This year, the Ukrainian national team has not been able to play successful opening matches. This was the case in the final part of Euro 2024, when there was a failure in the first meeting of the group stage with Romania (0: 3), and it happened yesterday in the game with Albania, which opened the draw of the League of Nations 2024/2025. Serhii Rebrov's team also lost (1-2), causing another wave of criticism. Former Dynamo Kyiv striker Viktor Khlus shared his thoughts on the game of our national team with Sport.ua.
Ukraine — Albania
- "I can only say one thing: yesterday's game clearly showed that people who earn a lot of money are probably off the ground," the expert assesses the situation. "As the match with Albania showed, there is almost no return on their actions. These people had some kind of peace of mind. I repeat: they earn good money, eat well - so why overexert themselves, why run? I can judge this by a simple example. In yesterday's match, about ten minutes before the final whistle, there was an episode: a player of the Albanian national team "pulled" the ball down the left flank, perhaps from eighty meters. At high speed. And there are three of our players running, two of them lagging behind the Albanian. And one of them had come on as a substitute shortly before.
For me, as an ordinary Ukrainian who watched the match on TV, this is surprising. It's nonsense that players would behave like this in such a difficult time for our country. But if you go out on the field for those ten or fifteen minutes, you should give it your best shot. You'll have two days to recover for the next game. But no: why should I overload my body if I'm fine? A person comes out for the final part of the match, and after a few minutes it becomes noticeable that he is tired. This is called... However, I will not say, because I want to use a bad word.
- What do you think of the tactics of the Ukrainian national team in the match against the Albanians?
- It seems to me that the version of the tactical formation that our team used yesterday was not creative. They just put people in certain positions - that's all. Yes, there was a pretty strong player in each position. But there were no team actions at all. Tell me, how can it be possible to not hit the goal at all in the first half? And this is about a team that sets itself high goals and has half of its players playing in the top European clubs. This is incomprehensible to me. If our guys continue to play in the same way - without dedication and creativity, then there is nothing to expect from the Ukrainian national team.
- What measures do you think the coaching staff of our national team should take before the next Nations League game against the Czech Republic?
- Before calling up the players to the national team to participate in the training camp that precedes the next matches, Serhii Rebrov must have watched more than one game with their participation. I am sure he has a vision and a game plan. However, it seems to me that at this stage, the combination of youth and experience has proven to be incompatible. After all, young players of the Ukrainian national team are very timid.
When you look at, say, players of the same age in France or Italy, you see that when they come to the national team, they appreciate the chance they are given. And they use it with maximum efficiency, without any fears. At the same time, they take on part of the game load. But for some reason, everything is different here. Mature players from among the national team's veterans still play somehow, while young people, unlike playing for clubs, are unable to do so in the main team of the country. Perhaps because they are under some kind of pressure, you can't see anything in their performance.
- What would you wish young players?
- I only want them to reconsider their attitude. Yes, it is difficult. Yes, two days between official matches of the Nations League is not enough time to reorganize. But be that as it may, in modern football, dedication comes first. You can't play half-heartedly or try to beat your opponent with only 90 percent effort. Even with Albania.
The days when it was easy to beat a team from a not-so-developed football country are over. Now all opponents are physically strong, all know how to play football. So, to that 90 percent, you still need to add 10 percent, as all national teams do. Moreover, each of the representatives of Group B1 - the same Georgia, the Czech Republic and Albania - are almost equal in terms of team level. All of them put dedication and creativity first.
- Which of them would you single out in particular?
- The Georgian national team. Why do I single it out? Let me explain. This team has creative players who can take responsibility and decide the outcome of a match. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian national team has practically no such players. I see only dependence on each other: if someone makes a pass, if someone closes, if someone is in the right place... But I don't see such a creative performer who could create a moment on his own and realize it on his own on the field performed by Ukrainian footballers. I used to like Sudakov, who really took responsibility and "pulled" the team. But now I see that he has either stopped in his skill or has the wrong form. I started to get disappointed in him.
Dmytro Verbynskyi
