Famous coach and now recognized expert Oleh Fedorchuk analyzed the performance of the youth national team of Ukraine (U-19) at Euro 2024 (U-19), where it reached the semifinals, where it lost to France (0: 1).
Oleg Fedorchuk"This team had little chance of winning gold against Spain, Italy or France"
- Oleg Viktorovich, Ukraine's UEFA EURO 2024 ended with the semifinals and the World Cup. What are your impressions?
- Even before the start of Euro 2024, both the coaching staff and representatives of the UAF said that the main task of Dmytro Mykhailenko's team was to get a ticket to the 2025 FIFA Junior World Cup. The Ukrainian national team coped with this task. So the performance in Northern Ireland can be considered successful. No matter what anyone says.
- But having reached the semifinals, there was a chance to fight for something more. Is it the disqualification of three players or is France an unbearable opponent?
- Let's be realistic: everyone understood perfectly well that this team had little chance of winning gold against Spain, Italy or France. Therefore, I would even say that, not only did we accomplish the task, we even jumped over our heads. But...
The main task of any junior or youth national team is to train personnel for the national team. And here the conversation is more complicated, because, let's face it, this U-19 team does not have ready-made personnel for the main team of the country. Although, you know, I didn't see any super talent in any national team for Euro 2024.
- Who can you single out personally in the Ukrainian national team?
- I liked the level of play of our goalkeeper Vladyslav Krapivtsov, defender Oleksiy Husiev and his Dynamo teammate Taras Mykhavko. It was clear that the guys were functionally ready perfectly. I would also single out Andrii Matkevych, a promising young man.
In general, I think that it was thanks to a very decent defense, our young backs and Krapivtsov's good play that Ukraine reached the 1/2 finals.
I watched all the matches not only of Ukraine but also of our opponents, and Mykhailenko's team was more unbalanced. There was no normal team play. There was no pattern, as they say. Maybe someone will disagree with me, but that's my opinion. I did not see it. The same Norway, with whom we played to zero, looked much stronger than our team, but they did not leave the group.
- The result is there. What about the pattern of play of Mykhailenko's team?
- Who is responsible for all the national teams? In fact, Serhiy Rebrov, because he is the head coach of the national team and the head of the national teams committee. And he himself said, declared that all the national teams - junior and youth - should play in the same vein as the national team. And what did we see in the performance of the U-19 team? Playing second best. Exclusively relying on standard positions and playing on the counterattack. That's all. I doubt that our main team should play in this way.
The juniors of France, to whom we lost, or Spain, they really play the same football as the main teams of these countries. Our national team at Euro 2024 played exclusively for the result. Mykhailenko's team played very pragmatic football.
Can you criticize Mykhailenko for this? Yes, you can. But I won't, because it's normal. He and this team had a clear task, namely, a ticket to the 2025 Junior World Cup, and it was fulfilled. And here, rather, I was surprised by the previous words - about a single style for all national teams, about a new approach to scouting candidates, about a scientific approach, and so on.
- It reminded me a bit of Sarribol. That is, how Mauricio Sarri's teams play.
- That's exactly how it was. Football, when the result comes first, and the beauty of the game fades into the background.
"The game against France showed that this Ukrainian national team has enough problems"
- Junior Euro 2024 is already history for our team. So, let's summarize the results of each game separately. We started from scratch with the hosts of the continental forum. As for me, in that game, the Blue and Yellows were clearly stronger than the guys from Ulster.
- Yes, they were. Our team had an advantage in the game, but we could have lost. In general, I think we didn't beat Northern Ireland only because we didn't have a forward in that game. A quality forward. Ukraine had Dmytro Bogdanov up front, who did not cope with his functions at all.
If Matviy Ponomarenko had been there, we would probably have gotten three points at the start of Euro 2024, but as it is... This team has no strikers at all, because apart from Dynamo's Ponomarenko, there are none at all.
- In game two, there were again zeros in the confrontation with Norway.
- In the game with the Norwegians, I would note the performance of our opponents. I really liked their disciplined approach. They were functionally head and shoulders above our guys, and the Scandinavians had the best team play. A draw with them should be regarded almost as a victory.
- Ukraine's only victory at Euro 2024 was over Italy. Maybe I'm wrong, but our guys shouldn't be praised for it either.
- The Italians did not have the main team. By the third game in the group stage, they had already fulfilled their task of reaching the last 1/2. Their coach gave a chance to run to those who were not under the cards, looked at the reserves, so to speak.
However, I liked the character of the Ukrainians in this game. Even if one of the goals was a "gift" from the goalkeeper of the "Azzurri", and somewhere the referee helped us. In general, if we talk about arbitration, it is very weak at the junior Euro. It seems that at the youth level they are testing young referees, checking their professional suitability (Laughs).
- The last game at the European Championship for Ukraine was a duel against France. And for this game, I would not scold our guys, because they looked very solid against the young French, who looked like uncles. They seemed very masculine for their age.
