On the eve of the 2024/2025 Nations League match against the Czech Republic, the head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhii Rebrov gave a press conference.
Serhiy Rebrov (photo: D. Balashov)- What is the personnel situation in the team? Will Mykhailo Mudryk be ready to play?
- Today Mykhailo is training in the general group. As far as I can see, there are some micro-injuries, but the players are healthy and ready for tomorrow's match.
- How do you feel the support of Ukrainian fans in the Czech Republic? About 15 thousand of them came to the game against Albania. Do you expect such support tomorrow?
- Unfortunately, we cannot afford such support at the Czech stadium when we play away. We are very grateful to the Czech Republic for giving us the opportunity to play a home game in Prague. I am grateful to the Czech Republic for supporting Ukraine, for its position on the war. We are at home here, very grateful to everyone who helps us.
- Is the defeat in the match against Albania a big problem, even though, in our opinion, it was undeserved? The Ukrainian national team had the advantage, led in the score, but lost. How can you assess it?
- The same way as the Czech Republic's match against Georgia. This is the level of national teams, all the best players are here. If we had an advantage in the game against Albania but lost, it means that the teams are of about the same level. Therefore, it is important to concentrate on every episode of the game, and the same will happen tomorrow. I don't think there is any big difference between the Czech Republic and Ukraine. We need to show a different level of attitude, to react to the game we showed against Albania.
- Will the course of tomorrow's match be different, since the Czech national team plays more attacking football than Albania?
- It will be a completely different game. The Czech national team is more aggressive, they play at home, we watched their matches. We have to be ready for this match.
- What are the Czech national team's greatest strengths? Which players are the strongest, who should we pay attention to?
- I like the Czech Republic's style of play because they play very aggressively. As I saw at the Euros, it doesn't matter who is on the field. There is competition, but the style of play does not change. It's hard to single anyone out because it's one team that understands how to play and uses its abilities well. We respect the opponent, but we have to think about ourselves, show a different attitude to the game and a different desire to play.
- How would you assess the training conditions you received in the Czech Republic?
- I remember when we were preparing here last year, we were satisfied with everything. We are very grateful, all issues are resolved very quickly, all conditions are created. We are training on very good fields, in my opinion, everything is perfect. But we realize that we cannot play for our fans now. We play for Ukrainians who have gone abroad. We dream about when we will return to Ukraine and play for our fans.
