Oleg Kuznetsov: “Before the team we will set the task to take first place in the group”

09.11.2019 16:01

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

When choosing a team to participate in the Euro-2020 qualifying round, U-19 U-XNUMX coach of Ukraine Oleg Kuznetsov relied on proven players and those who have practice in their clubs.

yesterday night collection began youth national team of Ukraine (players not older than 2001 born), which from 13 to 19 November will participate in the qualifying round of Euro 2020 (U-19).

On the eve of the start of direct preparation for these competitions, the head coach of the blue and yellow Oleg Kuznetsov answered questions from the official website of the UAF.

- Oleg Vladimirovich, the gathering of your team started two days later than planned. Why?

- That's how the circumstances turned out. Shakhtar and Dynamo played in the UEFA Youth League. In addition, the U-19 championship tour, which takes place on November 8 and 9, was not postponed, although we asked the clubs to do so before the start of the season. Therefore, only closer to the evening of the 9th the team will gather in full force, and the next day we will go to Sweden.

- We can say that the first qualifying match your wards will play almost from the letter.

- We are already used to it.

- Or all the best football players of 2001 will come to the national team?

- In principle, yes. Our coaching staff sees just such a composition. The choice fell on those performers who have a full playing practice in their clubs, and on those guys we have known for a long time.

- How would you describe future rivals?

- The main emphasis is now on the Estonian national team, with which we are playing the first match of the tournament. After this meeting we will receive a video of the match Sweden - Slovenia and start studying the next rivals more carefully. I saw some matches between the Swedes and the Slovenes, but I haven't told our players anything yet, because we need to compare the data with the new information.

As for the Estonians, they have guys performing in overseas clubs. I have already received fresh information about this opponent.

The Slovenes have a typical Yugoslav school. They include many fast, technical football players. For them, this is a chance to express themselves and go to a stronger country by football standards, so the motivation in the Slovenian national team will be at the highest level.

The Swedes are typical of the Scandinavian national teams. The team operates in a forceful manner, with high hitters in the lineup who play well with the head.

- During the draw of the qualifying round of the European Championship, the national team of Ukraine was in the first basket. Are we favorites?

- Do not think. We have an equal group, except that the Estonian national team is a little behind.

- Are the blue-yellows set to win their group?

- We will try. UAF has created all the conditions for quality training, and now our main goal is to reach the next stage of the competition, preferably from the first place, as this may affect the team's seeding during the draw of the elite round.

It will be recalled that in the qualifying round of the 2020 European Championship (U-19) our team will play against Estonia (November 13), Slovenia (November 16) and Sweden (November 19). The two strongest teams from each group and the best among the teams, which will take the third places (according to the results of meetings with the two leaders of their group), will go to the elite round. Matches of this stage will take place in the spring of 2020.

The winners of the seven elite round groups will make their way to the final stage, which will take place in July 2020 in Northern Ireland.