On Friday, October 10, the Ukrainian national team won against the Icelandic national team 5−3 in the third match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying tournament. Here is the post-match press conference with the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Serhiy Rebrov.
Serhiy Rebrov— All our matches are very difficult. If you noticed, before every training camp, we have many injured players. Unfortunately. But I am grateful to the guys for today’s match: they all understood who we are playing for and gave their all on the field.
It is always very difficult to play against Iceland. I have seen many of their matches. They are very strong and provide a lot of competition. Especially at home. Today it was very important to win this fight. We still need to look at the stats, but since we won, the players really gave it their all. Including when the score became 3−3 — we pushed forward and did everything for victory.
— What is the situation with Sudakov, as well as with Trubin, who also needed medical attention?
— As for Trubin, in that situation, we just needed to clear the ball as we were outnumbered. I think he did that. I don’t think he felt anything serious.
Sudakov is, of course, a loss for us. I hope he manages to recover by the next match, but for now, I have no information about his condition.
— Today, the substitutions turned out to be very successful. How would you assess them?
— You see, we have a young team, with many young players who really deserve a call-up to the national team. And not just because there are injuries. When these guys join the national team camp, I see their desire. Everyone who came on as a substitute today understands who they are playing for and works very hard. Today, I was confident in everyone who came on as a substitute. These guys really added to the team’s play. After the substitutions, we saw the intensity we were counting on improve. So I congratulate the guys.
— What were your instructions after the first goal by the Ukrainian national team?
— We needed to work more intensively, more actively. But the opponent hindered us from fully implementing this: today the Icelandic national team controlled the ball very well, and after conceding a goal, they also began to put a lot of pressure on us.
— Did the return of such an experienced player as Malinovskyi help? Not only in terms of his goals but also in terms of the midfield of the team.
— Of course. Players like Malinovskyi, Yarmolenko, Stepanenko have been and remain very important for the national team. But now the young players who are in the team need to become such leaders. We give them a chance, but they also need time because matches at the national team level are matches against top teams, comprising top players. If you do not play at your best, it is very difficult to count on any result.
— How do you assess the support of the Ukrainian fans in today’s match?
— Superb! We are very grateful to them and felt their support — even when the score was 3−3. It was very pleasant. Wherever we play, there is always support from Ukrainians. But we really hope to return home and play again for our fans in Ukraine.
Oleksandr POPOV
