Dmytro Mykhailenko: "Euro qualification squad for Switzerland almost set at 75-80%"

13.09.2024 11:00

The head coach of Ukraine’s U-18/19 youth team (players born in 2006 or later), Dmytro Mykhailenko, shared his thoughts on the recent training camp that concluded a few days ago.

The Ukrainian youth team, which will participate in the EURO 2025 (U-19) qualification round in November, recently completed their training camp in Switzerland. There, the team played two friendly matches against local counterparts (2:2 and 1:2).

— I assess the camp positively, — Dmytro Mykhailenko said in a comment to the UAF official website after returning to Ukraine. — We reviewed all the players we invited in matches against strong opponents. These games allowed us to gauge our level, identify weaknesses, and determine which positions we needed to strengthen before the European Championship qualifiers. Overall, I was pleased with the players' attitude towards the work and the quality of their play in the two matches.

All players received approximately equal game time. I can't say which game I liked more, but our team had good chances to score when we controlled the ball. There were also issues, particularly with set pieces near our goal and transitional moments, but these can be fixed. Our main focus was on evaluating the potential of our players.

There will be some minor changes to the squad for the October camp. If some players recover from injuries, they will be called up to the squad. There are also a few more candidates I would like to assess. However, the Euro qualification squad for Switzerland is set at 75-80%.

Ukraine U-18/19 Roster:

Goalkeepers: Vyacheslav Surkis (Dynamo Kyiv), Markiyan Bakus (Rukh Lviv).

Defenders: Oleksandr Havrylenko (Śląsk, Poland), Vladyslav Zakharchenko, Maksym Korobov, Denys Dykyi (all Dynamo Kyiv), Daniel Vernattus, Yehor Abramov (both Metalist Kharkiv), Vladyslav Shershen (Kolos Kovalivka), Danylo Harazha (Oleksandriya).

Midfielders: Maksym Len (Fortuna, Germany), Fedir Babak (Paderborn, Germany), Kyrylo Osypenko, Danylo Ishchenko (both Dynamo Kyiv), Artem Husol (Kolos Kovalivka), Viktor Tsukanov, Vasyl Bundash (both Shakhtar Donetsk), Vladyslav Kalyn (Chornomorets Odesa), Hennadiy Synchuk (Metalist Kharkiv).

Forwards: Artem Stepanov (Bayer, Germany), Christian Shevchenko (Watford, England), Ruslan Vydysh (Gent, Belgium), Vitaliy Lobko (Dynamo Kyiv).

Reserves: Nazar Makarenko (Oleksandriya), Danyil Denysenko (Kolos Kovalivka), Davyd Bilyi, Matviy Ponomarenko (both Dynamo Kyiv), Kyrylo Dihtyar, Danylo Kaidalov (both Metalist Kharkiv).

This team is preparing for the EURO-2025 (U-19) qualification. According to the draw results, they are in Group 1 alongside Netherlands, Slovenia, and Kazakhstan. The mini-tournament will take place in the Netherlands, with matches scheduled for November 13, 16, and 19.

Results of the UEFA EURO 2025 (U-19) qualifying round draw

Group 1: Ukraine, Netherlands, Slovenia, Kazakhstan.

Group 2: Germany, Hungary, Cyprus, Andorra.

Group 3: England, Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania.

Group 4: Turkiye, Poland, Malta, Gibraltar.

Group 5: France, Scotland, Wales, Liechtenstein.

Group 6: Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, San Marino.

Group 7: Ireland, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Moldova.

Group 8: Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro.

Group 9: Norway, Sweden, Georgia, Estonia.

Group 10: Spain, Austria, Kosovo, Faroe Islands.

Group 11: Israel, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Albania.

Group 12: Slovakia, Latvia, North Macedonia, Luxembourg.

Group 13: Serbia, Croatia, Armenia, Belarus.

The locations for the mini-tournaments and specific dates (September 2-10, October 7-15, November 11-19) will be announced later.

The elite round of qualification will include the top two teams from each group of the qualifying round and the best third-placed team. Alongside Portugal, in spring 2025, they will compete in seven groups for seven tickets to the final tournament. Romania received an automatic spot as the host.