Alexander Petrakov: "Everyone in the team understands their responsibility, we just need to win"

04.10.2021 20:07

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

V. o. head coach of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Petrakov held a press conference on the first day of the national team meeting.

- The question about Artem Shabanov's call-up is a fire option, do you consider him as a full-fledged player of the main team?

- It is impossible to speak about a fire option because it will be offensive to the football player. Shabanov is an experienced player, a central defender. We now have problems with the performers of this role. Artem has played for the club in recent matches, I believe in him. We had a conversation with him, and I don't think he will fail.

- Explain your decision not to call Ruslan Malinowski to the national team.

- There have been a lot of conversations on this topic lately. There was a program "Big Football" on television. I said everything there about it. Add me nothing, I will not say anything more on this topic.

- Responsibility for the result is pressing now, it is clear. Do you feel this pressure on you?

- Of course, I feel pressure. There have been many critical comments over the past two weeks. I want to thank those who criticized me, you made me stronger. As for responsibility, yes, everyone in the team understands that, football is a game that needs to be won.

— Who is now the leader of the team in the locker room?

- As for the locker room, I will not say, but on the football field - I will say. Yarmolenko and Pyatov were and still are leaders on the field ... You know them very well.

- Are you satisfied with the level of competition in the team?

- Every coach dreams of having equal players and competition for a place in the team. Take at least the French national team - Deschamps has someone to replace the players. We also dream about this. We need to think about the next generations, develop the infrastructure. Without this, there will be no progress.

- What is the current personnel situation in the national team?

- We have serious losses, but it does not happen without it. Mykolenko dropped out. We examined him - a problem with the afferent muscle. It is unknown how long it will take to recover. Buyalsky also had a torn adductor muscle, he dropped out for two weeks. Boyko will not be in the national team due to family circumstances. I can't say about Kharatin and Yarmolenko, who are still getting to the team's location.

- Zinchenko is also absent ...

- We talked to him, he is upset that he can't help the national team, I'm sorry. He will start working in the general group only on October 8-10. Zinchenko himself is to blame in this situation. In the match with "Leipzig" he had a recurrence of injury, felt pain in the calf muscle in the second half. But Sasha said that he had such a character that he did not ask for a replacement. I said, "You can't - you're going to be treated now." Therefore, it is recovering. We will miss Zinchenko very much. He is a good guy and a very decent man.

- Will you call someone to the national team?

- We will not hurry, we will hope that we won't have to call anybody that everyone will be healthy.

- You were present at the last match between Dynamo and Shakhtar. What other matches do the representatives of the coaching staff attend?

- Annenkov works in Chornomorets, Kernozenko - in Kolos, watching matches. Shovkovsky also goes to UPL matches. I watched the Dynamo-Shakhtar game live.

- How can Pihalenok be useful for the national team? Why did you call him?

- I know him well. By the way, I never trained him. This is not to say that he is "Petrakov's man." I don't have "my" people. These are footballers of our country with you. Pihalyonok is a very high-quality supporting midfielder. They grew up and played with Zinchenko. I'm counting on him, I had a conversation. We talked to him, he understood everything perfectly. The fact that he has not yet made his debut - no big deal. He has everything in order with his head. If necessary, he will come out and help.

- Has the Finnish national team changed after the March match? What kind of opponent is this?

- In 2018 we took part in the European Youth Championship in Finland. This country has changed a lot in terms of attitude to football and football infrastructure. Do not forget that their team played in Euro 2020. This is a very high quality team. I know coach Markka Kanerva very well. He passed all the stages in the national team of Finland. He has a disciplined, organized team. There are also stars, first of all it is goalkeeper Hradetsky. Central defender Arayuri is playing in Cyprus. Camara is a very good midfielder, playing for Rangers. And, of course, two forwards - Pukki and Pohjanpalo. The latter made a double for Rizespor.

I studied the opponent well. He watched his matches with France and Kazakhstan. I know the players and the coach well. And how it will turn out - we'll see. Football is so beautiful, who would have thought that Yuri Vernydub would beat Carlo Ancelotti?

Finland is a very good team, disciplined, played, everyone has been playing together for a long time. But we are stronger than them.

- When will we finally see the victory of the national team of Ukraine? What is needed for this?

- There is an opinion among coaches that Petrakov is a fart coach. Can you say that after Kazakhstan? Or the incomprehensible goal of France after Rabio's shot… I know him well too, he was the captain of the French national team born in 1995. Rabio jumps, hits his head, the ball hits Zabarny in the back and flies to Marseille ... In the Czech Republic they missed a few seconds before the end.

Let's face it, we've already drawn our draws. Finland is satisfied with a draw, and we need a victory. You think I don't want to win? Do you think I wanted to draw with Kazakhstan and France? Or did not want to defeat the Czech Republic?

- Is it true that at first you did not want to call Karavaev to the national team?

- This is complete nonsense. I called Alexander, we have a wonderful relationship. We laughed and talked. Everything is fine, do not listen to anyone. The most important thing is reliable information.