Defender of the English Everton and the Ukrainian national team Vitaliy Mykolenko answered questions from the UAF press service about the preparation of the national team for the Euro 2024 qualification matches against England (September 9) and Italy (September 12).
Vitaly Mikolenko
— Vitaliy, the national team is going to this qualifying round for the third time. How do you feel about coming to the team?
– Every time I come to the national team, I say: “Only positive emotions.” Glad to see everyone – both the guys and the coaching staff.
– Now the club season in England and Ukraine is only gaining momentum. How do you rate your functional state?
— The beginning of the season was not the best for me. There was a little damage, but now I’m already in the ranks, so I’m here. I feel that I am in good functional readiness. But I don’t think about the club now – only about the national team.
– After three matches in the group we have six points. Two victories in confrontations with Malta and North Macedonia and a defeat against England. Do you think this is a fair result?
– We played like that, and this is probably natural. Now we are almost all gathered here, and our goal is the next match.
– We have met with the British several times recently. So far, it has not been possible to play on equal terms with them. Is this our level, or are there other reasons?
– Let’s not be foolish. The British have a much better selection of performers than we do. Therefore, the last two fights with them, when I played, did not work out. But I think that sometime it should work. The main thing is to prepare properly. We have chances for revenge with England.
– What can our team oppose to the British?
– So far, we have not discussed the match with England with the coaching staff. But I think that with such commands, you need to have the right plan to follow. If we have discipline on the field, everything will be fine.
– Both England and Italy are teams that belong to the extra class …
– We will face two top teams in three days. It will be difficult, but that’s why we came here to fight them.
— England and Italy have a different style of play. Which one can we resist more?
– I can only say that Italian football is more disciplined and tactical, while English football is strong in defense and a little more individual in attack.
– And how do your teammates perceive this match?
– I won’t say who, because Jordan will be offended by them, but my teammates said that they would cheer for me. It was the British. And that gives me strength.
– You once worked with Sergey Rebrov in Dynamo Kiev, now you are holding your second training camp in the national team. What does he give that other coaches didn’t have?
– In general, compared to other specialists, there are more tactics. A lot of attention is also paid to discipline on the field and positional play. Every day I learn something new. Every workout is like a challenge. If you work poorly, you may not play tomorrow.
— In the duel with Armenia, you scored your first goal for the national team. Maybe you plan to score the second one against England?
– I told Jordan that if I score, I will be very happy.
— Or, perhaps, it is better to play at zero?
– I would choose to score against the English and play to zero.
– We will hold a home match in Wroclaw, where there are a lot of Ukrainians. I really want the fans to fill the stands. How important is this factor?
– He is very important. When we played at Wembley, it was very difficult for us psychologically. And now we are playing at a conditionally home arena, so I hope that they will cheer for us passionately, and we will thank the fans with a good game. Come to the match in Wroclaw and support us! Glory to Ukraine!
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2023-09-05 18:25:00
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