Serhiy Rebrov: "Defensive mistakes were the decisive factor in the match against Czechia"

11.09.2024 00:31

Following the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 match against Czechia, which ended in a 2:3 defeat, Ukraine’s head coach Serhiy Rebrov held a press conference.

— How do you assess the game? Do you think this is just an unfortunate outcome, or could a better result have been achieved?

— We are disappointed with the result because we lost an important match for us. However, I am grateful to the players. They tried to salvage the game. I believe that in the first half, Czechia was very aggressive, and it was difficult to create chances. In this match, the result was determined by the defensive mistakes we made. Even when we scored two goals... The second half was intense and interesting. We could have scored more. We lost because of our mistakes.

— Are you considering stepping down?

— Not at the moment. Please wait a bit.

— There were mistakes in the match against Albania, there were mistakes at the Euros, and there were mistakes today. These mistakes come from players in defense. Do you need to call up new players? How will you address these mistakes?

— We will work on it, and we will review potential candidates. I’m sure there will be new candidates. These are both team and individual mistakes. Unfortunately, we lost today. I believe we have a lot of work to do, and this is important now. Yes, we currently have zero points. What is the goal of the Ukrainian team now? To qualify for the World Cup. We can get there through qualification and Nations League matches. Nations League games are very important for us. I’m grateful to the players. They gave everything for the win today. I have been working with the team for over a year. During this period, if we exclude the European Championship, I have met with the players for a maximum of three weeks. So, it’s very challenging. I’m sure we have a lot to work on. We will correct our mistakes.

— In August, you mentioned that you would analyze the team’s performance at the Euros. Have you completed this work? What conclusions were drawn?

— We had a two-hour press conference after the Euros, where I said everything.

— Why does our team not play as aggressively as Czechia?

— I didn’t say that we didn’t play aggressively. Czechia was very aggressive at home. But we also tried to regain possession. After conceding a goal, we pressed a lot and equalized thanks to pressing and regaining the ball. I can’t say that we were not aggressive. In the second half, we tried to do everything. Again, I’m grateful to the players. They did everything they could. If you count the number of chances we created, it would have been enough for several games.

— Were you surprised by the large support for the Ukrainian team in the stands?

— I saw how many Ukrainian flags were present before the game. It was very pleasing. We are grateful not only to Ukrainians but also to Czech fans who supported the Ukrainian team, including in the match against Albania and when we were here last time. We always appreciate playing in Czechia. We thank all the fans who support us and Ukraine.