“Ukraine plays with the best teams in Europe. This is already an achievement “

The famous Ukrainian coach Vyacheslav Grozny spoke about the League of Nations match Germany – Ukraine (3: 1), and also gave a forecast for the “yellow-blues” duel against Switzerland.

– Vyacheslav Viktorovich, what is your opinion on the Germany – Ukraine match?

– There is a saying: winners look for solutions and losers look for excuses. Ukraine plays with the best teams in Europe. It is already a great achievement that we play with such important teams. Just in case, we beat both the Spanish and the Swiss. The Swiss, by the way, do not have a single victory in five games, they drew three times. The fact that the Ukrainian team has so much experience on the eve of the Euro final, I think, is very good.

– Did the lack of key players influence the game?

– Someone says that some footballers did not play. We don’t play on all teams. And what did the German team play with the main team? Does Spain play the base? Would Zubkov and other guys play for the national team now, if they were the main players? No, they would not play. Tsygankov, Yarmolenko and others would play. And that’s fine.

The situation is the same for defenders. Maybe Hemp hadn’t been invited to the national team. And he had a chance, the guy is trying. This is normal. And did anyone think that Max was so active in the German team? Did anyone think that Koch, who plays more as a center-back, would move to the support zone and play more there? Nobody thought. This is a coaching experience. But the important thing is that the Spanish and the Germans won two games. We have the same number of victories as Spain and Germany.

Of course, someone can say that Spain was much stronger than us, we were just lucky. But this is football, this is sport. I can also argue. Yes, when we ran two-to-one against Rüdiger, and Marlos gave a slightly stronger pass forward, and Yaremchuk jumped one-on-one and scored, the score would have been 2: 0 in our favor. What if the ball had not hit the post, but rather in the goal after the blows of Zinchenko, Marlos and Moraes? He would have seen what the score was. And someone will tell if Germany realized all its moments. But that’s what makes soccer interesting.

– Tsygankov and Yarmolenko lack the national team?

– Zubkov now felt the taste of the national team. It will progress and grow. He is one of the leaders of Ferencvaros. Now he is in the national team, and before it was impossible to dream about that.

– After the fight, Johaim Lev praised the work of Andriy Shevchenko and his coaching staff …

– I can say that the coaching staff headed by Shevchenko and the players have great and great experience playing against great teams. The only thing is that we didn’t get a single point against Germany. If true. We beat Spanish and Swiss. But it is difficult to beat Germany or Spain. And we have already beaten Spain. It’s great! I have a positive attitude towards this tournament. I do not consider it necessary to criticize the mistakes of an individual player, after which we were marked. Listen, they scored us because the class of the German team is very high. He wouldn’t have lost the ball, they would have scored anyway.

UAF

– You mean Zinchenko?

– Some people criticize our players for mistakes. I am against criticizing. At Manchester City Zinchenko plays more as a left back, but that is not his position. His position is the one that plays in the selection of Ukraine. He and Malinovsky are creators from whom sharpness comes. As soon as someone from the attacking group opens up, Malinovsky and Zinchenko can serve them. Yes, they are more left-handed, but they can give a pass with the right foot. They are good footballers. I always look for the positive in the players. I am more interested in how they are rendered. And Stepanenko is more interested in how he selects. This triangle is harmonious. Of course, Stepanenko is better to receive than to give. And Zinchenko and Malinovsky, on the contrary, work better with the ball, make decisions faster, play leaner. It is not necessary now, given the positive we are talking about, to say that someone was wrong. And the Germans were wrong! And how did they let Yaremchuk score? And how did they let them hit? In the second half, after a cross from the wing, Yaremchuk was also able to score. A little bit was not enough there.

– How would you rate the goal of the Ukrainian team?

– Zubkov is great! He fought for the ball until the end. This is how he plays in Ferencvaros. He knows that you have to play like this to enter the Champions League and be champion of Hungary. Zubkov had a chance and he used it. The merit of our coaching staff is that they follow everyone and give them a chance.

– You think Pyatov played? Or was it worth giving Lunin a chance again?

– Also, I can say: Pyatov helped! In that episode, when Goretzka reached the top corner. And there were several other points. This match gave us the opportunity to be the leaders of the group. And I understand Shevchenko and the coaching staff in the decision to introduce more proven players. Lunin has it all ahead. Pyatov just played a lot of those games.

I’m sure the Ukrainian team will beat Switzerland

– Who can play in the frame against the Swiss?

