Former Ukraine defender Artem Fedetskyi, who played 53 matches for the national team, talks about the first round match of Euro 2024 Romania - Ukraine (3:0).
Artem Fedetskyi (photo: Oksana Vasylieva)- Artem, in your opinion, what happened in the match against Romania?
- There are such unlucky days. Now the armchair experts will start hating the guys. There is no need to do this. I am angry myself, because I played. We lost in a match we wanted to win. We failed expectations. And now we need to show courage. Because the one who has fallen and got up is strong, not the one who has fallen and is lying down. The guys need support now. Believe me, they will draw the right conclusions. Everyone wanted to give good emotions, and Zinchenko said that they wanted to give good emotions. We were waiting for them in this game. It didn't work out in this match, but there are still group tournament games ahead.
We are used to every match being a final. It was not like that with Romania. And the next two are definitely final. We need to win them. The guys will do their best.
- As a former defender, what do you think about the first goal? Who was more to blame? Sudakov, who passed to Matvienko; or Matvienko, who put Lunin in an awkward situation and limited him in time; or Lunin in a critical situation should have kicked out because the way to Zinchenko was blocked?
- I wouldn't say that the mistake started with Sudakov. He turned the ball around well. Matvienko, I think, delayed the pass to Lunin a little bit. Andriy also wanted to do the best. It was not a technical error. I can't say that the players lacked skill in that episode. Let's just call it an unpleasant coincidence. It played in favor of the Romanian national team. That's all. There is no need to look for the guilty in our team - why it happened this way and not in another way. The guys will get together, draw the right conclusions, put themselves together, and in the next game we will get the emotions we expected in this match.
- When we conceded the second goal, it turned out that our team was not ready for high-speed counterattacks. There was confusion in the center of the field when the Romanian team's attack was disrupted, then near their penalty area. Perhaps it makes sense for our team to return to the usual tactics - playing from the defense?
- You can apply, study, defend a PRO diploma in Kyiv or Europe, and you will have your own vision.
The national team has a coaching staff, a group of players with whom we practice certain elements on the football field. At training sessions, everything is practiced, the opponent's game is analyzed, its weaknesses and strengths are studied, and then a team is selected for the future opponent in a friendly match. The procedure seems to be monotonous, but it requires a lot of careful work. You have to take everything into account. There are certain tactics, but each coach has his own vision. I wouldn't say that Rebrov chose the wrong tactics. It was just not our day.
Of course, we conceded three goals - that's too many. Of course, the Romanian national team also prepared carefully, wanted to win, but the defeat was too much.
It happened as it happened. Our team needs to be supported. It's very painful for the players, and it hurts us too. To drive the guys away, put them down, and then what? Wait for a defeat in the next match against Slovakia? This is not right. It's a sport, and things like this happen in football.
- I mean that in the next match we will have to be more careful, and the main thing is not to miss the ball.
- I have not worked with coaches who would say that we will fight back from behind, and in front, we will do as we can. There are certain points that I mentioned above. The opponent also analyzes your game, you analyze the opponent. I agree with you: with Slovakia, we need to play as reliable a defense as possible. Because every missed ball can cost us a lot - we will be left without a place at the Euros.
- Maximum concentration at every moment.
- Of course, but I wouldn't say that there were any glaring mistakes in the game against Romania. During the first goal, the Romanian player hit the goal very well. In the second goal, the offensive team did not have time to reorganize during the transition to defense - the opponent launched a very quick counterattack. In the third, perhaps Kolya Shaparenko should have been more active in the selection. But this is a penalty area, a small touch to the opponent can lead to a penalty ... There are a lot of moments. There is a lot of work for the coaching staff. We need a result in the next match. A nosebleed. How it will be obtained - a good game or not - does not matter.
- How do you like the European Championship in general? Do you follow anyone besides the Ukrainian national team?
- It's a good Euro, I'll say, even fun. All the matches are interesting, there are games on the opposite courses. There are no passing games that you can watch to fall asleep faster. And our match with Romania is no exception. Of course, we didn't want to get the emotions we wanted, but we have what we have. In the next meeting, I believe our guys will fix everything and give Ukrainian fans more cool moments.
I don't support anyone but the Ukrainian national team. There is a group of teams that stand out, but, as for me, the most interesting of them is the Spanish team.
Gennadiy Chekhovsky
