Yuriy Moroz: "We really want the Ukrainian team to bring some joy to our people"
Head coach of Ukraine's U-17 youth team Yuriy Moroz believes that every game in the European Championship is crucial.
On May 12, Ukraine's U-17 national team (players born in 2007 or later) traveled to Cyprus, where the final part of Euro 2024 (U-17) will take place from May 20 to June 5.
Yuriy Moroz shared his thoughts and plans for the tournament with the UAF official website.
— Mr. Moroz, how is the team feeling before the European Championship, especially given the ongoing war in the country?
— Indeed, the war is the biggest downside of the current situation. But we believe that justice will prevail soon. As for the team, all the boys are in a positive mood and eager to show their best qualities.
— The team will have a week to prepare for the tournament. Is this a luxury given the difficult times in the country?
— We are happy about this. I can only thank the UAF leadership for accommodating us, it means a lot. I also want to thank the clubs for preparing the players who are part of our team.
— During the week you have, what will the focus be during the preparation for the tournament?
— We want to cover everything, but we understand that's unrealistic. Despite this, we hope the boys will understand all our requirements and give their maximum.
— Half of our squad represents European clubs. Have you chosen the best?
— Unfortunately, we have some losses, but not among the foreign players. Midfielder Volodymyr Ozyma from Dynamo Kyiv, who we were counting on, couldn't join due to injury. Other than that, I believe we have the optimal squad for today's Ukraine team.
— What can you say about the upcoming group stage opponents?
— I won’t specify, but I can say for sure that after studying our opponents, I concluded that any team in our group can surprise us. Who will be the best will be shown in the matches themselves. Each opponent has roughly equal chances of success. Ukraine must be ready to show its best qualities in every game to achieve the highest results.
— What is the main goal for the team?
— No matter how banal it sounds, we want to win every game. The final part of the Euro is different from the qualification or elite rounds, where psychological resilience is very important, as well as good physical condition, not to mention the team's desire and mood. In such tournaments, every game is decisive. I want the boys to embrace our ideas and bring some joy to the Ukrainian people during these difficult times.
Squad of Ukraine U-17:
Goalkeepers: Nazar Makarenko (Dnipro-1 Dnipro), Oleksandr Petrenko (Bayer, Germany), Illia Voloshyn (Real Madrid, Spain).
Defenders: Oleksiy Rybak, Demyan Tretyak (both from Dynamo Kyiv), Mykyta Sheleketa, Yehor Dankovskyi (both from Shakhtar Donetsk), Maksym Barshak (Rukh Lviv), Kyrylo Dihtyar (Metalist Kharkiv), Dmytro Strilchuk (Bayern Munich, Germany), Dmytro Varyvoda (Admira, Austria).
Midfielders: Pavlo Liusin, Bohdan Redushko (both from Dynamo Kyiv), Nazar Bondar (Rukh Lviv), Yevheniy Harmash (Shakhtar Donetsk), Bohdan Olychenko (Bayern Munich, Germany), Oleksandr Soroka (Gent, Belgium), Bohdan Popov (Empoli, Italy), Oleksandr Drahan (Atalanta, Italy), Andre Vakulyuk (Benfica, Portugal).
Forwards: Ivan Denysov (Rukh Lviv), Artem Stepanov (Bayer, Germany), Dmytro Bohdanov (Dynamo Dresden, Germany), Nikita Kryvtsov (Koln, Germany).
Results of the Euro 2024 (U-17) Final Tournament Draw
Group A: Cyprus, Ukraine, Serbia, Czechia.
Group B: Denmark, Austria, Croatia, Wales.
Group C: Italy, Sweden, Slovakia, Poland.
Group D: France, Portugal, Spain, England.
Group A
May 20, 2024
Serbia vs. Ukraine (18:00, Paralimni)
Cyprus vs. Czechia (20:30, Larnaca)
May 23, 2024
Ukraine vs. Czechia (18:00, Paralimni)
Cyprus vs. Serbia (20:30, Larnaca)
May 26, 2024
Ukraine vs. Cyprus (20:30, Larnaca)
Czechia vs. Serbia (20:30, Larnaca)
Quarter-finals
May 29, 2024
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A1 vs. B2 (17:30 or 20:00, Larnaca)
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B1 vs. A2 (17:30 or 20:00, Larnaca)
May 30, 2024
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C1 vs. D2 (18:00 or 20:30, Larnaca)
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D1 vs. C2 (18:00 or 20:30, Larnaca)
Semi-finals
June 2, 2024
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Winner 1 vs. Winner 3 (18:00 or 20:30, Larnaca)
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Winner 2 vs. Winner 4 (18:00 or 20:30, Larnaca)
Final
June 5, 2024
Winner 5 vs. Winner 6 (20:30, Limassol)
All match times are Kyiv time.
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