Ahead of today’s opening match of EURO 2024 (U-19) against tournament hosts Northern Ireland, Ukraine's youth team defender Taras Mykhavko shared his thoughts with the UAF press service.

"We expect only victory from the match against Northern Ireland. We need to win because this is the first game, and it’s important to start the tournament well. We are all focused and eagerly awaiting the game. Northern Ireland is a very organized and disciplined team. They are the hosts of Euro, and they will be highly motivated, especially with their fans in attendance. But I hope we can handle this pressure and come out on top.

There’s no real nervousness before the start of the Euro. Everyone is determined, concentrated, and knows why we are here and what we want to achieve. So, the mood is fighting.

We know we have strong support back in Ukraine, and there will be viewers watching the matches, including our military. We are primarily playing for them and thank them for the opportunity to be here," emphasized Mykhavko.