The well-known Ukrainian coach Yuriy Virt shared his impressions of yesterday’s World Cup 2026 qualifying match between the French and Ukrainian national teams (4:0).
Yuriy Virt
— What can be the impressions after a defeat with a score of 0:4? Without chances, — noted Yuriy Mykolayovych. — I understand that the French team is stronger, that we were primarily thinking about the next match with Iceland, but to finish the game without a single shot on target, not even moments, is too much... And this needs to be taken into account that the French played against Ukraine not in their optimal lineup.
— Why did Serhiy Rebrov form such a reserve starting lineup?
— They probably kept in mind the fact that there are key players who are on yellow cards and would risk missing the decisive match with the Icelanders. Besides, the coach tried to keep the «core» fresh, again— for Sunday.
— How did the Ukrainian team manage to keep a clean sheet in the first half?
— Overall, our team defended well until the break. Trubin was saving— his save after Barkola’s shot was impressive. Yarmoliuk also played well in defense. What was lacking, and what absolutely needed to be done, was to play forward, to attack, to somehow strain the French defense.
— Was there a penalty when Nazaryna fell in the hosts' penalty area and the situation was checked by VAR?
— No, there was no foul. The French defender played the ball, and the referees jointly correctly analyzed the episode.
— How could experienced Mykhalko play with a straight leg into the opponent’s leg in his penalty area? That’s almost a 100% risk of conceding a penalty...
— How is Mykhalko experienced?.. On the contrary, I consider him still young and without the necessary experience as a footballer. This is exactly what prevented him from playing correctly. He needed to stand and block the path that way... The penalty, of course, was definite.
— What did Rebrov want to change when he first brought on Shaparenko and Vanat, and later — Tsygankov and Zubkov?
— The Ukrainian team then switched to a four-defender scheme, intending to attack more and try to equalize. A couple of times the «blue-yellows» reached the French penalty area. And that’s all... Such a restructuring was risky. The defense became weaker after that. We went all in.
— And received — 0:4... How much will such a defeat hit the psychology of the Ukrainian national team players?
— I think there’s no longer any difference — whether you lose 0:1 or 0:4... Played and forgot this match. Only that! Now we need to recover, start preparing for the clash with Iceland— literally from the final whistle of the referee in Paris. On Sunday, we need a result.
— What changes will we see in the match against Iceland?
— I think Serhiy Rebrov will change the lineup by 60−70 percent. From the first minutes, most likely, Matviyenko, Mykolenko, Konoplya, Tsygankov, and Vanat will come out. And, of course— no 5−3−2 formation. We will come out with four defenders.
The Ukrainian national team needs to score, but we will still not see open football. The main thing is not to concede. The result, undoubtedly, will weigh on the team. And a necessary result must be achieved, otherwise, everyone will have to answer— coaches and players... Either we go further and fight in the World Cup 2026 qualifying playoffs, or not, and then we will have to explain everything...
Oleh Semenchenko