– With Switzerland, I admit that Lunin or someone else will play. The fact that Ukraine will not lose to the Swiss is not going to be a fortune teller. I can say right away: we will win this match! We create many opportunities in every game. I don’t take into account the fights with Spain, with which it is very difficult to create chances. There you have to choose a different tactic. We cannot play with them with total control of the ball. This is not our style. We can play with them like in the episode with Tsygankov’s goal. We can endure the whole game, intercept the ball, make a quick counterattack and punish the opponent. With the Spanish, we still don’t have another game model. But we will win the Swiss.

– But Switzerland seemed dangerous with Spain. And how can we win? What number will we play?

– We won’t play number one or two. We will play situationally. Let’s try to push. We will choose targets, certain players will be chosen who make decisions for a longer time, work a little worse with the ball. This is the so-called trigger. Here the coaches will explain that if a right-handed player has the ball under his left foot, he must be attacked immediately. This is what coaches usually do. Distance, the distance will be respected.

I think the Ukrainian team plays better with the ball than the Swiss. But no worse, that’s for sure. The Swiss are not Spanish. The bottom line will be higher. The middle block option suits us. The Swiss will not be able to have the space they had against the Spanish. The Spanish do not remove the ball, they do not refine it, they want to play the first number and that is why they have certain free zones. We squeezed a lot out of the standards, we squeezed big quick attacks. We can combine. We have a large group of players who can pass, anyone can be sharp. It’s very important! In attack, Yaremchuk and Moraes can score. Flanking players can do this too: Zubkov, Marlos. Also Tsygankov and Yarmolenko, who, unfortunately, will not play.

– What are the trump cards of the Swiss team?

– Yes, the Swiss are not so easy to beat. They have a solid team with character. Vladimir Petkovich made a good team. He has been working with the Swiss national team for a long time, the players know how to play. I won’t say they have superstars, but they are a good solid team. There are many good class players.

– By the way, Ukraine has never lost to Switzerland in the previous three games! What to expect in this fight?

– In the game with Switzerland not many goals will be scored. I think we will win with a goal. I’m sure the Ukrainian team will play fairly reliably. Psychologically, we are already high. Switzerland is a good team, since 2014 they have been playing at a good solid level, but not higher. Ukraine is progressing and growing, so I have a healthy optimism about this game. And I want our team to win. It will be good for all of us! Shevchenko and the Ukrainian team are not thinking about defeat. Nobody thinks about losing. I am sure that the psychology of the winners, which has the coaching staff and a series of leading players, is transmitted to the whole team.

– Can we say that the League of Nations is no longer a friendly tournament?

– I agree. In addition, some teams have the opportunity to reach the European Championship. I followed the Georgia team very closely, because they were training Dynamo Tbilisi. I am on very good terms with Georgia coach Vladimir Weiss. I really wanted them to reach the euro. But sadly they didn’t score, and the North Macedonia team won thanks to Pandev’s goal. Someone says he is of legal age! Yes, not age, but highly qualified. I wanted Georgia to make it to the European Championship, although I know a lot of guys from Macedonia. Naturally, both teams had the opportunity to reach the European Championship. The League of Nations is a good tournament! Many footballers have the opportunity to play against strong national teams. It’s great!

It would be more difficult with Georgia for the euro than with North Macedonia

– Who would be a better rival for Ukraine in the Eurocup? Georgia or North Macedonia?

– In my opinion, it would be much more difficult to play with Georgia. In the match against North Macedonia, the Georgian team was missing about five outstanding players. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia himself, who is practically destroying the entire Russian Premier League today. Two or three can’t cope. And there are several other guys there. It would be much more difficult for us with Georgia.

The North Macedonia national team is organized and disciplined. But, if you close Pandev, in principle, the opponent’s attack potential will be quite readable. Yes, this is the team from the former post-Yugoslav state, let’s say. His school is Yugoslav. The national teams of Croatia and Serbia, of course, are considered higher. I know many Macedonians. They are very disciplined and conscientious. Many are good at handling the ball. I congratulate North Macedonia on the fact that they came out, but without offending them, I do not hide that I was supporting the Georgia team. But for the Ukraine team, this is not bad, because it would be quite difficult to play for the Georgia team. This is a very technical team. Many guys play in good teams at a good level. The ambitions are very great, because the Georgia national team really wanted to go to this forum. Weiss is a good coach who has been working with this team for five years. It would be much more difficult to play for Georgia than for the North Macedonia team.

Dmitry KOTKOV