Oleksandr Sopko: "We had to think about the future in the match with Romania"

Famous football expert Oleksandr Sopko summarized the performance of the Ukrainian national team at Euro 2024.

Oleksandr Sopko. Photo by V. Perehniak

- "For the first time after a European or world forum, I have no anger or resentment towards our team, but only regret," Sopko said. "I have the impression that the Ukrainian national team could have performed better, that our path was interrupted too early, because we have both potential and preparation... However, a tournament such as the European Championship does not forgive neglect, mistakes, especially gross mistakes and underestimation of the opponent.

Even Romania could not have been defeated by a difference of three goals... Even in the opening match, we had to think about the future, gather our courage and prevent a defeat. We came to a carnival, a European carnival, and you can't play the first game so badly, give up during the match. But, as you know, you have to pay for everything in life. So it came out sideways for us at the finish of the group stage, and because of this we are going home...

We are saying goodbye to the European Championship with four points in the bag - it happens. This is a painful experience for both players and coaches. I repeat, there is no anger, there is only a shame that we could not properly reveal our capabilities. The hope that the Ukrainian national team gave us can be an excuse - when we were able to turn the tide of the second group match against Slovakia, when we bent our line against Belgium and fought to the end.

- Were you surprised by the starting lineup and scheme of the Ukrainian national team?

- The tactic with three center backs, and five defenders in general, is not new. It is mainly used by clubs with more chemistry than the national teams. For national teams, this is a risk, but there have been such matches before, and against Belgium this scheme was quite effective. It added confidence to the defense and allowed our wingers to go more boldly on the attack. In addition, it was in this variant that Sudakov and Shaparenko were able to better find and use the forwards - Yaremchuk and Dovbyk in counterattacks. And we had our moments. Perhaps this scheme would have worked against Romania as well... Reliability in defense is a basic requirement in major tournaments. However, in the game with the Romanians, the Blue and Yellows overestimated their capabilities.

We will benefit from the understanding that we can vary our tactics, including in matches with teams such as Belgium. We can switch from a 4-5-1 to a 3-5-2 and a 4-4-2.

- Did Mykolenko's injury during the game negatively affect the result?

- Of course, with his participation on the left flank, everything works better - both in defense and in attack. Better than with Zinchenko in the lineup. Against Belgium, Mykolenko had the opportunity to attack. I think the coaches consulted with him before that match about what to do and how to do it in case the injury reappears. The national team of Ukraine could have achieved the desired result after Mykolenko's replacement, but... It is possible that our players will not sleep that night, because it is such a scar on their hearts!

- How timely and useful were Serhii Rebrov's substitutions?

- Malinowski and Vanat strengthened the game. I think if they had come on earlier, everything would have been even better. Vanat played sharply, but he still lacks experience. We know Malinowski's strengths well. And he could have scored, in one of the episodes when Ruslan's shot was blocked by a defender, it could have been a goal, as the Belgian goalkeeper would hardly have been able to parry the ball. This is bad luck. It's a shame when you realize that everything is lost not because of your inability, but because you missed the chance.

- Did you expect a draw in the Slovakia-Romania match?

- Yes, I expected it. There was no need to negotiate. In football, if the result suits both teams, no one will take any risks. Everything can happen by default, and you can't dig in... Therefore, in the match between the Slovaks and the Romanians, everything was 99 percent predictable.

Of course, if the Ukrainian national team had scored, everything would have been revealed in that match. It would have been interesting to see Slovakia vs Romania if Malinowski had scored against Belgium in the end, or Sudakov, who also had a good chance. But that would be their problem...

- Why did the Belgian national team play so passively, especially in the last minutes of the match with Ukraine, when they were not even going to take the ball out of the corner of the field?

- They realized that they might not win against the Ukrainians, but they might not go anywhere at all if they concede and lose a draw. Reaching the playoffs is a step forward. And they will think about France later.

It is a shame that we did not beat such a Belgian team - unconvincing, with a change of generations, not at the peak of form. In this match, the Belgians' knees were shaking. And if Doc and De Bruyne were removed from the field, there would be nothing to talk about at all.

- Does the Ukrainian national team have a prospect of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup?

- I think that after this Euro, Serhii Rebrov became the coach of the national team... That's right. Working with the national team is different from working with a club. Today Rebrov realized that the national team has different requirements, different motivation, different relationships with players. Often in the national team you need to be more strict with your subordinates than in the club. In a time crunch, you need more rigidity, special motivation, and some players need to be brought down from heaven to earth quickly...

I am optimistic about the future. We have everything - players, tactics, players' attitude to each other. It seems to me that after the shame of the match with Romania, the players of the national team of Ukraine clearly understand that they will no longer be forgiven. Therefore, we will see a different - better - national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Oleg SEMENCHENKO