Mark Mampassi: "We will try to make the national team of Ukraine the winner of the qualification in Portugal"

12.11.2019 13:00

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Defender of the youth national team of Ukraine Mark Mampassi believes that the blue-yellow team is able to finish first in the qualifying round of Euro 2020 (U-17).

Blue-yellow captain Mark Mampassi shared his expectations of the forthcoming European Championship qualifying round.

- Mark, what is the mood before the first official matches for this national team of Ukraine?

"It's all right." We are preparing for the competition and look forward to winning the upcoming tournament.

- So the team has a task to win the group?

- Exactly.

- Is this a real task for the blue-yellows?

- We understand perfectly well that it will be difficult to do it. We have strong opponents, the group is equal, but, nevertheless, we do not want to deviate from our plan and will fight only for the maximum result.

- What are the main requirements for the team of head coach Alexander Petrakov?

- First of all, it is the concentration of attention from the first to the last minute during fights. And it is very important to perform a coaching setup.

- What can you say about future rivals in the qualifying round?

- As our coach told us, Georgian footballers are developing faster at this age, they are technical. Albanian players are militant, many of this team play in Italy, so it will also be difficult to deal with them. Well, there is nothing to say about the Portuguese. This is a strong team. And since the tournament will be held on their territory, they are the favorites, but so far only on paper. We will try to make the national team of Ukraine the winner of the qualification.

In Portugal, blue and yellow will play with Georgia (November 13), Albania (16th) and Portugal (19th).

The two strongest teams of each of the 13 groups and the four best teams that will take the third places (according to the results of meetings with the two leaders of their group) will advance to the elite round. Matches of this stage will take place in March 2020.

In the elite round, all participants will be divided into eight groups. The winners of the groups and the seven best second teams (according to the results of the matches with the first and third teams of their group) will reach the final stage, where they will join the host of Euro - Estonia. The final tournament will take place in May 2020.