Volodymyr Pyatenko: "The status of the British will motivate Ukrainian team"

30.05.2024 17:00

On May 31st, the Ukrainian women's national team will play their next Euro 2025 qualifying match against Wales.

The head coach of the Ukrainian women's national team, Volodymyr Pyatenko, shared the latest team news in a comment on the official website of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF):

- We initially conducted a several-day training session in Rzeszów, Poland, which we departed for the day after the conclusion of the Ukrainian championship in the elite division. We completed everything we planned. Yesterday, we arrived in the UK via a flight from Rzeszów to Bristol. Then we traveled by bus for over 100 kilometers to the town of Llanelli, where the match will take place on Friday.

- Has the team arrived in Wales with the optimal lineup?

- Unfortunately, no. Due to injuries, Yelyzaveta Molodyuk, Nadiya Kunina, Irina Mayborodina, Lesya Olkhova, and Viktoriya Hiryn will not be able to help us. Additionally, Yana Malakhova will only be able to play in the rematch against Wales on June 4th on neutral ground in Poland due to the absence of a British visa.

- What information do you have about the opponents?

- Almost all of the Welsh players are involved in the English championship, one of the most prestigious in Europe. This team has a deep bench, allowing them to maintain a high pace and utilize various tactical adjustments.

- At the start of the qualifiers, the British convincingly defeated their group opponents — the teams of Croatia and Kosovo...

- The status of the British as group leaders will only motivate the Ukrainian team to demonstrate everything they are capable of. This confrontation must take place immediately after the conclusion of the Ukrainian championship, so my players are in good game shape. The tournament situation forces the Ukrainian women to play for nothing but victory.

The matchday 3 game of the Wales vs. Ukraine qualifiers will take place on May 31st in the town of Llanelli at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. Kick-off time — 21:15 Kyiv time.

The matchday 4 game between the women's national teams of Ukraine and Wales will take place on June 4th in the Polish town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski at the local stadium of the Varta club (Poznan), Respect Energy, and will start at 21:00 Kyiv time.

Ukraine women's national team roster:

Goalkeepers: Kateryna Samson (Vorskla Poltava), Dariya Kelyushyk (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Kateryna Boklach (Marseille, France)

Defenders: Kateryna Korsun, Yana Kotyk, Iryna Podolska, Maryna Shainyuk (all from Vorskla Poltava), Olha Basanska (Metalist 1925 Kharkiv), Lyubov Shmatko (Galatasaray, Turkey)

Midfielders: Anna Petryk, Nicole Kozlova, Veronika Andrukhiv, Yana Kalinina (all from Vorskla Poltava), Dayana Semkiv (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Tamila Khimich, Natiya Pantsulaya, Dariya Apanashchenko (all from Metalist 1925 Kharkiv), Yana Malakhova (Mura Nona, Slovenia)

Forwards: Roksolana Kravchuk (Vorskla Poltava), Olha Ovdiychuk (Fomget, Turkey), Inna Hlushchenko (Nice, France)

Women's Euro 2025. Qualifying Tournament. League B. Group 4

Matchday 1

05.04.2024

Ukraine — Kosovo — 2:0

Wales — Croatia — 4:0

Matchday 2

09.04.2024

Croatia — Ukraine — 1:0

Kosovo — Wales — 0:6

Standings

Matchday 4

04.06.2024

Ukraine — Wales

Croatia - Kosovo

Matchday 5

12.07.2024

Kosovo - Ukraine

Croatia - Wales

Matchday 6

16.07.2024

Ukraine - Croatia

Wales - Kosovo

The results of the Women's Euro 2025 qualifying draw

League A

Group A1: Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Finland.

Group A2: Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Czechia.

Group A3: France, England, Sweden, Ireland.

Group A4: Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland.

League B.

Group B1: Switzerland, Hungary, Turkey, Azerbaijan.

Group B2: Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Israel.

Group B3: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Malta.

Group B4: Wales, Croatia, Ukraine, Kosovo.

League C.

Group C1: Belarus, Lithuania, Cyprus, Georgia.

Group C2: Slovenia, Latvia, North Macedonia, Moldova.

Group C3: Greece, Montenegro, Andorra, Faroe Islands.

Group C4: Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Armenia.

Group C5: Albania, Estonia, Luxembourg.

The distribution of tickets for Euro-2025 takes place based on the results of the next league cycle. The teams compete in groups of four or three teams (League C). The eight best teams in League A (first and second places) immediately go to the final tournament. There they join the host country, Switzerland.

The remaining seven passes are to be played in two rounds of playoffs. In the one-way first round, the third- and fourth-placed teams in League A face the group winners and the top three second-placed teams in League C. The eight winners advance to the second round.

Elsewhere, the four group winners and the top two runners-up in League B play the remaining two runners-up and the four third-placed teams in League B. The six winners advance to the second round.

In the second round of the playoffs, 14 national teams directly play for seven tickets to the final tournament of Euro-2025, where a total of 16 participants play.

The paths of the teams in the play-off matches are to be adjusted, if necessary, taking into account the performances of Switzerland, which plays in League B, but will be represented at the Euro as the host country.

If Switzerland finishes first, second, or third in their B League group, the fourth-best team from that division will enter the playoffs.

Promotion and relegation

In parallel, teams will also compete for positions in the next Nations League, which begins the 2025-2027 cycle:

— winners, holders of second and third places in League A groups will remain in League A;

— the second-place winners and the three best third-place winners in League B groups will remain in League B;

— the winners of the second, third, and fourth places in the groups of League C will remain in League C;

— the winners of the groups in the B and C leagues will move to the higher division;

— the fourth-place finishers in League A and B groups, as well as the worst third-place finisher in League B, will be relegated.

Euro-2025 among women's teams. Calendar

Matches 1—2 rounds: April 3-9, 2024.

Matches 3—4 rounds: May 29 - June 4, 2024.

Matches 5—6 rounds: July 10-16, 2024.

Playoff draw: July 19, 2024

1st round of playoffs (2 matches): October 23-29, 2024.

2nd round of playoffs (2 matches): November 27 - December 3, 2024.

Final tournament draw: December 16, 2024.

Final tournament: July 2-27, 2025 (Switzerland).