On the eve of the 2024/2025 Nations League match against the Albania national team, the head coach of the Ukraine national team, Serhiy Rebrov, held a press conference.
Serhiy Rebrov (photo: uaf.ua)— In light of the recent shelling of our cities by the enemy, I would like to express my personal condolences and those of all the players of the Ukraine national team to the families of the deceased. I would like to remind that the war in Ukraine continues, the enemy shells our cities every day and kills our peaceful population. I want to emphasize that we are grateful to everyone for their help, and right now we need support from the countries of Europe.
— Are there any injured players in your team? Will Vladyslav Vanat play?
— The situation is the same as it was. Currently, Vanat is recovering, we will see. He came to the national team with a desire to play. We did not understand how long he would miss due to injury. He wants to and is ready to play for our country. We have another 24 hours, and we hope he will be ready for the game.
— Do you remember the World Cup-1998 qualifying matches against Albania when you scored winning goals? Do such matches remain in your memory?
— I remember every match for the national team, unfortunately, I don’t remember those goals. The Albania national team has changed a lot since then. Many players from Serie A, top leagues. It is difficult to compare those games with the level the Albania national team is showing now. They qualified for the European Championship, where they performed very well.
— Viktor Leonenko said that we have leaders in the national team who play well in their clubs, but this is not visible in the national team. Do you agree with this?
— I do not agree. We have a very young team, which was the youngest at Euro-2024. Now it is even younger than before. Young players, even if they are leaders, are not always stable. For footballers who want to be leaders, it is important to show stable performance both in the club and in the national team. Right now we have a good team, with a good balance of young and experienced players. I believe this team has a bright future. But I always tell the players that football is about today. It is not about what you will show tomorrow, how you will perform for your club. You must show your maximum in the national team. I do not think our footballers are not showing their level. At the national level, we play against the best players from each country. For example, tomorrow we will face Albania, most of whose players have played at the Euros and compete in top leagues.
