Tomorrow, the players under Serhiy Rebrov will face a two-match confrontation against the Belgian national team as part of the Nations League play-offs. The head coach of Ternopil’s "Nyva", Yuriy Virt, spoke about the composition of the Ukrainian national team, changes in the Belgian team, and expectations from Rebrov’s squad.
Yuriy Virt— First of all, I would like to hear your thoughts and impressions regarding the lineup of the Ukrainian national team for the matches against Belgium. Is the optimal squad chosen for these confrontations?
— I think that Ruslan Malinovskyi could also have been called up for these matches. That’s the only position. I would have liked to see him in the lineup of the Ukrainian national team. Other than that, everything is quite optimal.
If we look at the reserve list we have, Malinovskyi could have made it into that squad. I believe he could even have been in the main lineup.
— There has been a lot of talk about whether Ilya Krupsky should have been called up to the national team. In your opinion, does he deserve a call-up to the national team now? Would he be useful to Serhiy Rebrov’s team?
— He demonstrated a good game against Kyiv’s "Dynamo". That was a very high-quality game, but it was just one match. For example, against Lviv’s "Rukh" he wasn’t as active as in previous matches. Therefore, I think that for today, all the strongest footballers have been called up to the national team.
— I can’t help but ask you as a former goalkeeper: who should be the main goalkeeper in the match against Belgium? Who would you choose from the three goalkeepers?
— I think I would choose from the duo Lunin-Trubin. There is a slight advantage for Trubin in that he has more playing time.
But as the match of "Real" against "Real Sociedad" in the Copa del Rey showed, when Lunin played in the starting lineup and had a very high-quality match… One could say he was the hero of that match. Thanks to him, the team won. We see that even when Andriy has little playing time, he comes in and does his job very well. So he can be relied upon, that’s a hundred percent.
I do not rule out the possibility that both goalkeepers could play one game each. Anything is possible. These two goalkeepers will probably compete with each other.
— Undoubtedly, one of the biggest losses for the Ukrainian national team is the absence of Mykhailo Mudryk. How difficult will it be for the team to play without him, and can they fully replace him?
— I agree, that’s a big loss for the team. But there are no irreplaceable players. I understand that Mudryk will not play for a long period of time.
There are wing players, wingers, so I believe that there are players who can replace him. We need to replace him because what has happened has already happened. I think we have quality footballers. We need to play already without Mudryk.
— Last summer, the Ukrainian national team played against Belgium in Euro-2024 (0:0 draw — ed.). Should we pay attention to that game, or will the upcoming two matches be a completely different story?
— There has been a coaching change in the Belgian national team (Rudy Garcia replaced Domenico Tedesco — ed.). I think there will be changes in the game, as there was a lot of criticism from the press regarding the performance under Tedesco. That’s why there was a resignation. The new coach will come with his own vision.
Therefore, I don’t think we should pay attention to the game that took place in the European Championship. We need to prepare for a new Belgium. It will be interesting to see what football the Belgian national team will show against Ukraine.
But first and foremost, we need to focus on our game and try to impose our style of play, despite the fact that the Belgian team is a serious opponent with top players. But the Ukrainian national team also has good players. We need to first focus on our game and dictate our conditions.
— There are discussions about how many defenders the Ukrainian national team should play against Belgium. What tactical setup would be better?
— There is a coaching staff, many analysts working within the national team. They study, and they will probably choose the tactic that will enable them to beat the Belgian national team. Regardless of whether we will play with three or two central defenders, I think that the entire team works for defense and the entire team works for attack.
It doesn’t matter how many defenders we will play with, what’s important is how the team as a whole will defend and attack.
— When talking about the Belgian national team, one of the biggest changes in it has been the return of Thibaut Courtois. How important is this return for the Belgian national team?
— It’s definitely important. He is one of the leaders and one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It is indeed a very strong comeback. The fact that he will add strength to the defense of the national team is a hundred percent.
But he also concedes goals, and not just one. I believe our attacking actions can lead to us being able to score goals even against a goalkeeper like Thibaut Courtois.
— There are discussions about whether the Ukrainian national team should even aim for Division A of the Nations League now. In your opinion, should the Ukrainian national team be expected to achieve the maximum result in matches against Belgium?
— I will ask you a counter-question: what were we fighting for to play in the playoff matches? To now go out and just stand on the football field? Every footballer and every coach has ambitions, big ambitions.
The footballers understand the country we are living in right now, and it’s extremely important to bring positivity. Positivity in this case is not just a good result but a place in Division A and the opportunity to play against top players.
I am surprised by some statements about what we’re doing there, why we need to play there, and so on. Every footballer dreams of winning, doing everything on the football field for the sake of victory. I think all the footballers, coaches, and staff will work hard to be able to overcome the Belgian national team and enter Division A. I can’t imagine anything else.
Therefore, I believe that the national team will show a good game supported by a result. I think it’s important for everyone to add positivity to those who will be watching, especially our soldiers who protect Ukraine, and to give them joy that Ukraine managed to defeat the Belgian national team.
— Finally, I want to ask: what are your expectations and predictions for the matches of the Ukrainian national team against Belgium in the Nations League?
— I believe in the Ukrainian national team. They have a chance to beat Belgium and reach Division A. Therefore, I hope that the footballers will show their best qualities and top game. The main thing is for the team to be able to rise a class higher.
Anton Hreskyv
