Serhiy Sapronov: “We are starting to compile elite-round contender files”

05.12.2019 18:30

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Ukraine's WU-17 team rivals qualify for the 2020 European Championship qualifying round. In addition to housewives, Norwegians, our girls will have in March figure out the relationship in the seventh group with the Czechs and Poles.

- The main contenders for the only ticket to the final part of the competition should be considered Norwegians, - said the leader of the national team of Ukraine Serhiy Sapronov, commenting on the results of the draw for the official website of the UAF. - Still, they will perform at home - and will receive rivals, most likely, on an artificial turf, to which they will have the opportunity to adapt properly. However, it is too early to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of our counterparts, because one of these days we will only start collecting dossiers on them.

- But you don't need to present the same Czechs in particular, because they were recently our rivals in the qualifying round in Serbia…

- Somewhere I can agree with you. My wards parted ways with them, and I think it was the Czechs in Serbia who made the best impression with their actions. Although it is possible that they will make adjustments to the application, and I hope we will definitely have reinforcements, because I am not satisfied with the game of flank defenders. That's why let's talk more specifically about the possibilities of rivals before leaving for Norway.

- And when do you plan to start direct preparation for the elite round?

- I hope that in February my wards will be able to hold a weekly training camp, during which they will play two sparring matches with the national team of one of the neighboring countries. This is very important, because we really need game practice. It should also be reconsidered in the case of beginners. In particular, at the end of November I specially went with the girls' national team of Ukraine WU-15 to Minsk, where it held organized UAF control matches with the Belarusians, several girls took on the pencil, and it is necessary to give them a chance to prove themselves in confrontation with older opponents. Finally, I will decide on the 20 players who will represent Ukraine in Norway during the final short-term training camp in mid-March.