Former defender of «Shakhtar» Oleksandr Kuchер commented on the upcoming match of the Ukrainian national team against Albania.
—\tOleksandr, tell us about your expectations for the match between Ukraine and Albania.
— You know, the expectations are good. We understand that we need a victory, but it all depends on our team and how the opponents play.
—\tIs there a fear for the result, for the game?
— No, there isn’t. I think the game will be interesting; maybe in Albania, there won’t be such a pitch as there was in Georgia. Let’s hope that the grass will be in perfect condition and our guys will manage to show a good and quality game.
—\tWhat can help the Ukrainian national team to win against the Albanians?
— Through team actions, teamwork, and dedication. We know how to play; the Ukrainian national team has always played with desire. Now, more than ever, we need to go out and be one unit on the football field. I think in that case, we will achieve a positive result.
—\tThis match is also important for the Albanians. What factor will be decisive under such conditions?
— Whoever makes fewer mistakes, is reliable in defense, and more aggressive in attack will succeed; these factors will play a role. Of course, there is no sense for us to be cautious; we only need a victory. We need to move forward, we need to score; the main thing is that we play as the first team, but we understand that this doesn’t always happen. Therefore, reliability is needed; it’s very important to play focused in defense, not to make mistakes during the opponent's attacks.
—\tThe market value of the Albanians is 90 million, and of the Ukrainians — 325 million. Will it be embarrassing to lose to this team again, which is almost four times cheaper?
— No, because we see that numbers do not play football; people do. What is written there, the sums — that’s one thing, but they may not correspond to reality. On paper, one can write anything they want, but one must prove their value on the football field.
—\tWhat conclusions should our national team make compared to the first loss to the Albanians?
— It’s hard for me to say; the team has coaches; they probably analyzed, studied, and made some adjustments. We know that the Albanians are a very good team. Yes, not all of them play in top leagues, but most play in Italy, and there are players from decent teams in Spain and the Czech Republic. They know how to play football. The team is athletic, so it won't be easy for us.
— Looking at the recent games of the Ukrainian national team, should we again expect that Mudryk will make a difference?
— Of course, we want someone else to step up and assist Mudryk. Misha looks quite good now, especially in the national team matches; he helps the team a lot. But we also want someone else to pull along and help. Then it will be much easier to play.
—\tIf the Ukrainian national team loses and drops to League C, will it be a disaster for us?
— Perhaps it will be a chance because Rebrov is currently building the team, working on it; we see that there is rotation; he is calling up new players — Hutsulyak, Nazarenko, Kalyuzhny, looking at them, and perhaps we will form a new national team.
—\tAnd if the Ukrainian national team advances to League A, will there be unnecessary suffering there?
— Playing against top national teams is better in any case; top level is something entirely different. Interestingly, we have always found it easier to play against strong teams than against teams of our level.
Andriy Pavlechko
