Ruslan Rotan: "We prepared for the Olympics, not to win friendlies at all costs"

21.07.2024 18:20

Ukraine Olympic team head coach, Ruslan Rotan, reviewed the team's preparations ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.

"Currently, a few players have minor injuries, but I believe they are not serious. They do not question the players' ability to play. I think everyone is ready. However, there is another, slightly more complex issue. Over the last two days, only Oleksiy Sych and Arseniy Batagov have joined us. We need to assess their physical and emotional condition and make a decision. We’ve already spoken with them, and our communication is good.

We cannot say whether we are satisfied with the results of the friendly matches. We prepared for the Olympic Games, not just to win friendlies. Of course, we always want to win, but there are many nuances that the coaching staff needs to focus on.

Essentially, this was the second camp for this team. It is at these camps that the players' teamwork is developed. By the tournament in Marseille, I realized that these are the players who will compete in the Olympic Games. As a coach, I felt that many players would not be released by their clubs.

But we have added two players who were not there. This is also part of the adaptation process. It's good that we played those two matches to balance the players, who were in different functional states, as best as possible. How well we did will be shown by the tournament," said Ruslan Rotan.

The Ukraine Olympic team played two friendlies in France, against Egypt (1:1) and Paraguay (2:2), and is now intensively preparing in Lyon for their opening match at the Games against Iraq, scheduled for July 24.

Official Roster of Ukraine's Olympic Football Team for the 2024 Games

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

The list includes 22 players, with four reserved spots.

According to the regulations, players born after January 1, 2001, are eligible to participate. Additionally, each team can include three players who are older than this age.

2024 Olympics. Men's Football Tournament

Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand.

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine.

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic.

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel.

Group B Schedule

July 24, 2024

Argentina vs Morocco (16:00, Saint-Étienne)

Iraq vs Ukraine (20:00, Lyon)

July 27, 2024

Argentina vs Iraq (16:00, Lyon)

Ukraine vs Morocco (18:00, Saint-Étienne)

July 30, 2024

Ukraine vs Argentina (18:00, Lyon)

Morocco vs Iraq (18:00, Nice)

All match times are in Kyiv time.