Ruslan Rotan, the acting head coach of Ukraine's national team, held a press conference ahead of the start of the national team training camp before their Euro 2024 qualifying match against England on March 26 at Wembley Stadium (kickoff at 19:00 Kyiv time).

— Mykhailo Mudryk had a difficult start with Chelsea. You know him from the youth national team. How is he coping, how motivated is he?

— Mykhailo is a talent whose full potential has not yet been realized. I am confident that in a few months, he will be playing key roles in the Premier League. He is an excellent player who is very motivated and wants to play at Wembley. We must cherish such players like diamonds, trust them, but also make them feel important not just for the youth team or Chelsea, but for the national team as well. This motivation should give him more confidence.

— How does the Ukrainian national team feel at the start of their qualifying campaign? How do you handle your work? What does it mean to play at Wembley for your team?

— This is not just a match for players and coaches, but also for an entire country. I want to thank the people of Great Britain for supporting us in our war against the enemy. We are very grateful for their support. I consider this a match for our soldiers as well. What is happening in Ukraine right now is very tragic. We must be motivated to please them with both our play and results, giving emotions that our nation lacks at this time.

— Do you expect support from Ukrainians in London to help achieve a good result?

— Indeed, we are counting on patriotic people who will support us. Any kind of support is very important. I would like to ask fans for it. I believe that at Wembley there will be a friendly atmosphere, but the match itself will be a big fight. I am confident that this benefits football and the people who come to watch the game as well as those supporting Ukrainians as a nation.

— You work with players who have extensive experience playing in England, such as Oleksandr Zinchenko or Andriy Yarmolenko. How difficult is it for you to create a normal atmosphere within the team given all that's happening at home?

— Our boys who play in the Premier League are very emotional people who always support their country on every front. They are highly motivated, leaders of our national team, and an example for young players as well as everyone else. We need more such players. I would really like to see our footballers continue to fill the rosters of English clubs in the future. This will be very good for the national team.

Photo by Pavel Kubanov

— Is Zinchenko currently playing his best football in his career? How important is this for the national team?

— Indeed, Oleksandr's intelligence represents a significant progress both for our team and for football. Football progresses when there are players with an intellect like Zinchenko's. It’s fantastic if you ask me honestly. I have always liked such footballers. If we had more of them, the game would be better and more diverse, amazing to watch.

— Are you considering moving Mudryk to a central striker position?

— This will depend on closer to the match. We have a friendly game tomorrow with Brentford, and we need to see the players' condition and understanding of key connections. After making conclusions, we'll prepare for England. But I want to say that everything is possible. I think Mykhailo can play there, he has qualities of a center forward.

— Are all the players healthy?

— As of today, Illia Zabarnyi is injured and not ready for the match, so he won't play at Wembley. We spoke with his team's doctors and concluded that we cannot involve him. Andriy Yarmolenko has an injury as well, but currently outside the main group. However, there’s time until the match; perhaps he will be fit in time. Serhiy Sydorchuk and Viktor Tsygankov have minor colds. I believe everything will be fine by tomorrow.

— What's the situation with Yurii Konoplyi being called up to the national team?

— He called after the Feyenoord match, saying he had a problem and couldn't work at 100%. We talked, I gave him time to consult with his doctors. I told him that I would accept any decision he made. He called back and said unfortunately he wants to recover during the break for Shakhtar matches. So there are no issues; we recalled Dmytro Mykhaylichenko.

Photo by Pavel Kubanov

— This is your first match as head coach of the national team. Difficult conditions for our country, players' psychological state, logistics... Considering all these challenges, does this additional responsibility motivate your team?

— Indeed, it's not easy. But in fact, it’s much harder for our soldiers on the front lines. And that it is difficult for players to recover and travel... We must be ready for the match at 100% motivation because I consider we are playing against a top-5 team in the world. This is an important match for us; we need to put everything aside, focus on the game, as we have to give our country emotions that will lift it up during this difficult time.

— You mentioned Ukrainian fighters at the front lines. Accordingly, the national team is going into a football battle. At the same time, friendly matches are scheduled for those dates with countries supporting the aggressor. What do you think about them?

— Countries that agree to play against an aggressor support what it does in Ukraine. The most appropriate thing we can do is not pay attention to them or those who play with them. They don't deserve any attention paid to them. Attention should be given to countries that respect international norms, especially people. We need to talk about this and ignore the ones playing against Russia, not even mentioning them.

— 1000 tickets for the match were given to Ukrainian refugees. What is your opinion on such a decision?

— This is a very correct step that unites our countries. It shows your attitude towards our country. A huge thank you to your people, your country, for supporting Ukraine, the Ukrainian nation, and Ukrainian football at all levels.