EURO 2024: Georgiy Sudakov and Maksym Talovierov answer journalists' questions after Slovakia match

23.06.2024 14:41

Players of the Ukraine national team, midfielder Georgiy Sudakov and defender Maksym Talovierov, answered journalists' questions at a press conference dedicated to their performance in the European Championship.

— Did you watch yesterday's Belgium vs. Romania match? What do we need to do to advance from the group?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— Yes, of course, we watched the match. We all think about the result, but we understand that regardless of how they played, everything depends only on us. We are focused on Belgium and playing our game.

Maksym Talovierov:

— I agree with Georgiy. It's great when everything depends on you. If we get a positive result, everything will be fine. I think it's easier this way.

— What or who should our team pay attention to before the match against Belgium?

Maksym Talovierov:

— Of course, the Belgians have very strong players like De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Doku. But football is a team game, and Belgium is a balanced and strong team. However, chances are equal for everyone, so we will do our best.

Georgiy Sudakov:

— I agree that football is a team game, and everything depends on us. Belgium has star players like De Bruyne, Lukaku, Doku, Tielemans... But as Slovakia showed us, they can also lose. If we show our best game and do not fear anyone, we have a great chance for a positive result.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

— How safe is it for the Ukrainian team at the Euros? Have there been any incidents or provocations?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— From day one, I was very surprised because when we travel to matches, we are accompanied by a helicopter. There is a lot of police presence, and special attention is given to our team. I haven't heard of any provocations. We are treated well and respected. There haven't been any bad situations so far.

Maksym Talovierov:

— I would add that many people from different countries also try to support our team. Many want to help, and we haven't faced any provocations.

— Serhiy Rebrov and many players said after the match against Slovakia that there was a plan for the central midfielders to play closer to the opponent's goal. What were your roles in that match, and what was the key moment for victory? Will this experience help in the match against Belgium?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— Of course, we made conclusions after the first match against Romania. We needed to change something. My role was indeed to play higher, between the lines. But Slovakia played very compactly, and it was difficult to find the ball there. I dropped down a few times in the first half to initiate attacks from there. It worked a couple of times with Andriy Yarmolenko.

Slovakia started very aggressively, which we did not expect. It's good that we adjusted in the second half and started pressing more actively. We also have many quality players. Shaparenko and Brazhko can play deeper, so I didn't need to drop down. Oleksandr Zinchenko, though a nominal defender, has well-known qualities. He can also play between the lines and be more attacking.

When Shaparenko scored the first goal, we launched a counterattack. Today, we had a theory session, and we saw how many more players were in the opponent's penalty area compared to the first match. This increases the chances of scoring.

— Maksym, does it bother you that you are considered a backup player? How intense is the competition in the team?

Maksym Talovierov:

— I believe that debuting at the Euros is a significant event for any player. It's one of the most prestigious tournaments. I'm very proud of the trust of the coaches. For me, the most important thing is to help the team, whether it's for 10 seconds or 90 minutes.

Regarding competition, there are very high-quality players in the team. This only motivates me to show all my qualities in training. The most important thing is for us to win.

— In Ukraine, there are power outages, and people have to choose between charging their gadgets or watching the match. Do you know about this? Does this affect the support you receive?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— Of course, I know because I live in Ukraine. I've encountered this many times. I've even been stuck in an elevator with my child. I know these emotions and remember the scared look in my child's eyes. It's a big problem. You could say that our participation in the Euros is an incredible achievement because we unite people and the whole country. People gather where there is electricity and access to TV and the Internet to watch our games.

There's nothing we can do about it now. Everyone understands why there's no electricity and the consequences of this. But I'm proud of our country that we can adapt even to such conditions. I know that our soldiers in the trenches also watch us.

Photo by Andriy Yushchak

— When you see Ukrainian flags in the stadium, how much does it motivate you? There are also many people with Russian flags at the Euros. Does this affect you?

Maksym Talovierov:

— Of course, when we see Ukrainian flags in the stands, it motivates and encourages us. Regarding Russian flags, we are being and will be provoked. We need to focus on our game and not pay attention to it.

— The Ukrainian team has had problems in the first halves, as they often lose them. What is the reason?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— It's hard to answer this question. We have thought about it, and Serhiy Rebrov emphasizes the problem, but I don't understand why it happens. It's systematic now. Only when we concede do we start to play.

— You will have one more day to recover than the Belgians. How much of an advantage can this be?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— At this level, one day is unlikely to help us much. Belgium has incredible players and a deep squad. Both we and they must approach this match fully prepared.

— The situation in the group is such that a draw might not be enough for you. Do you understand that you need to play for a win against the Belgians?

Georgiy Sudakov:

— Of course, we understand. No one in the team is talking about a draw. Everyone is preparing to play for a win.

Maksym Talovierov:

— I believe that a team playing for a draw has already lost 95% of the match. Therefore, every national team, including Ukraine, plays to win. Everyone understands that we need to win and will do their best to achieve it.

Ukraine squad for EURO 2024

Goalkeepers: 1. Georgiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kyiv), 12. Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica, Portugal), 23. Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid, Spain).

Defenders: 22. Mykola Matviyenko, 2. Yukhym Konoplia, 21. Valeriy Bondar (all Shakhtar Donetsk), 24. Oleksandr Tymchyk (Dynamo Kyiv), 16. Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton, England), 13. Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth, England), 3. Oleksandr Svatok (FC Dnipro-1 Dnipro), 4. Maksym Talovierov (LASK Linz, Austria), 26. Bohdan Mykhaylichenko (Polissya Zhytomyr).

Midfielders: 7. Andriy Yarmolenko, 19. Mykola Shaparenko, 18. Volodymyr Brazhko (all Dynamo Kyiv), 6. Taras Stepanenko, 20. Oleksandr Zubkov, 14. Georgiy Sudakov (all Shakhtar Donetsk), 17. Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal, England), 15. Viktor Tsygankov (Girona, Spain), 10. Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea, England), 5. Serhiy Sydorchuk (Westerlo, Belgium), 8. Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa, Italy).

Forwards: 11. Artem Dovbyk (Girona, Spain), 9. Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia, Spain), 25. Vladyslav Vanat (Dynamo Kyiv).

EURO 2024 Group E: Schedule and Results

June 17: Romania vs Ukraine - 3:0

June 17: Belgium vs Slovakia - 0:1

June 22: Slovakia vs Ukraine - 1:2

June 22: Belgium vs Romania - 2:0

Standings

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.