Head coach of "Epicenter" Sergey Nagornyak shared his expectations for the opening match of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup between the Ukrainian national team and the French national team.
"Unfortunately, once again our main team will not be able to play with an optimal lineup. There are significant losses in literally every line, which creates certain problems for the coaching staff. On the other hand, there are no irreplaceable players, and we will have to rely on the personnel potential that we have.
I hope that the helmsman Sergey Rebrov will make the right choice regarding both the starting lineup and tactics. Moreover, the status of the match and the opponent should serve as additional motivation for our guys to demonstrate their skills. At the start of any tournament, it is very important not to lose, because it is difficult to catch up later.
I am inclined to think that the highly motivated Ukrainians will manage not to lose, and that will be a positive result for them in the confrontation with one of the strongest national teams in the world," Nagornyak said.