Ukrainian coach Roman Hryhorchuk shared his emotions after the national team of Ukraine’s disappointing match against Azerbaijan (1:1) in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Roman Hryhorchuk (photo: fc-lnz.com)— You have worked for a long time in Azerbaijan. The result of our team’s match against their national team — is a big surprise. Was it unexpected for you too?
— I mentioned before the match that playing against Azerbaijan would be difficult. Azerbaijani football is serious. We may not be very well informed about it, but what I felt while working there… Serious steps are being taken in that country for the development of football. "Karabakh" is the flagship of local football, and the fact that they have reached the group stage of the Champions League for the second time is an indicator.
Before the game, I understood that we were the favorites! We have a number of very qualified players, and they play in top leagues, but Azerbaijan also has certain strength. I would like us to have completely deprived the Azerbaijanis of any hopes for positive actions on the field, but not everything worked out. There were moments where not everything went well, which is why the result turned out this way. We understand that this result is "not very good" for us, but what can we do? We have to accept it, analyze it, and move forward.
— After the match, many joke that Azerbaijani football is on the rise. What are the reasons for the decline of our football? Many players from our national team play in top leagues…
— I agree with you that many of our players play abroad and play at a fairly serious level. This should be emphasized. Of course, we understand that the championship of Ukraine is not what we would like to see right now, but I wouldn’t call it a decline. I would like our national team to have a different philosophy: more confident, more aggressive. I would like our players to go onto the field and already see that victory over a team like Azerbaijan, for example, is possible. They should play dominant football.
— Sergey Rebrov has worked for a long time in Europe and Asia. So, he is a coach with a European mentality who should instill this winning mentality in the boys, but… What is the problem? What is not working out?
— That word… "European mentality"... It’s easy to say, but what does it mean? In Europe, teams play in different ways. Not every European team possesses a winning mentality. I would rather use the word "progressive." We should set examples from teams that play active and dominant football.
— Why didn’t Azerbaijan allow us to show our best qualities?
— In Azerbaijan, there are many players with a proper understanding of football. Many speedy, smart, and technically skilled players, but we must understand that the skills of the players on the national team of Ukraine are much higher than those of the players from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan had great desire and determination. The result is a matter of circumstances. But, so that we are not dependent on the opponent, we must have our own established game model. Everything should be much more aggressive. From the first second, we take the bull by the horns and turn it around. We do not let go! We give no chances! There is potential for this, but we need to work on this direction.
— Can you say that this is a problem of the coaching staff?
— Specifically in this game, I felt that I lacked that. When we play against teams that compactly defend, what needs to be done? First — act aggressively overall. We must control the ball, and upon losing it, immediately press and regain it, giving the opponent no chance for attacks. In such games, attacking players should sharpen the game.
— Despite a disappointing start in the qualifiers, do we have real chances to qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
— We have to attack, dominate, and crush the opponent. But, now, with this situation, we just have to think about winning every next match. Nothing is lost yet; we just need to win. Right now, the goal of achieving a result at any cost must come first.
Oleg Vakhotskyi
