Former Ukrainian national team player Ivan Hetzko shared his thoughts on the defeat of the Ukrainian national team against France (0:2) in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament.
Ivan Hetzko— Do you agree with the opinion that the Ukrainian national team lacked luck in yesterday's match in Wroclaw?
— I think it wasn’t just luck, but also a bit of skill. I mean the two great chances we had in front of the French goal. If we had scored at least one of them, the game would have been completely different.
Overall, the first half was a complete failure for us. Completely disastrous. Not a single shot on target, not a single opportunity! There weren’t even half-chances in the first half!
— Considering how the Ukrainian national team played in the second half, it seems that Serhiy Rebrov found the right words during the halftime break…
— It should also be noted that France is a team that came out in the second half playing to keep their lead. The opponent focused more on defense than on attack. The French gave possession of the ball to the Ukrainians, and we did not take advantage of it, failing to convert the chances we created. And when we conceded the second goal, it became clear that the game was over.
— How optimal do you think our team’s lineup was, given the player resources Rebrov had on that day?
— What other options were there? In my opinion, we had the optimal set of players for yesterday’s match. And this is considering that some players lacked game practice. But credit to them, they still played at a fairly good level.
— It can be assumed that there is a sense of optimism before the match against Azerbaijan?
— Of course! There’s no question about that. We must understand that a defeat against the Azerbaijan team would be a serious blow to our prospects. In the game against this opponent, the Ukrainian national team needs to play as favorites — that is certain. We need to achieve results.
— Our main team, like Ukrainian clubs, has been using stadiums in neighboring Poland as home arenas for several years now. How did you find the support for the Ukrainian national team in Wroclaw?
— Wonderful! What else can I say? Our fans were loud and it was very pleasant. Not just for us, but for the players on the field as well.
— In three days in Baku, such support is unlikely to be present.
— Who knows… Ukrainians are everywhere now.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
