Below is the transcript of the post-match press conference with the head coach of Ukraine, Andrea Maldini, after the victory over Poland 2:0 in a friendly match.

- Questions about the game, perhaps some summary. How do you evaluate your debut at the helm of the national team?

- I couldn't even imagine it like this today. The players and the team made this day special.

- Regarding your debut. Of course, it's a special day, being the head coach for the first time. Is that nerves we understand correctly? How hot is it to be the head coach?

- It's the players who make football complicated or simple. The players greatly simplified this debut for me because from the very first moment they completely trusted me. And they gave me a lot of confidence. What we did in two days was extremely difficult to do, and I value it immensely.

- Tell us about the atmosphere of the match. Did you enjoy it?

- We are very grateful to the Polish federation for welcoming us so nicely. A beautiful stadium. I'm most happy for our fans who were in the stands today. And I told the boys before the match to play for them, for the fans. And this is a double satisfaction for me.

- Congratulations on your victory. What was the most challenging part of playing against Poland?

- I think the hardest part is just beginning now because when you win, everyone's happy. But football can change everything in one second, turn everything upside down. Of course, we have to enjoy this victory. But we need to maintain balance. Today, of course, we were not perfect. In my opinion, we could play much better. The best thing was the character that our boys demonstrated. And during my first press conference last week, I said: if I imagined an ideal Ukrainian national team, it would be brave first and foremost. This does not mean constantly attacking. It means that when we attack, everyone is together. And when we defend, everyone is also together. And I am very proud of what the boys demonstrated. Not to mention the tactical part.

- With the victory today, two players played right-back in unfamiliar positions for them. Oleksandr Romanchuk debuted and Valeri Bondar. Evaluate their play — who did you like more on this position? And Gennadiy Synchuk also made his debut, please evaluate it.

- I am grateful to Romanchuk and Bondar for how they played in this position and for trusting me. I wanted a defender more defensive-minded. And they played the role of defender in the best way, with the best characteristics that they have. I understand that we might lose something during an attack. But I had to balance the team because Yarmolenko was playing there. So I opted for a more defensive-minded defender. Bondar almost scored at the end. I want to thank them for how they played in this position. In my opinion, they did great today.

Regarding Synchuk. First of all, it was his debut. He entered the game well. When the match wasn't easy because a player of his type had to play much in defense. But we saw his technical qualities in several combinations. In the future, he will be a good player.

- Regarding Denmark's team. Did you analyze this opponent? Will there be any changes after the match against Poland in the starting lineup?

- Yes, of course. I would like to try someone else. Poland and Denmark are two very strong teams. If I'm not mistaken, Ukraine hasn't won in Poland for about 13 years. Denmark is another team, also very strong. The main goal of these two friendly matches was to assess the players against strong opponents. So we know that Denmark is very strong, but we will play our match to the maximum. We'll play until the very end for all 90 minutes.

- You just mentioned that you didn't like today's tactical setup, the tactical build-up of the game. Why did you mention this?

- No-no, I didn't mean that. I said we could play better tactically. Before the match, I told the boys that my coaching staff and I were willing to take the risk of making mistakes today. I wouldn't understand if we hadn't tried something. And they tried to play the football I asked them to. Of course, we made many mistakes, but it doesn't worry me too much. I would be very anxious if we didn't try what we analyzed on video. Unfortunately, not a lot on the field because we only had one training session. The second was pre-match warm-up. And believe me, preparing for a match is really hard work. Think about set-pieces — we even didn't try them. Hats off to Yezeretsky, he worked well. He prepared set-pieces literally from video. Also during the free-kick delivery Trubin was very skilled. I could only convey the idea verbally to him. But he had the courage to do what we asked for. If they continue doing what I ask for — it will be simple for me as a coach.

- I've been waiting for this moment for several years now. I hoped you would become the head coach. And today finally, I'm very happy to see your debut. I wish you success: onward to victory!

- I am also very grateful to you. The love that I received from people, fans, since the first day I arrived here — this is something that will stay with me forever in my heart. Even if it's not there anymore, I'll always carry it with me. Like a tattoo.