— Is tomorrow's game important in terms of results or preparation for official matches?

— Primarily, it is very important to prepare for official matches. For Ukraine, the result matters in any game. But we don't have much time, so we will consider this meeting as preparation for official matches.

— There's a war in Ukraine, terrible things happen every day. Can a football match give Ukrainians some hope and positivity?

— First of all, I want to thank Germany — one of the countries that helps Ukraine the most during the war. It is a great honor for us to be here and play our anniversary game. Football gives people in our country emotions we have somewhat lost by watching news about what's happening at war. I told the players that we need to give emotions to our people, support them, show our character on the field. This game is not official, but it’s very important to show our character. It's also important to show that we are here and Ukraine lives and plays football.

— What does qualifying for Euro 2024 mean for the Ukrainian national team?

— We all believe that we can qualify. We have a very tough group, and we've already started our campaign in it. Again, it's important that we represent Ukraine in Europe. It’s crucial to focus on every match, try to take points from each game, move step by step.

— Did you influence the preparation of the Ukrainian national team for the match against England when Ruslan Rotan was in charge?

— I don't understand why we should talk about this game. Ruslan Rotan was the coach. Yes, if he asked me something personally, then that's what happened. But he was the national team’s coach at the time. Now I am responsible for results and preparing the team for games.

— Tell us about your assistants. Did everyone immediately agree to join your coaching staff?

— All professionals with whom I worked at Al-Ain, as well as Gleb Platov, agreed and were happy to work for Ukraine. The association supported my proposal.

— Working in the national team is different from working in a club. Won't you miss the intensity of work that was at the club level?

— Yes, it's different work. But this is work for Ukraine’s national team. Any professional from Ukraine wouldn’t refuse such an opportunity. I am proud to work for Ukraine and will do everything in my power.

— You worked two years in the Emirates. What was the main reason for your return to Ukraine as head coach of the national team?

— Yes, I worked in the UAE and it was a successful period. But I wanted to come back to Ukraine. I spent six years abroad, of course, that was interesting. But my heart is with Ukraine, so during this time I decided to return and work for the national team.

The match against Germany will be played by the Ukrainian national team on June 12 in Bremen at the "Weserstadion". This will be a charity friendly game that marks the 1000th in German football history (kick-off at 7 PM Kyiv time).