EURO 2024. Latest from Ukraine's camp: training in unusual conditions before friendly against Germany

02.06.2024 21:54

Herzogs Park Hotel, where the Ukrainian national team is staying for their first pre-tournament training camp, is a well-known football spot in Herzogenaurach.

The hotel was originally built by the founder of the globally renowned sports company Adidas, Adolf Dassler, for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Currently, the hotel is owned by Dassler's grandson. Since then, numerous football and other sports teams have stayed here. Upon entering the main hall, guests are greeted by displays featuring Dassler's famous invention: football boots. On the right, there are revolutionary models with impressive cleats from 1954-1974, and on the left, modern professional footwear alongside the Euro 2024 ball. As known, Adidas has been producing official balls for many World Cups and European Championships.

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

The hosts have shown attention to their current guests: prominently displayed at the entrance of the hotel is the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine. Below it is a large photo of Adolf Dassler and a sewing machine, symbolizing the founder's lifelong work.

The presence of famous guests is remembered by their jerseys. The Argentine national team stayed here during the 2006 World Cup. Teams playing against Nuremberg or Greuther Fürth, the most famous clubs of Middle Franconia, often stay here before and after that World Cup. Additionally, German teams frequently hold their camps in this region. The hotel walls are adorned with jerseys from various clubs, complete with players' autographs and season designations—Bayer Leverkusen, FC Koln, Leipzig, Hannover 96, Hertha...

Photo by Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi

Today, the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Serhiy Rebrov, and player Taras Stepanenko visited the main headquarters of the Adidas company for a pre-match press conference. Due to heavy rains covering Bavaria these days, the German Football Association decided to preserve the pitch at the Max Morlock Stadium, so no official training sessions took place there. The DFB proposed holding the media meeting not at the stadium but at the Adidas headquarters, which has a large media center and is where the German national team is preparing for this match and will be based during Euro 2024. Considering that the main office is only 4 km from the hotel where the Ukrainian team is staying, it was appropriate to accept the offer. At the press conference, Serhiy Rebrov announced that all Ukrainian players present in the camp are now training with the main group.

Photo by Dan Balashov

In the evening, the Ukrainians went for training at the well-known Eltersdorf club field in nearby Erlangen. Yesterday, the training session was attended by Ukrainian children and their parents living in southern Germany. After the session, head coach Serhiy Rebrov and the players followed the good tradition of giving attention to their compatriots, signing autographs, and taking photos.

Photo by Dan Balashov

Today's training session saw media representatives present for the first 15 minutes. Despite the official training being moved to a more modest field, the necessary media activities proceeded as per the regulations.

Photo by Dan Balashov

After a run and warm-up, the players practiced ball possession in various formations. In the main part of the pre-game training, the head coach focused on the tactical aspects of the game.

Tomorrow, the blue-yellow team will play their first friendly match of this camp against the hosts, the German national team. The match in Nuremberg will kick off at 21:45 Kyiv time.

Ukraine national team roster:

Goalkeepers: Georgiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kyiv), Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica, Portugal), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid, Spain).

Defenders: Mykola Matviyenko, Yukhym Konoplya, Valeriy Bondar (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksandr Tymchyk (Dynamo Kyiv), Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton, England), Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth, England), Oleksandr Svatok (SK Dnipro-1), Maksym Talovierov (LASK, Austria), Bohdan Mykhaylichenko (Polissya Zhytomyr).

Midfielders: Andriy Yarmolenko, Mykola Shaparenko, Volodymyr Brazhko (all Dynamo Kyiv), Taras Stepanenko, Oleksandr Zubkov, Georgiy Sudakov (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal, England), Viktor Tsygankov (Girona, Spain), Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea, England), Serhiy Sydorchuk (Westerlo, Belgium), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa, Italy).

Forwards: Artem Dovbyk (Girona, Spain), Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia, Spain), Vladyslav Vanat (Dynamo Kyiv).

Reserve list: Dmytro Riznyk, Danylo Sikan (both Shakhtar Donetsk), Denys Popov, Vitaliy Buyalskyi, Vladyslav Kabaiev (all Dynamo Kyiv), Yehor Yarmolyuk (Brentford, England).

Photo by Dan Balashov

On June 3, the team will play a friendly match against the hosts of EURO 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany. Kick-off is at 21:45 Kyiv time.

The next day, the team will fly to Warsaw, Poland. In the capital of the neighboring country, Ukraine will play its next preparatory and friendly match against Poland on June 7. Kick-off is at 21:45 Kyiv time.

The final match before the pre-tournament camp will be against the Moldovan national team on June 11 in Chisinau, Moldova. Kick-off is at 19:00 Kyiv time.

On June 12, the national team will arrive at their permanent base for EURO 2024 in Wiesbaden.

Group E Match Schedule for EURO 2024

June 17: Romania vs Ukraine. Arena Munich, Munich. Kick-off: 16:00 Kyiv time.

June 17: Belgium vs Slovakia. Frankfurt Stadium, Frankfurt. Kick-off: 19:00 Kyiv time.

June 21: Slovakia vs Ukraine. Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf. Kick-off: 16:00 Kyiv time.

June 22: Belgium vs Romania. Cologne Stadium, Cologne. Kick-off: 22:00 Kyiv time.

June 26: Slovakia vs Romania. Frankfurt Stadium, Frankfurt. Kick-off: 19:00 Kyiv time.

June 26: Ukraine vs Belgium. Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart. Kick-off: 19:00 Kyiv time.

Kick-off times are in Kyiv time.

Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi, press secretary of the Ukrainian national team