The Ukrainian Women's U17 team WU-17 returned from the Romanian city of Buftea, where they participated in the UEFA Development Tournament, alongside hosts Romania and also competed against teams from Greece and Azerbaijan.

— The participants were aged 16 or younger, — said head coach of the Ukrainian women's team Sergei Sapronov in an interview on the official website of the UAF. — For most of my players, this was their first test on the international stage. Although we finished behind Greece in the standings, tournament organizers noted that our play deserved to be ranked higher.

— So what hindered your players?

— After convincingly defeating Azerbaijan's national team (4:0) in the opening round, our girls dictated terms to Greece as well. They had a significant advantage over their opponents in creating scoring opportunities, but unfortunately, they struggled with finishing. According to the rules, if the match ended in a draw after regular time, a penalty shootout was immediately held to determine the winner. And in this lottery of football, luck favored our opponents, although it's worth noting goalkeeper Svitlana Snihur, who saved two penalties.

— In the final match, Ukrainians won against hosts 3:0 but nearly squandered their lead…

— You see, it's all about psychology. The girls decided that the question of who would win this match was no longer relevant and relaxed, almost paying for it. By the way, after the tournament ended, our coaching staff paid the most attention to analyzing this particular game. I hope we reached out to the players, and they will not show such disregard towards their opponents in the future.

— According to the tournament rules, each player was supposed to play at least 90 minutes in three scheduled matches. Therefore, everyone had a chance to showcase themselves. Did you get enough information about your players' potential?

— I believe that with the core of the team, which consists of around 10-11 players, I have made my decision. I will continue closely monitoring other participants as well. Parallel to this, selection work will be ongoing, including a visit to Husi from May 10th to 12th for the final stage of the national championship among 15-year-olds. By the way, I would like to thank UAF management for organizing the winter championship in Ukraine among 16-year-olds, where we identified an entire group of players who later participated in this Romanian tournament. And the Romanian Football Federation deserves credit for a wonderful reception, as they not only arranged a four-day training camp but also organized an excursion to the capital — Bucharest — on one of the weekends.

Although upon returning home, I told the girls that their greatest privilege is having the opportunity to pursue their passion, which is owed to the Ukrainian soldiers who are heroically resisting Russian aggression.

UEFA Development Tournament for WU-17 teams

23.04.2023

Azerbaijan — Ukraine — 0:4

Romania — Greece — 0:5

25.04.2023

Greece — Ukraine — 0:0, penalty shootout — 7:6

Romania — Azerbaijan — 4:0

28.04.2023

Greece — Azerbaijan — 3:0

Romania — Ukraine — 2:3

Final standings