Yuriy Moroz: "I focused on studying the Cyprus national team, which we will play against in the first match"

02.03.2023 14:00

Photo of UAF press service

Ukrainian National Team (football players not olderі born in 2006) in the elite round of Euro-2023 selection (U-17) will play against Cyprus, Ireland and Italy.

U-17 Youth Team of Ukraine started collecting, dedicated to the elite round of Euro-2023 (U-17). How the team will prepare for the tournament was told to the official UAF website by the head coach of the blue and yellow team Yuriy Moroz.

— Yuriy Leontiyovych, 20 football players have been invited to the training. It can be argued that this is allі stronger ones you wanted to see?

- Practically so.

— Legionnaires have appeared in our composition. Is this a major team boost?

- We really hope for that. The information I have about the striker Vladyslav Rusnak, who represents the Italian "Siena", is very good. I am sure that he will add competition and motivation to the team. Bohdan Budko, who plays for the Dutch AZ, is a midfield player. He's also a good guy, but we'll see how everything goes in the process itself.

— Are you not planning sparring on the eve of the elite round?

- No. We always want better, but we leave the existing situation. We will work in a two-time mode, alternating training on the field with theoretical classes.

— Did you manage to analyze all the opponents in the group?

— I focused on studying the Cyprus national team, with whom we will play in the first match. The game of the Italians and the Irish was analyzed less, since watching their matches last year did not make much sense, because a lot changes in youth football in a year. Let's take as a basis their head-to-head match of the first round in the elite round.

— Is your opinion about the opponents different right after the draw and now?

- In general, no. Italy is the favorite.

— Are your wards psychologically ready to fight for a place in the final part of the Euro?

- At least I believe in the boys. But, of course, only the tournament itself will show everything. Let's hope that everything will be fine.

We will remind, in the elite round, 32 teams are divided into eight groups. At stake are 15 tickets to the final stage, the matches of which will take place from May 17 to June 2 in Hungary. The eight winners of the groups of the elite round of selection and the seven runners-up with the best results will advance to the final tournament. They will be joined by the host country.

The composition of U-17 youth team of Ukraine

Goalkeepers: Markiyan Bakus ("Rukh" Lviv), Vyacheslav Surkis ("Zorya" Luhansk).

Defenders: Vladyslav Zakharchenko, Maksym Korobov, Denys Dykiy (all "Zorya" Luhansk), Kyrylo Digtyar ("Metalist" Kharkiv), Danylo Garazha ("Dnipro-1" Dnipro), Artur Bakai ("Salzburg, Austria).

Midfielders: Viktor Tsukanov ("Shakhtar" Donetsk), Danylo Khan ("Dnipro-1" Dnipro), Hennadiy Synchuk ("Metalist" Kharkiv), Bohdan Budko (AZ, Netherlands), Kyrylo Osypenko, David Belyy, Danylo Ishchenko, Vladyslav Kalin (all — "Zorya" Luhansk).

Forwards: Kyrylo Pashko, Matvii Ponomarenko (both from "Zorya" Luhansk), Danylo Kaidalov ("Metalist" Kharkiv), Vladyslav Rusnak ("Siena", Italy).

Calendar of the elite round of Euro-2023 qualifiers (U-17) in group 6

07.03.2023

Italy - Ireland (15.00)

Cyprus — Ukraine (18.00)

10.03.2023

Italy — Cyprus (15.00)

Ukraine - Ireland (15.00)

13.03.2023

Ukraine — Italy (15.00)

Ireland — Cyprus (15.00)

The matches will be held in the Cypriot city of Paphos at the stadiums "Municipal Geroskipu" and Stelios Kyriakides.

The kick-off is Kyiv time.

Euro 2023 (U-17). Elite round

Group 1: Serbia, Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus.

Group 2: Montenegro, Wales, Scotland, Iceland.

Group 3: The Netherlands, England, Denmark, Northern Ireland.

Group 4: Spain, Germany, Turkey, Finland.

Group 5: Portugal, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia.

Group 6: Italy, Ukraine, Cyprus, Ireland.

Group 7: Belgium, Norway, Croatia, Slovenia.

Group 8: France, Switzerland, Latvia, Albania.

We will remind, in the qualifying round of Euro-2023 (U-17) the youth national team of Ukraine under the leadership of Yuriy Moroz took first place in their group, ahead of the teams of Azerbaijan (5:2), Liechtenstein (7:0) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1:1).