Dmytro Mykhailenko: "Every player feels the importance of the opening match in tournaments like the European Championship"

14.07.2024 18:03

Today, July 14, on the eve of the opening match of EURO 2024 (U-19) between Northern Ireland and Ukraine, the head coach of our youth national team, Dmytro Mykhailenko, answered journalists' questions during a press conference.

— How has the preparation for the European Championship been, and is everyone ready for the first game?

— As always, we can’t be a hundred percent satisfied. However, the preparation went wonderfully. We had really good training conditions and played a friendly match. Unfortunately, it’s currently the offseason, and the players have just recently started training again. The guys have only been working fully for two weeks, so, of course, we’re missing match fitness. But everyone is in equal conditions, so there’s no reason to complain. Every day, I see the players’ condition improving — both physically and psychologically, as well as in terms of how we want to present ourselves here.

— What goals have you set for your players in this tournament?

— To reach the top four teams. We hope for this and will do everything possible to go as far as we can. After that, it will depend on our condition and how we play.

— The first match is against the tournament hosts, Northern Ireland. What are your expectations for the game?

— I’m sure there will be pressure, and there will be fans in the stands. Regardless of which part of Great Britain the teams are playing in, they are fiercely supported. There will be whistles and shouts, and we must be ready for this. We also need to be prepared for any external circumstances, the wind, and the fact that the Northern Ireland players will be highly motivated. We must respond with calmness when we have the ball and aggressiveness if needed, pressing in every area of the field and being confident in ourselves and our game. Each player feels the responsibility and importance of the opening match in tournaments like the European Championship.

— For everyone, the Euros are a celebration, but our guys start every day with news from Ukraine as the war continues. Does this add extra pressure to the team or extra motivation?

— We all live in these conditions, and we need to get used to it and take responsibility. This is both pressure and motivation for us. Of course, we want this pressure not to affect our game so that the guys still feel free to create on the pitch. Therefore, we strive for them to feel motivated pushing them forward to victories, which is very important for Ukraine and everyone supporting us.

— Today is the EURO 2024 final. Will the team watch the game?

— The EURO 2024 final is a tactical exercise for us. We will watch and cheer for beautiful football.

Ukraine U-19 Squad:

Goalkeepers: Markian Bakus (Rukh Lviv), Vyacheslav Surkis (Dynamo Kyiv), Vladyslav Krapyvtsov (Dnipro-1 Dnipro).

Defenders: Taras Mykhavko, Nazar Balaba, Oleksiy Husiev (all Dynamo Kyiv), Mykola Oharkov, Anton Drozd (both Shakhtar Donetsk), Maksym Melnychenko (Dnipro-1 Dnipro), Kyrylo Dihtyar (Metalist Kharkiv).

Midfielders: Viktor Tsukanov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Daniil Vashchenko (Oleksandriya), Andriy Matkevych (Dynamo Kyiv), Samuel Obinaya (Metalist 1925 Kharkiv), Ramik Hadzhyiev (Dnipro-1 Dnipro), Hennadiy Synchuk (Metalist Kharkiv), Oleksandr Fetko (Karpaty Lviv), Danylo Krevsun (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Maksym Derkach (RFSH, Latvia), Timur Tutierov (Sunderland, England), Christian Shevchenko (Watford, England).

Forwards: Matviy Ponomarenko (Dynamo Kyiv), Dmytro Bohdanov (Dynamo Dresden, Germany).

EURO 2024 (U-19)

Group A: Northern Ireland, Norway, Italy, Ukraine.

Group B: Denmark, Turkey, France, Spain.

Group A

15.07.2024

Italy vs. Norway (17:30, Belfast)

Northern Ireland vs. Ukraine (21:00, Larne)

18.07.2024

Norway vs. Ukraine (17:30, Belfast)

Northern Ireland vs. Italy (21:00, Larne)

21.07.2024

Norway vs. Northern Ireland (21:00, Belfast)

Ukraine vs. Italy (21:00, Larne)

25.07.2024

Playoff for a spot in the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup

A3 vs. B3 (18:30, Belfast)

Semi-finals

A1 vs. B2 (16:00, Belfast)

B1 vs. A2 (21:00, Belfast)

28.07.2024

Final

Winner 1 vs. Winner 2 (21:00, Belfast)

Match times are in Kyiv time.

The two best teams from each quartet will advance to the semifinals. The final for the main trophy will be held on July 28 at Windsor Park in Belfast. There is no match scheduled for the third place, but the fifth-place match will take place, as Europe will delegate five representatives to the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile with 24 national teams participating. Therefore, the winner of the match between the third-placed teams in the groups will join the four semifinalists. Like the semifinals, it is scheduled for July 25.