Andrii Shevchenko: The strength of Spain lies in their excellent players. This is one of the best teams in the world

05.09.2020 21:09

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

On the eve of the second round of the Nations League 2020/2021 against Spain, the head coach of the national team of Ukraine Andrii Shevchenko gave a pre-match press conference in Madrid.

- What do you think is the strength of the Spanish national team and Spanish football in general?

- The strength of the Spanish national team is in their excellent players. This is one of the best teams in the world. I have a lot of respect for her head coach Luis Enrique. I'm sure he prepared the team well for the Nations League.

Spain has been a great team with great players for many years. They always follow their game system and match plan. Spanish football has always dominated the international arena and now dominates. There are great managers and big clubs.

So now we have a chance to play with a great team. The Nations League provides an opportunity for the coach to prepare the team through matches with serious rivals, such as Spain.

- What can you say about the current form of Andrii Yarmolenko?

- Yarmolenko is a real professional. He loves the national team very much, always comes to it and works hard. I am glad that he recovered from the injury and is fighting for a place in the team. He helped us a lot in the match against Switzerland, and in general I am glad that Andriy is gaining his best condition.

- How does such a long break affect the preparation and performance of the team?

- The current situation is new for everyone. We have to adapt to it. I understand perfectly well that a lot has changed now, but this is not the main thing. The main thing is that football continues, the governments of the countries are coming to meet us, UEFA is doing everything possible to keep the competition going. We all need to find a way out, but it is important to remember that the main priority is people's health.