Sergey Rebrov, head coach of the Ukraine national team, commented on the loss to Italy (1:2) in Euro-2024 qualification matches.

— What analysis can you make after the match? Were you surprised by how the Italians played?

— It's too early to analyze, but we will definitely do it. The Italians didn't surprise us; they tried to play very intensely from the first minute. They were helped by a quick goal. Yes, they created opportunities, but I am grateful to the boys for coming back into the game. We scored a goal and had several chances in the second half to equalize. Thank you again to the boys because it's very difficult to play after such a tough match against England. To repeat, Italy played very intensely, and we sometimes couldn't keep up with their pace.

— What do you say about the support of fans at San Siro?

— Just like in the game against England, there was a good atmosphere. There were fewer Ukrainians today, but I saw how Italians supported Ukraine. We are very grateful for this. Although such an atmosphere favors the home team — San Siro helped the Italian national team greatly. But we are grateful to play here and that Italy welcomed us.

— How do you evaluate your team's chances of advancing from the group?

— There are always chances, even when there aren't any. We ended up in a very tough group. Two matches — against England and Italy — were key. Looking at the standings, we have chances. For the next two games, we will prepare very seriously. I am confident that our team has chances.

— A tough match, Italy almost controlled the game throughout. What was missing from Ukraine's national team to change the course of this match?

— We just needed one goal. It's very difficult to play two days after a big match. We tried to press more against the opponent, but I could see how hard it was for the boys — they gave so much in the game against England. I want to remind everyone again who we are playing against. I don't understand why everyone is saying that Italy's national team is in crisis now.

— At the start of the second half, your team came out attacking and looked very active. How did you manage to motivate the players?

— The footballers simply rested after a very tough first half. In the beginning of the second, they created several opportunities and tried to play with the ball. We pointed out some mistakes, made certain observations, but I believe this was more about the players' psychology.