The first captain of the Ukraine national team, former player of Bukovyna Chernivtsi and Chornomorets Odesa Yuriy Shelepnitsky shared his thoughts on today's World Cup 2026 qualifying match Azerbaijan — Ukraine.
Yuriy Shelepnitsky— We need to play, win, and earn three points. If we can’t win against such Azerbaijan, which currently has problems both within the team and regarding the coaching issue (as you know, before the game with the Ukrainian national team, the Portuguese Santos was dismissed), then what’s the point of playing? Although sometimes it happens that when a coach is removed, the team plays completely differently — there’s a new impetus, something changes. And for us, it’s essential that it changes for the worse.
— But won’t the change in the coaching staff of the Azerbaijan national team cool down our footballers?
— Let’s put it this way: it shouldn’t. After all, we are talking about the Ukraine national team, about professional footballers who know the value of victories, know who they are playing for and at what specific time. Therefore, I think there should not be things like cooling down. A professional must prepare for any match, for any opponent. And give their all in the game. After all, you’ve been invited to the main team of the country, and that’s a significant indicator. Going onto the football field with the thought that the opponent is disorganized, that there’s no coach, and we can take them with bare hands is unacceptable. Nowadays, there are no such teams that can be taken with bare hands, especially at the national level. Take, for example, the Italy national team. It seems that all top footballers are in their lineup, but they barely edged out Israel — 5:4.
— What do you think, will we see any changes in Ukraine’s starting lineup today, or will Serhiy Rebrov stick to his tactics?
— I think there will be some adjustments. Considering that we need to play more as the first team, attacking more positionally. The attacking line is Dovbyk’s domain. He can be useful in finishing, where passes from the flanks are directed, where “diagonals,” “verticals” are going, and where one needs to position the body, fight, putting out a leg or head. But if we talk about attacking actions from deep, then Vanat is better in that aspect. Regarding speed and in cases where there are spaces behind. Although we can’t know what tactics Azerbaijan will choose. Perhaps the hosts will look for counterattacks and defend. Maybe there will be a hybrid option: at certain moments applying pressing, and at other times resorting to a tight defense. The game will show.
— Many confidently predict victory for the Ukraine national team. Is that premature?
— I’ll repeat: if we don’t take maximum points from Azerbaijan, then what should we hope for? Then even second place in the group won’t be a possibility. Iceland, as we saw from its victory over Azerbaijan 5:0, is currently on a roll. We’ll see how the islanders perform today against France — a team that is currently tough for everyone. But that’s football; it’s interesting because anything is possible. The result on the scoreboard is after the match, not before it starts. No one has beaten anyone yet before the game.
