Oleksandr Petrakov: We are thinking about how to make our fans happy, our armed forces, and focused on the game with Wales

04.06.2022 20:02

Photo by snsgroupportal.co.uk

The head coach of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Petrakov shared his expectations from the match with Wales.

Tomorrow, on June 5, the blue and yellow will play the final match of the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup qualifying against Wales (kick-off at 19.00 in Kyiv). On the eve of the decisive game, the head coach of our team Oleksandr Petrakov took part in the press conference.

- Why did you decide call up to the national team of Danylo Ignatenko?

- I called him much earlier. He had a visa problem, so he came to us only now.

- Do you feel more pressure now than before the match with Scotland?

- There is no pressure on me. We are preparing for the game in the usual way.

- Did the team or you personally receive messages from the soldiers on the front line after victory over Scotland?

- Players got a lot of messages. Nobody approached me. UAF President Andrii Pavelko went to the front, brought us the flag of Ukraine, signed by militaries. Before the game we hung him in the locker room.

- What impressed you about the Welsh national team? What are the strengths of this team?

- The team is very strong. I see a very good job from Rob Page's coaching staff. There are many world-class players - Ramsey, Bale, James. We also have a good team. Tomorrow the two national teams will compete for the World Cup. I think it will be a good game that fans will like. And what it will be - I never predict.

- Don't you think that because of the current situation in Ukraine people underestimate your team?

- We have a very difficult situation in the country. Not everyone watches football. We have grief, people are dying ... Underestimation? We don't think about it. We are thinking about how to make our fans happy, our armed forces, and focused on the game.