PETRAKOV: “Honestly, I have tears in my eyes and goosebumps”

Head coach of the Ukrainian national team Alexander Petrakov Commenting on the result of the test match against Borussia M (2:1):

– The first match, the national team did not play for six months, I did not work for six months. I have no questions for the guys, they are great at this stage, they did everything well. We have many mistakes, we will fix them.

– What emotions did you experience during the performance of the Ukrainian Anthem before the match? How is the atmosphere in the stadium for you?

– Very good atmosphere. To be honest, even my eyes got wet, the ants ran through my skin. It is good that our nation is united. Thanks to the Ukrainians for coming and supporting us, thanks to the Germans. The atmosphere was great.

– The national team plays matches, scores goals, and right now there is a war in Ukraine and people are dying every day. How do you feel about it?

“I wish no one had felt it. I’ve been in Kiev since the first day it all started. You live in an apartment and you don’t know where the bullet will fly. I was not afraid to spend the night at home, and my wife went to spend the night in a shelter, she could not stand it. This is very frustrating and I don’t want anyone to experience this.

– Mudryk and Pikhalyonok started their careers in the national team with a masterpiece, distinguished themselves by scoring goals. What is the future of the men in the team?

– Control game, no need to draw such hasty conclusions. You don’t have to praise men. We have the main game ahead of us. I’m still thinking about who to put in stock. This is a test match, but official matches will be different. The guys scored, I praised them, we continue.

– How would you interpret the game of Yefim Konoply, whose mistake resulted in a goal?

– I have no questions for my players. This is the interior kitchen. We will analyze the errors and move on.

– What is the status of Viktor Tsygankov at the moment?

– Tsygankov remained in Ljubljana, working with a rehabilitation specialist. I hope it will be active in 3-4 days. As for Artem Dovbik, we did an MRI for him with the help of Borussia Dortmund. It has minor damage so it survived today. Artem needs 5-6 days to recover.

– Have you created a list of legionnaires to be called up to the national team?

– We will sit down and think with the technical team. The list will be announced tomorrow afternoon. Let me tell you right away that not everyone will be there. I’ll keep a name on the legionnaires list.

– Don’t talk too much about the sparring of the Ukrainian team. How satisfied are you with the number of matches and the level of the opponents?

– If we played the official matches according to the initial schedule, then on the eve of the League of Nations, I would have gathered the team at the end of May. After the championship, I would give the guys some rest. And now it is almost impossible to find a sparring partner in Europe. People from the Ukrainian Football Federation are doing their best to find an opponent. We will play with Empoli and Rijeka who have responded. I will give the children two days off on May 19-20 and we have training on May 21 at 17:00.

I want actors to see their families. As for the next matches, I don’t know how it will be. African teams have options. It is impossible to play with club teams, because after the end of the championships, no one wants to wait to fight us. People are working, UAF President Andrei Pavelko is interested.

– How did you return to coaching after all you’ve been through?

– I did not work for six months, the war began. He didn’t feel comfortable when he entered the field. But when the game started, he stepped in. Everything is fine, good result.