The head coach of the Ukraine national team, Serhiy Rebrov, spoke with journalists after their Euro 2024 qualification match against Malta (1:0):

— It's difficult to play three games in ten days. We knew this would be a very tough game. As in the previous match, we were more confident in the second half. The main goal today was to secure three points and move forward.

— Everyone expected a more convincing victory. Did Ukraine play worse than they could have, or does Malta deserve credit?

— It's very difficult for us to play against such teams because of their compact defense. I knew it would be like this and that we would perform better in the second half. They expended a lot of energy, pressing heavily, so our game was much better in the second half. I expected this. We always struggle against such tight defenses. We created many opportunities in the second half. Yes, we should have scored more. I know everyone in Ukraine is waiting for 5:0 or 6:0 scores, but now every team can defend well.

— Why did you decide not to include Korchygin and Rusin in the match squad?

— Because we need 23 players, someone has to be left out.

— Do you consider it a mistake to start Matvienko in the lineup?

— I don't know what mistakes are. I look at how ready players are for matches, how they perform for their clubs, and analyze that. As you can see, Mykolenko hasn't played for a long time. This was his first two games after an injury. I planned to bring him on in the second half. I believe he raised our level of play in attack.

— Perhaps it would have been worth trying Sobol as a left-back instead of Matvienko?

— I love all the players, but I rely on statistics and see who is better at each position. We have competition, so I choose who plays. This is normal.

— Of course, it's unfair to demand too much from the Ukraine national team. Why do we find it difficult to win against opponents like Malta?

— Everyone can defend well. Yes, England won 4-0, but they scored a quick goal. Without that, it's very hard. Now every European team knows how to defend. Malta showed this in the first half. I'm not surprised by such a tough game. I don't understand why everyone in Ukraine thinks we should win with three or four-goal margins now. This is the last match of the season, and players are usually on vacation in June. They're very tired after the season, and I'm grateful for their effort in the second half, as they did in the previous game too. Yes, it's not clear yet, but we've only been working together for ten days. It's not easy to explain football to players or implement ideas on the field when they are exhausted.

— Do you plan to attend Euro 2023 youth tournament matches?

— Yes, I'm planning to go to Bucharest. My assistants Vincente Gomez and Hlib Platov are traveling there tomorrow. I'll come for the second or third game. This is a very important tournament. I wish our team success so we can qualify for the Olympics. Regarding players, I've talked with them; they want to play for the youth team. No one said they wanted a break before Euro. They did everything possible. I'm sure these footballers will help our «youth».

— What can we expect from Ukraine's September matches?

— We recently played against Germany and showed a good game. The next matches will be official, so we need to prepare seriously for any match. Ukraine has already shown it can play well with the big teams. We always set our goal as qualifying from the group.

— How would you evaluate Tsygankov's performance, who was already named captain of the team? How did you decide who would take the second penalty?

— Viktor himself put himself as the leader of the team. No one appointed him. What he has done in the last three matches is his achievement. Before the game, we decided that Yarmolenko would take the penalties. But after the unsuccessful execution of the first one, I saw that he offered Tsygankov to take it. I understood that Andriy was not psychologically ready for a second 11-meter kick. So I'm grateful to Tsygankov for showing that he's ready for this.