Transcript of a press conference with the head coach of Ukraine's national team Andrea Maldini ahead of tomorrow's match against Hungary in the 2026/2027 Nations League Group 4.

— Mykhaylichenko missed training today and was not with the main group. Will he be able to play tomorrow? And how is Zubkov's back, he is injured?

— It is unlikely that Bohdan Mykhaylichenko will be able to play, he has had a cold for the past few days. As for Zubkov — he has back pain. We will decide tomorrow morning whether he can play or not.

— What other personnel issues are there in the team? We also did not see Shaparenko at training today.

— Of course, we have many absent players. With injuries and suspensions. As for Shaparenko, he has pain in his leg, the knee joint. I would rather not think about those who cannot play but focus on those who will be on the field tomorrow. This is a great opportunity for young players to show themselves, grow. We need to try to increase the number of candidates for the national team roster, and these matches serve this purpose well.

— You have called up a large number of central defenders consecutively and used these central defenders as fullbacks. For example, Romanchuk, Zabarny, Bondar, Matviyenko played in this position, although they were forced to do so. Is there any coaching thought behind this? When there is a problem with fullbacks, could the recall of Karavaev help?

— Oleksandr Karavaev was in the extended list. We called up Khrustov who plays as a right-back with attacking skills. Mykhaylichenko is a left-back with similar characteristics. Sometimes we play our matches with a 3+2 or 2+3 defenders system, and we need players with broader skill sets, such as Illia Zabarny. He often plays for Paris Saint-Germain as a central defender in a three-man system. In the previous match, Matviyenko played as a fullback. Therefore, I believe it is necessary to have players who can adapt to different playing systems and situations that arise on the football field.

— This is the first time since your appointment as head coach that you have faced hate. What is your reaction and how do you deal with it?

— I know the football world, I try to maintain balance. It's better if they are angry at me rather than my players. My boys are young, they have worked very hard and given their maximum up until this day. I hope they will give their maximum tomorrow as well. We accept all criticism that comes our way. The football world is such that we need to maintain balance, especially within the team, and continue playing football.

— In the previous match against Hungary there was very high tension at the end of the game. Does this make tomorrow's match particularly significant for you? And what is the current mood in the team?

— This is part of football. It happens like this sometimes. When the final whistle blows — it's all over. We respect Hungary and the Hungarian people very much. It was pleasant for us to play on that stadium. Some things happen at the stadium, but they end there after the final whistle.

— Seventh press conference in 11 days. Haven't you gotten tired of answering questions?

— No, not at all. This is one of the few moments when I can share some news and interesting things. And for me it's always a pleasure.