Ukrainian coach Andriy Demchenko, who has worked with Georgian clubs (Dila, Dynamo Batumi) for the past four seasons and knows the national team there very well, told us what he expects from today's Ukraine-Georgia Nations League match.
- Who do you favor in the duel between Rebrov and Sanyol?
- I'm a Ukrainian, so it's hard for me to be objective when answering this question, because I'll be rooting for our team. But... I'm a football person and I've been working in Georgia for many years, so Sanyol's team looks more attractive to me. Still, the Georgians are the favorites in this game.
They are on the rise now. They played very well at Euro 2024, where they made it to the 1/8 finals, which few people expected from them, and started well in the League of Nations with two victories (1-0 win over Albania and 4-1 defeat of the Czech Republic - ed.) Georgia is on a roll, so to speak. It will be hard to stop them. As for me, this team is only getting stronger from game to game, because the players are playing together and playing even better. The team has a good microclimate. The guys trust the coach.
- Doesn't the Georgian national team remind you of the Ukrainian team of the late 90s? We had an unequivocal leader, Andriy Shevchenko, who pulled the whole team along with him, and a couple of very high-quality players of the caliber of Rebrov and Shovkovsky at the last line. The Georgians now also have a clear leader in Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, with Mikautadze, Mamardashvili and company right next to him.
- Yes, Kvara is the Georgian Sheva. He has already become a legend in the Italian Serie A. Georgia has a balanced squad. A kind of fusion of youth and experience. There is someone to single out personally. Mamardashvili, for example, is a very good goalkeeper, and a reliable goalkeeper is half the team, as you know.
However, the other players are also quite good, and the tactical scheme is not very common. Neither is the way they play.
- Detail their threats.
- I would start with this. Almost all the time that Willy Sagnol has been coaching Georgia, they have been playing a 5-3-2 formation. Kvaratskhelia, who is a nominal winger while playing in Napoli, plays as a striker in matches for the national team, paired with Mikautadze. A formidable attack.
At the same time, Georgia flies out on the counterattack with a maximum of four players. They wait and wait and then explode. They resort to ball control only when the opponent allows it. Nominally, Sanyol's team plays with five defenders, but in fact, six or seven are working in defense, with two supporters sitting low when necessary.
The Georgians also have a very strong midfield, which includes representatives of European clubs. There are no big names like Khvicha or George, but the midfield also has its own leader - Giorgi Chakvetadze from English Watford. He is a great attacking midfielder. This trio makes the weather.
- And yet. Who is the main star of Georgia. The locomotive that pulls Sakartvelo to new heights?
- Georgia has a great coach. Willy Sagnol has been consistently coaching the team since 2021, and now, in his third year, he seems to have managed to bring all his work and ideas to life. Starting with the matches of the Euro 2024 qualifying cycle, the second half, the Georgians have shown stability. There are exceptions, like the 1-7 loss to Spain, but.
Sanyol does not rush from side to side. He chose his tactics and strategy, decided on the players who are the backbone of his team and confidently bends his line. Willi has also instilled discipline in this team. Although he is not German, he is a legend of the French national team on a par with Zinedine Zidane, and he spent almost his entire professional career in Germany, playing for Bayern Munich, so discipline is not an empty word for him.
- Was it a sensation for you that Georgia reached the last 16 of Euro 2024?
- Before Euro 2024, I gave an interview to the Georgian media. They asked me about Ukraine and the local national team, asked me to assess the chances and make predictions. So, I was sure that our national team would reach the 1/8 finals of Euro 2024, and Georgia would not, but it turned out the other way around. So, yes, for me, Sanyol's team's entry into the playoffs was not only a surprise, but a super sensation.
- For the first time in a long time, this Georgian national team has not just one star, as Kaladze or Kinkladze once did, but several. Just like the Ukrainian team. Who do you think is a stronger striker - Mikautadze or Dovbyk?
- They're very versatile. Mikautadze is agile and fast, while Dovbyk is a powerhouse. Artem always aims for the goal, he can decide the fate of the match on his own. George is more dependent on his teammates. The Georgian also works hard in defense, while our striker does not always.
- Who is a more reliable goalkeeper - Mamardashvili or Trubin?
- Mamardashvili had a great Euro 2024. As for me, he deserved to be named number one at Euro 2024. And Trubin and especially Lunin did not make a splash... Today, Anatoliy, in my opinion, is undoubtedly the first number one of the Ukrainian national team. He is progressing, has a permanent place in the Benfica team.
And who is better - Geo or Anatoliy, I do not see a big difference in class between them. Both are top goalkeepers.
- Nominally, Kvaratskhelia is a left winger, like our Mykhailo Mudryk.
- I understand what you mean. Today Khvicha is a couple of goals stronger than Mykhailo. He is an established player, Kvaratskhelia is a diamond, and Mudryk is still just a diamond. It still needs to be refined, cut. Mykhailo is still looking for himself, but Khvich has already found him. However, in terms of talent, Mudryk is not inferior to Kvaratskhelia.
- You have given a fairly clear description of Georgia and its mentor. And what about Ukraine: why did the Blue and Yellows fail at Euro 2024 and are some hotheads right to demand Rebrov's blood, i.e. his dismissal?
- In this Ukrainian national team, no matter what level you look at, there are players from the top leagues in Europe everywhere. Zabarnyi, Mykolenko, Zinchenko, Mudryk, Tsygankov, Dovbyk. All of them play in the best championships of the Old World for decent clubs, but... I think the main problem of failure at the Euros lies in the mental plane. Perhaps there is something wrong with the microclimate. And if this is true, then we need to work on it first.
As for Rebrov, he is a smart and talented specialist. I admit that I have taken a lot from his coaching methods for myself. Serhii did a great job with Dynamo, Ferencvaros, and Al Ain. It hasn't worked out with the national team yet. Why? Probably because he has not yet gotten used to the specifics of working with the national team. All coaches know perfectly well that working at the club every day and dealing with the national team, where you are in constant contact with your players for a month at most, is a huge difference.
You shouldn't shout now and demand Rebrov's resignation, give him time.
- Andriy Demchenko's prediction.
- Despite the fact that I consider the Georgians to be the favorites, I will, of course, root for Ukraine, and I think the game will end in a productive draw 1:1 or 2:2.
Viktor Glukhenkyi