In the matchday 3 game of the group stage of the Nations League 2024/2025 in Group B1, where Ukraine defeated Georgia (1:0), three players made their debut for the national team. After the game, midfielders Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, Oleksandr Nazarenko, and Dmytro Kryskiv shared their impressions.

“I’m a bit exhausted, very tired. I don’t have any emotions yet. From the warm-up, when we stepped onto the pitch and started to hold the ball, I realized everything was fine, and there was no nervousness. I wouldn’t say everything went perfectly for us. The Georgian national team is quite strong and has good attacking players. It wasn’t easy with them. I think the victory was well-deserved because we probably wanted it more. I’ve known the guys for a long time. They supported me and discussed game moments with me. The feeling of being a national team player hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but I want to be here,” said Ivan Kalyuzhnyi.

Photo by Dan Balashov

“I’m incredibly happy. A childhood dream has come true! The emotions are positive, and the most important thing is that we won. What will I remember? Probably everything leading up to the match, during it, when I came on as a substitute. I can’t express these emotions because it was incredible. I had to wait for my substitution. The ball wasn’t going out for a while, and the game was tense. I received a lot of messages. My wife, family, and friends congratulated me. I will keep the jersey as a memento,” noted Oleksandr Nazarenko.

Photo by Dan Balashov

“I’m very glad we achieved an important victory after a tough period. We had two losses, and we needed to step up and show our Ukrainian character, and give a positive reaction after those setbacks. This victory will give us motivation and confidence that we can achieve results with good play. I’m satisfied with the win, and my debut is a bonus to this success. I didn’t even have time to get nervous. They told me to come on as a substitute, so I quickly changed and was ready to help the team.

Character played a key role. Serhiy Rebrov emphasized before the game that we need to show our character and demonstrate a reaction to the difficult period. We had to overcome ourselves and achieve this victory, which is very important for us right now.

I felt the support of the fans. The Georgians were also audible. Our fans pushed us forward, so I’m grateful to them for their support. It was clear that the fans of both teams were like one whole, supporting a common position — for peace,” believes Dmytro Kryskiv.

As a reminder, in October, the Ukraine national team will play another match in Group B1 of the Nations League 2024/2025 — on the 14th, the Blue and Yellows will play against Czechia in a nominal home match at the Tarczyński Arena in Wrocław.