The day before the final match of the Euro-2024 qualification playoff against Iceland, head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhiy Rebrov held a press conference.

-- Is Viktor Tsygankov ready to play?

-- I hope so. He has been training for several days now. We will make the decision tomorrow. The most important thing right now is his physical condition.

-- Is there a chance we might see Ukraine's lineup with two forwards tomorrow?

-- Yes, that possibility exists.

-- Does the team feel pressure due to the importance of this match? What is their morale like in recent days?

-- I think not only do the players on the national team feel the pressure, but all of Ukraine does. We receive rocket attacks every day. The footballers understand for whom they are playing. This game is very important to us to help our people and provide some emotions. I cannot say that this is pressure. I told the players: it's very important for you to do what you love and can do, play well on the field. So tomorrow they need to focus on the game and not think about other things.

-- What are the biggest threats posed by Iceland's national team?

-- This is a strong team with very high-quality players. We understand how formidable an opponent this is. But I believe in my footballers. We need to use our best qualities.

-- Do you find satisfaction in your work?

-- I always have great satisfaction working for Ukraine, at any time. Now it's even more important. It interests me; I love to work with Ukrainian players who understand me and try to do something together with me. So this is truly very honorable for me.

-- How ready is Oleksandr Zinchenko to play two matches in a row?

-- I don't know, we'll see tomorrow. We haven't decided yet whether he will play or not. Oleksandr deserves to play; he's a patriot. Unfortunately, he missed a lot of time at "Arsenal." So now we're making the decision.

-- How does today's Icelandic national team differ from the one you had to face and score against?

-- I read that I scored against Iceland, but I don't even remember that goal or that opponent. Now Iceland has added a lot. They've made great strides in terms of discipline. I read about the Icelanders—they've built many schools and fields in their small country. So now it's an entirely different team from those days.

-- Is it true that players are currently thinking exclusively about football, regardless of the context we live in?

-- Players always find it difficult before a match—they feel this atmosphere and pressure the day before. But as I remember from my own experience, once you step onto the field, you forget everything. Yes, players are a bit nervous, but when they start working, they only think about the game.

But if you're talking in the context of war... Today I saw that the players were on their phones, watching what's happening in Ukraine, the shelling. It's hard for them because there are families back home. I'm sure they'll be angrier, more motivated, charged up to play.

-- How appropriate is it to make goalkeeper substitutions in such paired matches?

-- Anything can happen in the national team. But I am satisfied that our goalkeepers have practice at a very high level. We will decide tomorrow.

-- Recently, Ukraine's national team has been quite active in the media. Often coaches of Ukrainian teams are against such activity. How do you feel about this? Can it affect the players?

-- If you see this level of activity, then I take a positive stance on it. I believe that this helps the players. We need to be open during this difficult time for Ukraine. Everyone should understand what the players are thinking and what is happening in the team. I am grateful to Andriy Shevchenko who asked me if he could do this. It's his idea—to provide more information for fans.

-- After the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the players said they did not execute the coach's instructions. How is that possible at such a level? How can we ensure they follow these instructions with Iceland?

-- If we played so poorly as I believe we did, then all of us need to think about what went wrong. We had a talk in the locker room after the match. I'm sure that tomorrow's game we will come out in a different mood.

We remind you that the final playoff match for Euro-2024 qualification between Ukraine and Iceland will take place on March 26 at the Tarchan Stadium Arena Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland, starting at 8:45 PM local time (9:45 PM Kyiv time).