Yuriy Moroz hails team's triumph: "Elite round anxiety dissolved by remarkable performance"

14.03.2024 19:05

The Ukrainу U-17 team (players born no earlier than 2007) performed triumphantly in the elite round of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. The blue-yellow team secured the top spot in their group, claiming three victories in as many matches. Following the team's return from Greece, where the competitions took place, their head coach Yuriy Moroz responded to inquiries from the official website of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF).

— Mr. Moroz, as a coach, what was the most challenging aspect for you ahead of the tournament?

— Conveying to the players the demands we placed on them to ensure cohesive gameplay. I won't conceal that there were anxieties because significant work was done before the tournament, and I feared the boys might not perceive it adequately, but they did exceptionally well. They endeavored to fulfill all tasks to the letter, and it yielded results in the matches.

— Coaches always have questions for their charges, yet in three matches, your team scored eight goals and conceded none...

— I'll put it this way: everything was synchronized, both in defense and in attack.

— What did you say to your players after the game against Slovakia in the dressing room?

— I thanked them profusely for striving to do everything as we had agreed.

— The top scorer of the Ukrainian national team in this tournament was forward Artem Stepanov...

— Nearly our entire attacking group contributed goals. Some more, some less. In this situation, I was pleased that they were focused on the opponents' goal.

— Do you feel that Stepanov, in particular, benefits from playing in European football?

— Yes. Moreover, this forward joins training sessions with the first team of Bayern Munich. Artem is making an effort, but he's still young, so he has a lot more to work on himself.

— Considering the performance your players showed in the elite round, can we expect something substantial in the final stage of the Euro?

— Every upcoming tournament is a new challenge. And this challenge becomes greater; the opponents become more aggressive, faster, and stronger each time. We still need to improve both our teamwork and individual skills.

— Two months remain until the final stage of the European Championship. Will there be another training camp directly before the tournament, or will there be time for additional preparation?

— Currently, there's an offer from Cyprus, the host of the European Championship, to play two friendly matches with them in the first or second decade of April. Such a plan exists, but I can't say for sure how it will unfold yet. Then the team will gather in May directly before the final tournament. But again — the starting date of the training camp is unknown because much will depend on the clubs. There are many questions, but I hope everything will be resolved for the better.

Euro 2024 (U-17). Elite Qualifying Round. Group 4

March 6, 2024

Slovakia — Switzerland — 2:1

Greece — Ukraine — 0:2

March 9, 2024

Switzerland — Ukraine — 0:3

Greece — Slovakia — 0:1

March 12, 2024

Ukraine — Slovakia — 3:0

Switzerland — Greece — 2:0

Standings:

The elite round draw divided 32 teams into eight groups, with matches scheduled for March. Fifteen spots for the final stage will be up for grabs, which will take place from May 20th to June 5th, 2024, in Cyprus. The top eight group winners from the elite round qualification and the seven best runners-up with the best results will advance to the final stage, along with the host country.

Euro 2024 (U-17). Elite Round Qualification

Group 1: England, France, Hungary, Northern Ireland.

Group 2: Wales, Bulgaria, Sweden, Romania.

Group 3: Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Italy.

Group 4: Greece, Switzerland, Slovakia, Ukraine.

Group 5: Portugal, Germany, Croatia, Ireland.

Group 6: Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Denmark.

Group 7: Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Norway.

Group 8: Poland, Czech Republic, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Last year, under the leadership of Volodymyr Yezerskyi, the blue-yellow team secured third place in their qualifying group and advanced further through the competition among third-placed teams.