Former Ukrainian footballer Oleg Yashchuk, who played for many years in Belgium, talked about what he expects from the play-off matches of the Nations League between the national teams of Ukraine and Belgium for the right to compete in Division "A" of this tournament next season.
Oleg Yashchuk"Tedesco did not manage to establish a collective game for Belgium, and García will work for the future"
— Last time we spoke a day before the game between Belgium and Ukraine as part of Euro 2024. At that time, the head coach of the "Red Devils" was Domenico Tedesco, who was dismissed after an unsuccessful performance in the Nations League. Can we say that his time with the national team was a failure?
— You saw for yourself that there was practically no result. That’s why they said goodbye to him. Now the team is headed by García, who is just getting familiar with the team at his first training camp. It’s hard to say right now what kind of football the team will play under his leadership.
— Among the candidates to succeed Tedesco were the names Thierry Henry, Julen Lopetegui, Erik ten Hag, Mark van Bommel, but in the end, García became the team's coach. How did you perceive this appointment, considering that in his last job the French specialist failed at the champion Napoli?
— I think only time will tell if it was the right decision to appoint García. Belgium is no longer the team it was just a few years ago. I understand that García will work with this national team for the future.
— In fact, the call-up of 17-year-old Ajax midfielder Jorij Moki to the national team bench speaks of working for the prospect.
— Yes, indeed. I think this can be a signal to other young players that the doors are open for them as well. In today’s national team of Belgium, many players are at a stage close to the end of their careers, so it is necessary to review the youth and look to the future.
— Axel Witsel has not been called up to the national team for quite some time, De Bruyne has missed several matches due to injuries, Lukaku also refused to play for the national team, focusing on his performances for Napoli. A great era for the national team of Belgium is coming to an end. Who is currently the main hope of the young generation of the "Red Devils"?
— RB Leipzig forward Lois Openda and Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku are the leaders among the youth. But, you know, with just these two players, you can’t go far. Tedesco himself did not manage to establish a collective game. You can have star players, but you won’t achieve results with them due to the lack of coordinated actions on the field.
— The main news from the Belgian national team camp lately is the return of one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Thibaut Courtois, who at one time refused to wear the national team’s colors due to a conflict with Tedesco. At the same time, Courtois' former backup, Koen Casteels, was outraged by this decision and ended his career with the Belgian national team. Can we assume that there is still no healthy atmosphere in the Belgian locker room?
— In recent years, there have indeed been misunderstandings and conflicts in the Belgian national team’s locker room. The famous story about the long-standing conflict between Courtois and De Bruyne... Now García will face the task of building a healthy collective. It is still unknown how the team will react to Courtois' return to the national team. Not everyone was satisfied with how he left the team some time ago.
I heard that García plans to address this issue at the first training camp and close the topic once and for all. As for the fairness/unfairness of the situation with Casteels — that is not for us to decide. I think any coach would take the opportunity to play in goal with one of the best goalkeepers in the world, who Courtois currently is.
"Kompany at Anderlecht felt relaxed, but that didn’t prevent him from having a great career"
— You worked in the Anderlecht system for a long time; which of the current Belgian national team players did you train?
— I was a coach for Zeno Debast, held individual training sessions with Jeremy Doku, and also worked with Dodi Lukebakio.
— Can you characterize each of them?
— Debast plays equally well with both feet, has good vision of the field, and is quite technical. Zeno can move the ball anywhere on the field, both with his left and right foot, and has a decent shot. One drawback is that he is not very fast, and it can be challenging for him to turn around.
Doku is very strong in one-on-one situations; he can get past anyone in a square meter. He is a speedy and extremely technical player, but players like him often hold onto the ball too much. No matter who from the Ukrainian national team plays against him — it will be very difficult for them to keep up with Jeremy.
Lukebakio... When he was at Anderlecht, I did not like his carelessness. However, after moving to Germany, he blossomed (played for Fortuna and Wolfsburg, and showed himself best at Hertha); he is now performing decently for Sevilla in La Liga.
— Continuing the topic of stars, I can’t help but ask about your playing period at Anderlecht with the then very young Vincent Kompany, who now heads Bayern Munich. What was the future long-time captain of Manchester City and the Belgian national team like at a young age?
— Wow, I’ve known Vincent for a very long time. When I was already playing for Anderlecht, he was just brought up to the first team. In one of the games, our main central defender got injured, and they put the young Kompany on the field instead. From that point on, Vincent started playing regularly for Anderlecht. It was immediately clear that he was a natural leader, but with his own character.
— What exactly do you mean?
— I’ll say this: it wasn’t easy with him. Vincent thought that at such a young age he knew and understood everything. (Smiles). Kompany was a bit laid back, he could be late. But as we see, this didn’t stop him from having such an outstanding career.
"If the players of the Ukrainian national team show their maximum but do not get past Belgium, no one will say anything bad to them"
— Do the recent unsuccessful performances of the Belgian national team indicate that the fans of the "Red Devils" should lower their expectations for their national team?
— I wouldn’t say that everything has to be started from scratch, but it’s unlikely that big achievements should be expected. Even if you look at the current defense line of the Belgian national team and compare it to the previous one, it's two big differences. Before the last game of Ukraine against the Belgians, I thought that the Rybrov team would have virtually no chance. But Belgium's game that day was a shock, not just for me.
I can assume that the experienced players of the Belgian national team have already "had enough," that they lack those emotions from performances for the national team. Perhaps this is why the Belgians performed so poorly at Euro, and Ukraine could have won.
— What can Ukraine do to challenge a more prestigious opponent in this confrontation?
— It’s a pity that Mudryk will not be there; he will be missed by the national team. Against Belgium, his main virtue — speed — could have been effectively utilized. If this confrontation were a single game, it might have been easier for Ukraine. But this is football; it is unpredictable. In a two-match series, the Belgian national team simply must come out victorious; otherwise, they will not be understood.
— So, the chances of Rybrov's team succeeding are slim?
— There are always chances. You cannot go onto the field thinking that victory is impossible. The Ukrainian national team needs to show their maximum; the players must be in optimal form, and the factor of luck also plays a significant role.
Ukraine can take advantage of the fact that the Belgians have a new coach, as it is difficult to make radical improvements in just a few days. However, I think Belgium is the favorite in this confrontation.
— And by names, does the Belgian national team still significantly outweigh the national team of Ukraine?
— I wouldn’t say that the advantage of the Belgians is serious. Earlier — yes. Now the situation is already leveling out; many Ukrainians play in Europe for quite solid clubs.
— Finally: your prediction and final thoughts on the upcoming matches between Ukraine and Belgium.
— I think Belgium will emerge victorious from the two-match series, although I will be cheering for Ukraine. If our players show their maximum in these two games but don’t get through, nobody will say anything bad to them. That’s the most important thing for me.
Vladislav Liustansky
