Man of the Match Oleksandr Zinchenko: "This victory is for all Ukrainians, they deserve it"

20.11.2024 18:37

Oleksandr Zinchenko was named the Man of the Match in Ukraine's 2:1 victory over Albania in the final group stage match of the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025.

Zinchenko opened the scoring against Albania and shared his thoughts after the match:

"I am grateful to all the fans for their support, which we always feel. The most important thing for me was the victory, which gave us a chance to qualify for League A. Scoring is always a pleasure. But it was even more meaningful to celebrate the goal as we did today, during such a challenging time for our country. It's been 1,000 days since our heroes began defending our state against the aggressor in a full-scale war — 1,000 days of pain and suffering. We understand how hard it is for our people right now. This victory is for all Ukrainians — they truly deserve it," Zinchenko said.

Ukraine's national team finished second in Group B1. This means they will play playoff matches against one of the third-placed teams from League A (Scotland, Belgium, Hungary, or Serbia). The draw for this stage will occur on November 22, with matches scheduled for March 20 and 23, 2025. Ukraine will host the first leg at home.