Albania — Ukraine — 1:2. Post-match press conference. Sergey Rebrov: “Getting into the playoffs from such a group was very diffi

On Tuesday, November 19, the Ukrainian national team defeated the Albanian national team 2:1 in the final match of the 6th round of the group stage of the Nations League 2024/25. We present to you the post-match press conference of the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Sergey Rebrov.

— Why can’t you win calmly at least once?

— At this level, it is impossible to win calmly at all. Especially away, in such a difficult game. Moreover, we played on the third day after a no less difficult match against Georgia, which took place on a challenging field. Every match of the Ukrainian national team is very tough.

— How would you evaluate the game of the Albanian national team?

— This is a participant in Euro 2024. All teams in our group performed at this European Championship. The group was very even. I am very grateful to the players for getting into the playoffs from such a group; it was very difficult.

As for the Albanian national team, they showed their strength in the second half today. It is good that we managed to maintain the winning score.

— Were you not afraid that the Albanian national team could avoid defeat?

— We shouldn’t be afraid; we need to react. We understood that in Tirana, especially with such support from the stands, it is very difficult to play. I consider the Albanian national team to be a very strong team, which played quite confidently at Euro 2024. Therefore, we prepared for a tough game. Today, the result was very important.

— Do you not think that in previous matches the Ukrainian national team was not fully appreciated?

— I repeat, this was an even group, where all teams were of a high level. Therefore, the struggle continued until the last round. I do not believe that our defeats were by play. In those matches, there was an equal fight. Including in the first match, where we lost to Albania 1:2; both teams had their moments. But it is very important that in the decisive match the guys came out with a completely different mindset and showed our strength.

— Are you satisfied with the experiments you conducted in the team throughout this Nations League?

— In this tournament, we had two goals. The first goal was to get the opportunity to play in the playoffs of the qualifying cycle for the 2026 World Cup. The second goal, which is no less important, was to look at the footballers who played in the youth team, who got to the Olympics and played there. I believe that we handled both tasks. Now we will play in the playoffs, and the newcomers have added confidence and intensity to the game. Today, Alexey Sych, who had not prepared in the national team, stepped onto the field, but he came and, I believe, played at a very high level today.

— Evaluate the game of Zinchenko and Yaremchuk, who were the scorers today, as well as other players who played today but did not participate in the match against Georgia?

— This was a very difficult gathering. Because “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar” are currently playing a lot, and they have very complex logistics for travel to international matches. As a result, many footballers came to the national team with micro-injuries. Therefore, selecting the lineup was very difficult. But I always remember that we have two matches within one gathering. And even if you consider that the lineup for the first of these matches is our main one, we are already thinking about how to refresh the team's game with those guys who are on the bench. As you saw, there was no proper intensity in our game against Georgia. And the guys who came onto the field managed to add that very intensity.

— Who would you like to get as an opponent in the playoffs of the Nations League?

— Before the game, we did not think about that. It was very important to win and show the strength of the Ukrainian national team.

Alexander POPOV