Serhiy Sapronov: "The main task is to return to League A of the European Championship"

11.12.2022 14:00

Photo of UAF press service

The opponents of the women's national team of Ukraine WU-17 in League B of the second round of Euro-2023 selection have been determined. These are the national teams of Bulgaria and Latvia.

— So far it is known that the tournament will be hosted by Bulgaria, and it will be held in the first half of March next year, - said the head coach of our team Serhiy Sapronov in a comment to the official website of the UAF. — I can also inform you that in the opening match my wards will find out their relationship with the hosts, but the date of this confrontation, as well as the date of the match with the Latvians, will be determined in the coming days.

— Are you satisfied with the results of the draw?

— To be honest, I wanted to join a group with a quartet of members. The fact is that due to the invasion of Russia, our national team is deprived of game practice. The reality is that you will have to get in shape directly during the official tournament in Bulgaria. And in a rivalry with only two competitors, there is no room for error, because it will be very difficult to make up for lost time. So, you have to take into account every little thing. In general, participants of equal strength gathered in our group.

— Compared to the first round of selection, which took place in October in Estonia, can we expect personnel changes in the Ukrainian national team?

— Yes, I count on six or seven newcomers. First of all, we are talking about football players born in 2007. Too bad that several of my wards in October in Tallinn did not live up to expectations.

Photo of UAF press service

— Do you count on someone's support in the breeding work?

— Of course, I will take into account the recommendations of the club coaches, and I am also waiting for the progress of those 16-year-old soccer players who are already in the pencil, as they say.

— What do you train your wards to do?

— To win the first place, which will allow us to return to League A. We will make every effort for this. Perhaps as early as April 2023, if the situation permits, at the Development Cup in Romania, we will review another group of young soccer players, already aiming to perform in the first round of the next selection for the continental championship.

Euro-2023 (WU-17). Second round

In League A, 28 teams will play in seven groups, including seven national teams that were promoted from League B following the results of the first round. The seven A-League second-round group winners (and the best second-place finisher if Estonia finishes first in the group) will qualify for the final stage, which will take place between 14 and 26 May 2023. The fourth-placed teams in the groups will start the first round of the 2023/2024 season in League B.

Teams in League B, including those relegated from League A after the autumn stage, in six groups (two with four participants, four with three) will fight for tickets to the first round of League A in the next draw. They will be awarded to the winners of the groups, as well as to the best second team. 

We will remind you that the women's national team of Ukraine is in its group of the first round took it the last place and relegated to League B. According to the results of the draw, Serhii Sapronov's wards got into group B6, where they will play with Latvia and Bulgaria.

League A

Group A1: Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania.

Group A2: England, Norway, Belgium, Croatia.

Group A3: Germany, Portugal, Hungary, North Macedonia.

Group A4: Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia.

Group A5: Ireland, France, Italy, Kosovo.

Group A6: Spain, Denmark, Serbia, Belarus.

Group A7: Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Wales.

League B.

Group B1: Greece, Faroe Islands, Lithuania, Moldova.

Group B2: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Montenegro.

Group B3: Scotland, Israel, Georgia.

Group B4: Iceland, Luxembourg, Albania.

Group B5: Northern Ireland, Turkey, Armenia.

Group B6: Ukraine, Latvia, Bulgaria.