Ruslan Malinowski: "Even in sparring the result is important because it is the image of the national team and the country"

31.05.2018 15:58

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

The midfielder of the national team of Ukraine communicated with the press ahead of the friendly match of blue and yellow against the team of Morocco.

On Sunday, Ruslan Malinovsky went on the field as part of "Genk" in the playoffs for the right to play in the Europa League qualifiers. The Ukrainian team defeated Zulte Waregem 2-0 and won a ticket to the European Cup.

Yesterday Ruslan already joined the Ukrainian national team, which prepares for the match against Morocco in French Evian. The midfielder of the country's main team spoke about his physical condition and expectations of sparring.

- The most important thing is to fulfill our tasks. Ahead is a very important game with a good opponent who plays interesting football. It would be nice to test yourself against the background of a participant in the World Cup.

- How many weekends did you have after the last match in Belgium?? Ready physically for such a responsible match?

- The last game was on May 27, ie three days have passed. A little tired, because this season seemed busy, I played a lot of matches. There was always a tight schedule, so you need to recover properly. I feel good physically, that's the most important thing.

- In the last game of the Belgian championship against "Zulte Waregem" your "Genk" managed to solve the problem of getting into the Europa League. How important and intense was this match, in which you were considered favorites?

- There was no pressure at all, because they felt confident in their own strength. After the winter, we spent a very good five-month period, played good matches and showed great football. In the first playoff they played very hard, but a little was not enough at the end of the attack, the last pass. There were enough moments. The most important thing that they got to the European Cups, fulfilled the task. The match against Zulte Waregem was a kind of final. We laid out in full and received this permit.

- It turns out that you are "from the ship to the ball"?

- I would not say so, the schedule is normal. He played a match, recovered at the club, and now joined the national team. It is always a pleasure to come to her location. Perhaps the emotional background will help to go through the recovery process even faster.

- You didn't go to Evian right away, but decided to wait in the bus, although you arrived two hours earlier than the team. I wanted to see the guys, did you come up with such a draw?

- Yes, I arrived earlier and decided to wait two hours. It didn't make sense to go alone. Of course, it is better to go by bus, communicate with the guys in their native language. I'm a little used to it, because I speak English in Belgium. And here is the atmosphere, to communicate more comfortably.

- Did you have to train in Evian? How do you like the local conditions?

- I used to be at a meeting with Shakhtar. Conditions are great - fresh air, good field, great weather. I think there will be good conditions during the match, which will promote good football. I hope we will win.

- Is it more important for players to have two sparring matches?

- Of course, it is better to play two games, because many football players were called to the national team. The coaching staff should allocate playing time, given that the break between matches is small. This collection is a preparation for autumn matches. We need to check the players, new guys have joined the team. Everyone is given a chance to show themselves, to prove themselves well. Coaches need to get an idea of ​​the team's game. 

- In Morocco, the motivation is to prepare for the World Cup. We have a game with a participant of the world championship. Is this a decent option to test your own strength?

- Yes, the opponent is very decent, has quality players. It will be an interesting game. The Moroccan players respect us, they know that Ukraine has a good team. You need to go out on the field and show meaningful football. At maximum dedication there will be a positive result.

- How important it is?

- It is very important because it is the image of the national team and the country. We will play against a participant of the World Cup, in the team of Morocco there are many technical players who defend the colors of European clubs. 

- How do you assess the chances of both teams to win?

- We are playing against Morocco for the first time, so in order not to offend anyone, I will rate the chances as 50 to 50.