World Cup
PETRAKOV: “The guys have a lot of workload. Many people could barely move their legs.”
Head coach of the Ukrainian national team Alexander Petrakov He commented on the result of the control match with the Italian “Empoli” (3:1).
– Did you like the game? Why did you want to play against Empoli?
– Empoli helped us, he answered because they could not play against Udinese. As if I didn’t choose an opponent. Many thanks to the Italians for the reception, the club, the president, the coach, the players.
– How do you prepare the team, given the current situation in Ukraine?
“It was tough when we got together. Thank you guys for listening to me and doing everything I tell them. They’re very tough. Today, at the edge of the court, I played with them practically, trying to get them physically fit. I pushed them forward, most of them barely crossing their legs.” He moved. But I thank them for coming to the end, they’re great. We need control matches. The problem is, we never played sparring.
– Any details about Denis Popov’s injury?
– He has a problem with his Achilles tendon, we’ll see, it takes about two days. The doctor said the tendon was intact, but an MRI was needed and Denis needed a few days of rest. I’ll let him go to his wife. On arrival Popov will do an MRI and then we’ll make a decision.
– What composition will we see in the Ukrainian national team’s match against Rijeka tomorrow?
– No secret. We fly to Croatia in the morning, arrive at the venue, have lunch. Tomorrow, 11 new players will appear on the field.
– Oleksandr Pikhalyonok scores in the second match in a row and shows a good level of play. Roman Yaremchuk recently came to the field of the national team and scored a goal today. Comment on their game.
– Yaremçuk, who played the last match on May 13, flew to the national team immediately and did not ask for permission. Roman and I are working, 15-20 minutes are left after training to work on the application. He’s good, he had a good time today. God willing, he will score as many goals as necessary in Glasgow. As for Pikhalenok, there is no need to praise him too much. This is a friendly match with Empoli. The man is young, let him play, I’m happy for him.
– Did you watch Eurovision?
– I watched, the whole team watched. We are very happy for our win.
– In June, the national team of Ukraine expects a large number of matches. Any idea how many players are needed to keep up with this insane speed and rotation?
– I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. You see that the men are taking very heavy loads. Injuries received by Popov, Bulets, Gutsulyak. I spoke to the UAF president, told him I wanted to play five practice matches. He also asked to take 27 players to Glasgow and subsequent games.
Source: Sport UA
I have been working as a sports journalist for about 6 years now. I currently work as an author at Sportish, which is a sports news website. I mainly cover sports news and I love writing about all aspects of the sport. I also have experience working as a broadcast journalist, so I have some great insights into how sport is reported and presented.
World Cup
Shevchenko made statements about the Ukraine-Sweden match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
UAF President Andrey Shevchenko He talked about the match against the Swedish national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“When we were drawn against Sweden we probably faced our toughest opponent. I have great respect for Swedish football, you have always had good national teams and great players.”
“It’s always difficult to face Scandinavian teams, even though you don’t qualify for the World Cup, because you have so much quality, character and identity. This is similar to us to some extent. I don’t think there are favourites. In the end it all depends on the details, the injury situation and the preparations,” said Shevchenko.
In case of victory, Ukraine will play with the winner of the Poland-Albania doubles for a ticket to the World Cup. Ukraine will play the final match at home on March 31, again conditionally.
In addition to the 12 teams that finished second in their groups, the 4 winners of the Nations League quartet will also participate in the play-offs. All 16 participants are divided into 4 paths. Each route will include a semi-final and a final. The semi-finals will be held on March 26, and the finals will be held on March 31, 2026.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
UAF President Andrey Shevchenko He pointed out the significant financial costs of organizing the Ukrainian national team’s “home” matches outside the country.
“Hosting such meetings costs us an enormous amount of money and we are deprived of the opportunity to assemble a full stadium. In fact, the cost of a so-called home match at a neutral venue costs around five times more than a regular match.”
Our sponsors are located in a country where the struggle continues, so their financial resources are seriously limited.
I cannot approach the government with requests for additional funding.
We are forced to work tightly within the available budget and rely on the support of private donors, especially when it comes to social initiatives,” the UAF president told Dagens Nyheter.
During the current year, the Ukrainian national team played its official home matches in stadiums in Spain and Poland.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Portuguese national team Roberto Martinez He explained why Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play an important role in the national team.
– There is always a lot of talk around Cristiano Ronaldo. Why does he remain the undisputed starter for the Portuguese national team, even though he will soon be 41?
“It’s all about his attitude towards the profession.” We constantly evaluate three key factors: talent level, accumulated experience and the contribution a player can make to the national team.
Making the highest demands on himself for the benefit of the team allows the captain to maintain his place in the squad. His desire to be the best is passed on to his partners. “The 25 goals he scored in 30 matches as a striker confirms that his play brings tangible benefits to the national team,” he said.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
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