Tuesday at 7 PM Kyiv time in Jilina at the «Pod Dubnom» stadium, a Euro-2023 (U-21) playoff match between Slovakia and Ukraine will begin. The live broadcast will take place on regional channels of Suspilne Broadcasting, as well as on the YouTube channel of the Ukrainian Football Association.

Since Monday, our youth team has been training in full strength. However, as early as Sunday, blue-and-yellow played a practice match, from which the coaching staff received a lot of information. As always, Ruslan Rotan with his assistants pay special attention to theoretical preparation. Regarding the personnel situation, fortunately, all footballers are healthy. It should be noted that Anatoliy Trubin joined the team's squad, who on September 21 played in Glasgow for Ukraine's national team against Scotland as part of the Nations League.

The Ukrainian «youngsters» departed to Jilina, where the first match against Slovakia will take place, by bus on the 21st after lunch. The distance from the Polish city of Bydgoszcz to the destination is only 100 km. A pre-match training session took place in the evening of the 22nd.

«I have never put pressure on footballers with results — each one can confirm this. I always emphasized that I would take responsibility for every loss, and you would be responsible together with me for every match.

There will not be any pressure this time either. It is unnecessary because the boys are so close to their goal that they do not need extra motivation. But I will remind them that they dream of more than just participating in Euro, but also showing meaningful football there. We should not forget about the chance to qualify for the Olympics», — said head coach of Ukraine's U-21 team Ruslan Rotan.

Previously, our national youth team has played in Euro playoffs four times. Twice our team qualified for the final tournament: at Euro 2006 — after a duel with Belgium (2:3 at home, 3:1 away), at Euro 2011 — after defeating the Netherlands (3:1 away, 0:2 at home). Twice blue-and-yellow were eliminated: in the playoff of Euro 2002 — by Switzerland (two losses with a score of 1:2), in the playoff of Euro 2015 — by Germany (0:3 at home, 0:2 away).

Let us remind you that matches between Ukrainians and Slovaks will take place on September 23rd and 27th. The first one our team will play at the «Pod Dubnom» stadium (kick-off — at 7 PM Kyiv time). The nominal home match blue-and-yellow will play in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on the Municipal Stadium (6:30 PM).

Squad of Ukraine's youth team 

Goalkeepers: Dmytro Matsapura («Zorya» Luhansk), Kiryl Fesyun («Kolos» Kovalivka), Yakiv Kinareykin («Dnipro-1» Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Trubin («Shakhtar» Donetsk).

Defenders: Arseniy Batagov («Zorya» Luhansk), Anton Bol, Kostiantyn Vychcharenko, Oleksandr Syrota (all — «Dynamo» Kyiv), Oleksandr Drambaev («Zulte Waregem», Belgium), Dmytro Kapinus («Metalist 1925» Kharkiv), Oleksiy Sytsch («Courtrai», Belgium), Maxim Talovyerov («Slovanski», Czech Republic).

Midfielders: Artem Bondarenko, Dmytro Krisykiv, Oleh Ocheretnyk, Georgiy Sudakov (all — «Shakhtar» Donetsk), Volodymyr Brachko, Mykhailo Mykhaylenko (both — «Zorya» Luhansk), Eldar Kuliyev («Minai»), Oleksandr Nazarenko («Dnipro-1» Dnipropetrovsk), Ivan Zhelizko («Valmiera», Latvia), Yegor Yamoluk («Brentford», England).

Forwards: Vladyslav Vanat («Dynamo» Kyiv), Bohdan Vyunnyk («Zurich», Switzerland), Mykhailo Kukharevych («Hibernian», Scotland), Danylo Sikan («Shakhtar» Donetsk).

Reserves: Valentin Rubchynskiy («Dnipro-1» Dnipropetrovsk), Eduard Kozik («Shakhtar» Donetsk), Roman Didyk, Marko Sapuga (both —  «Rukh» Lviv), Oleksiy Horin («Minai»), Danylo Alefrenko, Maxim Khlyan (both — «Zorya» Luhansk), Maxim Bragaru («Chornomorets» Odesa), Oleksiy Kashchuk («Sabah», Azerbaijan), Viktor Voloshin («Oleksandria»).

Squad of Slovakia's youth team 

Goalkeepers: Lubomir Belko («Jilina»), Ivan Krajchiriak («Ruzemberok»), Richard Ludga («Zeliezovarne Podbrezova»).

Defenders: Tomas Nemcik («Jilina»), Sebastian Kossa («Spartak T»), Adam Obert («Cagliari», Italy), Ivan Mesik («Odd», Norway), Matous Vojtko («Gorica», Croatia), Samuel Dyatko, Michal Bakala (both — «Zeliezovarne Podbrezova»), Samuel Sulja («VIOH»).

Midfielders: Filip Likhy («Ruzemberok»), Peter Pokorny («Fehervar», Hungary), Patrik Mislovic, Adrian Kapralik (both — «Jilina»), Samuel Lavrinchik («Trencin»), Adam Goljan («Sparta», Czech Republic), Jan Bernat («Westerlo», Belgium), Sebastian Nebila («DAK 1904»), Tomas Suchop («Groningen», Netherlands), Tibor Slebodnik («Zemplin»).

Forwards: David Strzelc («Spezia», Italy), Matej Trusa («Hradec Kralove», Czech Republic), Jakub Kadak («Lucerne», Switzerland), Roland Galchik («Jilina»).

Euro-2023 (U-21). Qualification. Playoffs

September 23, 2022, September 27, 2022

Croatia — Denmark

Slovakia — Ukraine

Ireland — Israel

Iceland — Czech Republic

Final tournament: june/july 2023.

Participants of the final tournament: Romania, Georgia, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, four playoff winners.

The tournament involving 16 national teams will be hosted by four stadiums in Romania (two — in Cluj-Napoca and two — in Bucharest) and four in Georgia (in Batumi, Poti and two — in Tbilisi). The opening match will take place in Romania, while the final will be held in Georgia.