The coach of the Ukrainian U-16 national team (footballers born no later than 2010) Volodymyr Samborskyi summarized the camp where the «blue-yellows» held two friendly matches with their Italian peers (2:6 and 0:3).
Volodymyr Samborskyi (photo: uaf.ua)— Mr. Volodymyr, what are your conclusions about the recent camp?
— I was satisfied that we managed to play with such a strong team as Italy, which is undoubtedly one of the strongest in Europe in this age category. I am glad we could see our team in action against the Italians at the very beginning of its formation. We identified the areas we need to work on primarily. I should note that for nine of our players, this was their first experience of this kind, whereas our opponent is already building the core of their team.
This was an invaluable experience. I am thankful to the UAF leadership for organizing such a camp and to the Italian side for inviting us for these friendlies.
It is important for us to hold selection camps as often as possible. I am glad that the association leadership shares my opinion. Work in this direction is already underway.
— You mentioned there is work to be done. What did you mean specifically?
— We need to radically change how we prepare our footballers from a very young age. The difference in individual class, intensity, and speed of thought is very noticeable. We need to move away from the notion of achieving results at any cost and focus on the technical development of the players.
— Are there boys in this team who should become great masters in the future?
— We generally have a lot of talented youth. We just need to create conditions for them to develop. I believe that a player who has outgrown his age group should move higher in his club. However, a lot also depends on the players themselves. They need to push themselves to the maximum, not only in games but also in training.
— Are there any plans for the next camp of your team?
— Camps are definitely planned for April. During them, the Ukrainian national team will play in the UEFA Development Tournament. However, I do not rule out the possibility of gathering earlier.
