Serhiy Sapronov: "I hope the absence of the captain won't hinder our return to League A"

11.11.2024 17:03

On November 12, the Ukraine WU-17 women's team will travel to Malta, passing through Krakow, to participate in Round 1 of the EURO 2025 in League B.

Head coach Serhiy Sapronov shared the latest news from the team's camp and outlined the tournament objectives in an interview with the UAF official website:

— Before leaving for Malta, we held a four-day preparation camp in Lviv, which included a friendly match. It was very informative, and the coaching staff has already made decisions about the players' roles and readiness.

— The team has a strong representation from Kryvbas and Ladomyr, and there are no players from abroad. Why is that?

— We are closely monitoring our players in Germany, Canada, and the USA, but for now, we've decided to proceed without them. However, we may invite some of them next year.

— Are all the top players from this age group included in the squad for Malta?

— Unfortunately, at the last minute, we learned that the team captain, defender Alina Savka from Vorskla, will not be available due to an injury. I hope her absence won’t hinder our return to League A, as this is the main objective for the players.

— Who replaced Savka?

— Polina Nazarenko from Kryvbas has been called up. If needed, another player from Kryvyi Rih, Anna Avramenko, whose primary position is a defensive midfielder, can also play in defense.

— What do you consider to be the strongest part of the team?

— The midfield.

— What information do you have about your opponents from Moldova, Malta, and Romania?

— The strength of the teams in this group is quite even. Unfortunately, there is limited information about them. We played against Romania in the UEFA Development Tournament, but both teams have introduced many new players since then. Therefore, we will gather more information about our opponents directly during the competition. The key will be to minimize mistakes.

Ukraine Women’s U-17 Squad:

Goalkeepers: Anna Kharchenko (Vorskla Poltava), Ulyana Solovyova (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Oleksandra Strilchenko (Yunist Chernihiv).

Defenders: Anastasiya Bielkina (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Veronika Derevyanenko (EMS-Podillia Vinnytsia), Valeriya Kazina (CYSS Podil Kyiv), Kateryna Derkach (Pohoryna Kostopil), Maria Osadcha (SeaSters Odesa), Daryna Ivasko (Mynai).

Midfielders: Milena Ivanchenko, Anna Avramenko, Darya Kolodiy, Polina Nazarenko (all — Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih), Evelina Kuptsova (Metalist 1925 Kharkiv), Darya Artemenko, Viktoriya Savkina, Zoryana Hladun (all — Ladomyr Volodymyr).

Forwards: Sofiya Konovalova (Ladomyr Volodymyr), Karina Lespukh (Mynai), Varvara Kozlyuk (Polissya Zhytomyr).

EURO 2025 (WU-17). Round 1. Group B2

13.11.2024

Malta — Romania (Ta' Qali, 12:00)

Ukraine — Moldova (Ta' Qali, 15:30)

16.11.2024

Ukraine — Malta (Ta' Qali, 12:00)

Romania — Moldova (Ta' Qali, 15:30)

19.11.2024

Moldova — Malta (Ta' Qali, 12:00)

Romania — Ukraine (Ta' Qali, 15:30)

All match times are in Kyiv time.

EURO 2025 (WU-17). Round 1

League A

Group A1: Portugal, Switzerland, Wales, Slovenia.

Group A2: Belgium, Germany, Turkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Group A3: England, Netherlands, Czechia, Faroe Islands.

Group A4: Poland, Scotland, Iceland, Northern Ireland.

Group A5: France, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria.

Group A6: Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland.

Group A7: Norway, Finland, Greece, Belarus.

League B

Group B1: Slovakia, Montenegro, Latvia, Georgia.

Group B2: Ukraine, Romania, Malta, Moldova.

Group B3: Hungary, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Andorra.

Group B4: Kosovo, Israel, Albania.

Group B5: Serbia, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan.

Group B6: Sweden, Estonia, Kazakhstan.

It is noteworthy that the Ukraine WU-17 team finished last in their group in this year's European Championship's Round 2 and was relegated to League B. Following the first-round draw, Serhiy Sapronov's team was placed in Group B2, where they will compete against Romania, Malta, and Moldova.

League A

Twenty-eight teams will compete in League A, including the current champion, Spain, and seven teams promoted from League B based on the results of the EURO 2023/2024 Euro Round 2. The participants were divided into seven groups. Each group will play in a mini-tournament format hosted by one of the participants.

Teams that finish in fourth place will continue the season in the second round in League B. The seeding of participants for the second round will depend on their first-round group standings. The Faroe Islands will also participate in the competition despite having a direct ticket to the finals as hosts.

League B

Twenty-one teams will compete in League B (including teams relegated from League A in the EURO 2023/2024 Round 2). These teams will compete for promotion to League A in six groups. The group winners and the best second-placed team (considering results against their groups' first and third-placed teams) will be promoted to the higher division.

Advancement to the Final Stage

The second qualifying round will take place at the beginning of 2025. Based on the League A competition, seven teams will join the Faroe Islands in the final stage.