- If it was some African team, one might suspect that they had fake passports and were really over 19 years old, I agree. But this is France, they won't play such games there. However, this is genetics, nothing more. The Afro-French really looked older than our guys. In general, this French junior team is much stronger in the physical component than the rest of the national teams. Except that the Norwegians are not inferior in athleticism.
I agree that the Ukrainians played well against the tricolor team. We had our moments and conceded an unnecessary goal. But, once again, due to physics, anthropometry, and a slightly better individual skill of some players, France reached the final, not us.
The game against France showed that this Ukrainian national team has enough problems. We got out of the situation with dignity, did not lose in a landslide, but...
- What do you think about the discipline of Dmytro Mykhailenko's team? As for me, picking up three or four "mustard" cards in each game is too much. Ponomarenko, Vashchenko and Matkevych did not play against France because of too many cards. In the match against Norway, even our backup goalkeeper Markiyan Bakus got a yellow card. Is it all because of age? Are they young and hot?
- This is a very difficult question. I'll say this: if a player is functionally ready to go, then he has no problems with discipline on the field. Why do you usually get cards? I did not keep up with my opponent, because he was faster, fouled, and got a card.
Vashchenko, for example, lacks speed. Ponomarenko catches unnecessary cards in flashes of anger. As for Matkevych, his father, Anatolii, played in three teams! And he also had problems with emotions.
- So, it's already at the gene level?
- If we talk about Andriy, then, probably, it is. He is a hot-tempered guy. We need to work with this.
If we're talking about Matvii Ponomarenko, then in every match I've seen him, you can see the sky-high charge for the game. And this is good, but it is because of this over-motivation that he sometimes gets cards, because he gets into fights, collisions, fouls. And, of course, you have to take his age into account. Who hasn't been weird at 19?
I remember the young Denys Harmash, back when he played in a sports boarding school. I was talking to Oleksandr Petrakov at the time. I asked him: what's wrong with this guy? Why is he so rude? Petrakov told me: "He will outgrow it. He's of a certain age." He didn't...
- In American sports, whether it's baseball or soccer, as football is called overseas, almost every team has a psychologist. Maybe our teams, at least the national teams, should resort to this practice?
- The best psychologist is the head coach. Valery Lobanovsky proved it. And, by the way, his student Oleksandr Shovkovskyi is also somewhat similar to Vasylovych in this regard. Just look at Popov now. What happened to the Denis who fouled senselessly and got cards in every match? I am sure that it was Shovkovskyi who talked to him and made him rethink his behavior on the field.
"Sometimes sons of great footballers are like a fifth wheel. For some reason, Eliaz Zidane did not come out against Ukraine at the end, but Christian Shevchenko did"
- Since you are an independent person, do not work in the structure of the UAF, I will ask the question bluntly - is Christian Shevchenko in the national team of Ukraine - is it purely the protection of his father or is the boy a talent, and he is vainly bulled by fans, like a daddy's boy?
- Each player plays according to his capabilities, experience, and the coach's plan. Christian Shevchenko was called up to the Ukrainian national team, so they saw some prospects in him. The son of a great footballer is always under pressure. Rarely does anyone play at the level of his father, most are a fifth wheel. There was a player at Metalurh Donetsk named Cruyff. Not Johan, of course. His son Jordi. No matter how hard they tried to help him play, it was all in vain. And he had a great start - Barca, MU, Euro 96...
There is Zinedine Zidane's son Eliaz in the French junior national team. For some reason, he did not take the field in the match against Ukraine in the final phase of the game, and Christian came on...
- There is also Viktor Tsukanov in the U-19 team. For example, the commentator of the Ukraine-France match actually called him a diamond in the rough or a diamond, I don't remember verbatim. Is the guy really a Ukrainian Yamal? Because I didn't see any signs of Lamin or young Lionel Messi in him...
- Until we see in Tsukanov's goals column ten or more goals for the adult team, we can say anything, but it will be just words. "Shakhtar likes to promote their players. This is normal. Rukh also likes to "mold" stars from their young players. But only results judge any footballer.
In general, Tsukanov is a very gifted young man. There is nothing to say, but he needs to materialize his talent and grow up.
- Who from Dmytro Mykhailenko's team can be promoted? Even if not to the level of the national team, but at least to the youth team?
- Krapyvtsov, Gusev, Matkevych, Ponomarenko, Mikhavko. In general, it is most difficult for defenders to jump through age teams. But, you know, we have a great example. I'm talking about Ilya Zabarnyi. Maybe I'm wrong, but he hasn't played a single match for the juniors or the youth team. Not even for Dynamo's youth team. He immediately broke into the first team.
- In the final of the junior Euro 2024 (France vs. Spain), Furia Roja won. Who did you favor?
- I like Spain better, but they spent too much energy in the 1/2 final match against Italy. The overtime might have paid off for them. So I thought France would be the favorite - they were supposed to be fresher and, again, this junior tricolor team is very powerful. The Rojita won - well, this confirms the depth and consistency of Spanish football. It simply does not happen by chance that a country has won so many victories in all age categories over the past 15 years. It is deserved.
Viktor Glukhenkyi
