The head coach of Ukraine's U21 national team, Ruslan Rotan, appeared at a press conference ahead of the Euro 2023 semi-final match against Spain, which will take place on July 5 in Bucharest, Romania (kick-off at 22:00 Kyiv time).

— What player issues are there?

— Krisikov will miss the game due to yellow card accumulation. Vyunyk has a similar issue with his hand — we'll do a check tomorrow, he might be able to play.

— How are you preparing your players so they can focus on the game?

— First of all, it's about recovery. Unfortunately, only two days have passed between matches. This is also very important because yesterday there was a flight and travel to another city with slightly different weather conditions. Cluj-Napoca was somewhat colder than Bucharest. As for motivation, there are no problems. The boys are motivated, they're taking it step by step, the next one being the hardest. We understand the strength of Spain's national team; it is a very powerful squad. We met them in the group stage, but tomorrow will be a different game. Spain has dominated at youth level and won all tournaments. We know this well and are aware of the strength of our opponent.

— Spain holds Ukraine in high regard, perhaps even some fans would like you to win. What do you think about that?

— First and foremost, a huge thank you for your support during this difficult time. You're with us shoulder-to-shoulder, which is very nice. Believe me, the Ukrainian people are grateful to everyone who helps our country and supports us. Thank you!

— Did you talk to Vanat about his disqualification?

— We talked to him after the match, he understands the gravity of the situation. This moment gave him a chance to think deeply, as he's practically just starting the tournament tomorrow. For Vladyslav, this is an important lesson. We need to support him, he'll get his chance.

— In the match against France, we had problems coming out of defense into attack. Was it well-prepared by the opponent or is this a systemic problem that needs to be addressed?

— France is a team that presses very well and strongly regains possession. The start of the match was with the French, they closed off the midfield, making it difficult for us to break through. In such density, playing into space is crucial. I'm very pleased that we adjusted after scoring, started playing into space, and this worked out for us.

— In the group stage, you played against Spain at night. What conclusions did you draw from that match?

— Yes, we conducted an analysis based on our first game with Spain. It's a structured team that always plays at the top level. All national teams study them and know their tactics, but despite this, almost all of Spain's mechanisms work, causing problems for every opponent. We did theoretical sessions both before the first match and now, taking these aspects into account. On the field, everything is decided by individual skill as well as attitude and character. Everything then comes together to form a single result. I think that Spain has studied us well, just as we have studied them. Tomorrow's game will give one of the teams an opportunity to advance further. So it will be a completely different match, with everything on the football field. I'm confident both teams will give their all to make the desired step forward.