The head coach of Ukraine's U-21 national team, Ruslan Rotan, held a press conference ahead of the Euro 2023 (U-21) match against Spain on June 27 in Bucharest (kickoff at 9:45 PM Kyiv time).

— Are there any personnel issues for Ukraine's team before tomorrow's game?

— At the moment, doctors are working with Mudryk. There are minor injuries after the games in Sycha and Talovyrova, but I believe they won't prevent them from playing against Spain.

— Considering Spain's previous matches at the tournament, what kind of game do you expect tomorrow? Where should we start?

— Tomorrow's match will be a bit different. Both teams have already secured their spots in the quarter-finals. We and the Spaniards will make minor rotations. What can we expect? We know each other well. The Spanish team plays structured and aggressive football, controlling the ball excellently in the third zone — we understand this perfectly. They have good players in their lineup. After the draw, I said that Spain is the favorite of our group, a strong team with strong players. I believe tomorrow's match will be physically demanding for us. We need to understand that the Spanish side will control the ball more often. However, we are preparing for this, and we should not deviate from our structure but rather impose our game on them through stricter actions in midfield, controlling the ball. Also, adaptation to heat and team character will play a significant role.

— Can you tell us about the psychological preparation for the match against Spain, given that our team is playing as an underdog?

— We need to understand that a game against Spain is decisive in determining group standings. It's important for both teams. On the other hand, there's no psychological pressure regarding advancing to the quarter-finals. This is a great opportunity to showcase our qualities and be professionals for each player, not just playing because we have to. With such teams, we should dream big. If matches like this one against Spain continue, it will elevate the level of both the team as a whole and individual players. We need to be mentally and physically prepared. Tomorrow's result won't weigh on us; we need to show our game against a very strong opponent. Play not for the result but for the fan.

— You said that both teams might make changes for tomorrow's match. The winner of our group will play in Bucharest, while the second-place team — in Cluj-Napoca. Could a victory in this game be an advantage in terms of further preparation?

— Yes, a win tomorrow would be an advantage — we wouldn't have to make unnecessary travel. Perhaps it's more convenient for both teams to play in Bucharest. But now is not the time to choose an opponent that might come our way. We will face an opponent regardless and need to take them very seriously. Don't think about what would be better. After the match, we'll sit in our group position, then focus as much as possible physically and mentally on the quarter-final. Regardless of where this game takes place, for us, the main goal is to advance.

— Are there any weaknesses in Spain's team that we can exploit?

— There are no perfect teams. There are players and demands from the head coach of the Spanish national team. Even such teams with great footballers have weak spots. We know them well, and I want us to use them tomorrow.

— Ukraine's national team scored in both group stage matches. How do you plan to maintain this trend?

— Scoring is the main task for any team. First and foremost, a footballer needs to think about how to score against the opponent. We work on this every day, just as they do in Spain's national team. We always strive to improve. It would be wonderful if our ideas worked with such teams as Spain. For me, it would be a great gift — to see in matches against such opponents what we have been working on for all these years from the very beginning.