The head coach of the U-19 youth national team of Ukraine, Dmytro Mykhailenko, summed up the performance of his team in the qualifying round of the European Championship. The U-19 youth team of Ukraine (footballers born in 2006 and later) finished the qualification round of Euro-2025 (U-19) not as hoped. Competing against the teams of Kazakhstan, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, the blue-and-yellows placed fourth, which automatically excluded them from contention for a spot in the elite round. Why this happened and how to avoid similar situations in the future, the national team coach Dmytro Mykhailenko told the official website of UAF.
- Mr. Dmytro, how would you explain the team's negative result in the qualifying round of Euro-2025 (U-19)?
- There is definitely not just one reason. A deep analysis is ahead, but for now, I would like to focus on the following points: I need to analyze whether I, as a coach, did everything right while forming the team, whether all the best footballers ended up on board. Perhaps I missed someone, although there was time, and we viewed all the players.
We also have a problem in the country where the level of U-19 teams is low, where most of our boys play. The level that exists on the international stage does not suit us; everything happens significantly faster there. We need to understand how our footballers can progress. Many have already been playing for U-19 teams for the third season. I don’t think that in Europe, players play for youth teams for so long. Usually, it's one or two years, and then they move to the next level. If progress is initially seen because the player is opposing older opponents, in three years, that same performer plays against younger boys, so the growth that is expected from them either stops or slows down critically. Performers who already play in adult football look more confident than those who still play in youth club competitions.
Another point I would like to draw attention to is staffing issues. Literally on the last day before departing for the Netherlands, we had to make changes to the players' list as Bohdan Redushko and Bohdan Budko got injured. The same problems were experienced by Hennadiy Synchuk, but he managed to recover from the injury as much as possible before the second game.
And I must note the fact that almost half of our squad consists of players from Dynamo and Shakhtar. For them, the match against Kazakhstan (the first in the tournament) was the sixth game they had played in two days on the third or the fourth, and all this was with long travels. Therefore, they lacked freshness.
I believe these reasons became the main ones. Which of them had a greater impact and which a lesser one will be understood again after a thorough analysis. And we need to understand how to avoid such problems in the future.
- We outperformed in shots. In three matches, Ukraine had 37 attempts on opponents' goals, but scored only one goal, and that one was from a penalty...
- I think this is connected to the same reasons I mentioned above. The level of resistance from the opponents was higher; they operated at a faster pace than what happens in the Ukrainian championship throughout the season. There are concepts like games under pressure, high-intensity games. And how one copes with this is often visible in the final results.
- Were there players who outright disappointed you?
- I would say there were players who played below their capabilities. There were also those who, it seems to me, were unsettled by the weight of responsibility. But there were also those who, in a difficult situation, revealed themselves and performed well. Some were influenced by the pressure.
- Were the opponents surprising in any way?
- All opponents were well-organized. Perhaps the Netherlands surprised with their intensity. They adeptly adapt to various situations and excellently transition from defense. The team has high tactical awareness. Even our footballers discussed this after the game. But it should be noted that all Dutch players participate in adult football.
- What conclusion will you draw from this team's performance?
- Undoubtedly, there is a huge disappointment. I expected something different. We prepared the boys for a completely different result, but there is a harsh reality. As a coach, I believe our footballers need to set more serious goals and be given more serious challenges. If there is talent, and there is in many of our players, it is necessary to step out of their comfort zone. When, in the national championship, you win every other match by a difference of five goals, and when after the game you still have a 50% charge left in the batteries, then what kind of growth can we talk about?
It is necessary for the coach, I am not specifically talking about myself, to have a roster of players performing at a level comparable to that of international competitions. As practice shows, in tournaments such as Euro qualification, the key is not skill, but the ability to fight and endure.