Forward of Kyiv’s Dynamo and the Ukrainian national team Vladislav Vanat shared his expectations for the matches against the Belgian national team (March 20 and 23) in the UEFA Nations League playoffs for the right to compete in Division “A” of this tournament in the next season of the Nations League during a live broadcast on the YouTube channel «VZBIRNA», and also talked about his thoughts on the scoring race in the current championship of Ukraine.
Vladislav Vanat— What comes to mind first about the previous game against Belgium (0:0) at Euro-2024?
— That we couldn't win, but showed a decent game.
— Is Belgium now stronger or weaker compared to Euro-2024?
— They have a new coach. Moreover, players who didn’t play in Euro-2024 have returned to the team. It seems to me that the Belgium national team has become stronger.
— Is Belgium the favorite in this confrontation?
— Maybe, on paper—yes, but on the football field, the favorite doesn’t always win.
— You are currently the leader of the UPL scoring race. Do you talk about it or joke about it in the national team with competitors like Sudakov or Hutsulyak?
— No, we don’t really talk about that.
— What’s your prediction for the top three scorers in UPL?
— (After a pause). Let’s not have me in it. (Smiles).
— Why?
— I don’t want to. What if it doesn’t happen.
— Let’s have a top three without you.
— Sudakov, Hutsulyak, and Buyalsky.
— Do you have a personal ideal forward that you look up to in your game?
— I don’t know, there isn’t just one like that, I take a little from everyone.
— For example, who comes to your mind first?
— Isak, Dzyuba, Mbappe.
— Are you following the performances of Yaremchuk and Dovbik?
— Sometimes I can through some app on my phone, but as for watching matches with their involvement—there's nothing like that.
— Name five footballers who scored 10 goals for the Ukrainian national team.
— Shevchenko, Yarmolenko, Tsygankov, Yaremchuk and... Who else... Malinovsky? Zinchenko?
— Let’s have more options.
— I don’t know. (Laughs).
— Who jokes the best in the Ukrainian national team?
— Zhora Bushchan when he was in the national team. And now, among those who are on this gathering, it’s Kolya Matvienko. But in general, most guys know how to joke well.
