Serhiy Rebrov: "The result against Georgia was crucial, players strived to maintain their lead"

16.11.2024 21:38

Following the 1:1 draw in the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 match between Georgia and Ukraine, national team head coach Serhiy Rebrov held a press conference. 

- What words do you have for the players after such a tough match?

- I am grateful to the players for their commitment. It was difficult to create opportunities on such a challenging pitch. Playing with such a high error rate is tough, especially against a team like Georgia, who had strong home support. Unfortunately, we couldn't hold on to the result. We could have snatched the win at the end. It’s what it is. Now, we are preparing for another important match against Albania.

- What was the main factor in this game? How did the first and second halves differ?

- We scored a pretty quick goal. The result was extremely important to us today, and the players tried to maintain their lead. Perhaps because of this, there were errors, and we dropped into a low block. The players understood the responsibility of playing for our country and gave everything, but the result had a strong impact on their actions. Again, we were playing away against Georgia, with their supporters behind them. I think the Georgians played with different motivations than in the first meeting.

- What advice did you give Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half?

- He did a lot of intensive work. I gave him a few-pointers during the match. He is important to us because of his pace and contribution to the attack. I asked him how ready he was because the pitch was pretty hard.

- How do you evaluate Yukhym Konoplya's performance against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

- Everyone can see that Kvaratskhelia is a top-level player, individually strong. It wasn’t only Konoplya who handled the task, but also the players who helped him because it's very difficult to play one-on-one against Kvaratskhelia.

- There were both Georgian and Ukrainian fans in the stands. What would you say to the supporters?

- I’m very grateful to the Georgian fans. They sang a very interesting song, which is important. I’ve always had great respect for the Georgian people, and I have many friends here. I’m thankful for the position of Georgian citizens who truly support Ukraine, which was shown in today’s match. When our war began, we felt a lot of support from Georgia.

Ukraine's final match in Group B1 of the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 will take place away on November 19, against Albania in Tirana at the Air Albania Stadium.