends yesterday. We prepared for the match, put on embroidered shirts, sang the national anthem in front of the TV together with the team. As for the game itself... I said only two words during the match. I didn't understand what was happening on the field at all.
Yesterday, many subscribers of my TIMI 10 telegram channel asked me to speak about the match, but I didn't do it. I never jump to conclusions. It is better not to say anything at all in hot pursuit.
Now I only want to support Sergey Stanislavovich [Rebrov] and our entire national team. I believe in our team and I am sure that the guys will fix the situation and get out of the group. I am constantly being hated myself, so I know what it is and understand the state of the guys from the Ukrainian national team. I agree with Volodya Zverov, who said that there are times when you don't need to say anything, it's better to keep silent.
- What can we expect from the match with Slovakia, which unexpectedly beat Belgium (1-0)?
- The Belgians' defeat shows that we have an even group. The Belgians didn't show anything supernatural, while the Slovaks played very strictly, with great desire and dedication. After the second game in our group, everything can change dramatically if we beat Slovakia and Belgium beats Romania. And everything will be decided in the last round.
Every player of the Ukrainian national team understands what is expected of them and there is no room for error. I am sure our team will draw the right conclusions and defeat the Slovaks. There is time to prepare. We can still change everything for the better. I will be rooting and worrying for our team.
- There was a similar moment at the 2006 World Cup, when the Ukrainian national team lost to the Spaniards (0:4) in the opening match, but then defeated Saudi Arabia (4:0) and Tunisia (1:0) and advanced from the group. Tell us, how did the team survive the defeat against the Spaniards and set up for the next matches?
- The situation is a bit similar, but the difference is that we had games with lesser status opponents. As for the match against the Spaniards, I was the youngest in the team at the time and I was "smooth sailing". Our veterans received the most criticism: Sheva, SaSho, Ravens.
After the match against Spain, our grandfathers got together for dinner with a glass of wine and had a serious man-to-man conversation. Andriy Mykolayovych [Shevchenko] then said: "Yes, Spain is stronger than us. But this match must be forgotten! We have to get out of the group."
After this conversation, we smashed Saudi Arabia, beat Tunisia and left the group. And the fans immediately changed their anger to mercy. So, I hope the current Ukrainian national team will repeat our path.
- In the 1/8 finals, you defeated Switzerland in a penalty shootout. What did your teammates say to you after the penalty shootout?
- We always had ten bottles of beer in the fridge, which the veterans could afford to drink after the game. After the match against the Swiss, Vorona opened a bottle of beer, even let me take one, we hid, smoked a cigarette, and he said: "Kid, if you hadn't scored, I would have cut your head off." - "Calm down, we're already there - in the quarterfinals"(laughs - A.P.'s note).
Voronin is a wonderful person, I had a very good relationship with him. He took me under his wing in the national team, even gave me a seat on the bus next to him.
Andrii Piskun
