Serbian national team midfielder Ruslan Malinovskiy participated in a press conference ahead of the Euro-2024 qualification match against Malta together with head coach Serhiy Rebrov.

— What do you think are the strongest sides of your opponent? Who would you highlight from their lineup?

— It will be difficult to single anyone out from Malta's lineup because their strong side is team play. This national team will fight for a result tomorrow. We will prepare, keeping in mind the previous unsuccessful encounter with this opponent and trying to rehabilitate.

— In the second half of the match against North Macedonia, there was a moment with a penalty that Viktor Tsygankov took, although it's your traditional position…

— We talked about this. Viktor felt confident at that moment and asked to take the shot. I told him to aim for the far post, but he wanted to try to get past the wall. He struck it very well, just missing by a few centimeters. In terms of height, everything was perfect, so if the ball had landed in the plane, there would have been a goal. Perhaps after this penalty, he got angry and scored the winning goal.

— You are already an experienced taker for the national team. How do you support young players?

— When I was their age, things were different. But after playing in Belgium and Italy, I can say that the best help for young players is your own example — work ethic, attitude. Then they will look up to you. For me, Andriy Yarmolenko was an example in terms of work, attitude. And now he's an example in terms of love for football.

— Events like the Kakhovka dam explosion shook not only Ukraine but also the whole world. Matches by the national team are a breath of fresh air for people who have suffered. What words of support can you give them?

— Of course, we all saw this. As Serhiy Stanislavovich said, we need to give our maximum on the football field. I said this when the invasion began. We now have a double motivation because we are in comfortable conditions and want to give something back to people who are struggling. We understand how difficult it is for everyone right now. But hard times make strong people. This will only make Ukraine stronger. It brings us together. When situations arise, footballers and athletes help from our side. I believe that when this all ends, we as a team should organize something for those who have suffered greatly. I really want to do this; it's very important to me.