Oleksandr Zinchenko: "We understand how strong England is, we know that we have to play one of the best games in our lives"

25.03.2023 20:18

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Together with acting head coach of the team Ruslan Rotan participated in press conference before the match of the Euro-2024 qualifying tournament with England, which will take place on March 26 in London at "Wembley" (start - at 19.00 Kyiv time), the midfielder of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Zinchenko took.

— You are having a great season at Arsenal as one of the leaders of the team. Can you convey this winning mentality to your colleagues on the Ukrainian national team? Is it true that you will be the captain of the national team if Andriy Yarmolenko cannot play?

— We have many experienced players. Some have even more experience than I do. So I don't see what I can pass on to the guys this week. We have many leaders in the team, in the locker room, we play as one. The head coach will decide on the captain's armband. Whoever will be the captain tomorrow, everyone will fight for each other and for Ukraine.

— How would you rate the generation of this national team of Ukraine? How to beat England?

- Our task is always to win. Everyone dreams of getting to the Euros. We understand how strong England are, we know we have to play one of the best games of our lives. The potential of our team is very high, it has many young players who can give results. We will fight for each other, for the country, for all the people who will watch the match from the stands and at home. We will definitely play with our heads held high.

— Do you feel support on the eve of the game from the current partners at "Arsenal" and former partners at "Manchester City"?

— We are friends, we keep in touch, but there will be no friends on the football field. Bukayo Saka has yet to give me full details on England's starting line-up.

I would like to thank the whole of Great Britain for supporting Ukraine, the refugees. Without your help, the situation would be extremely difficult.

— Last year, during the confrontation with Scotland, you were emotional, in particular, at the press conference. Tomorrow will be the 396th day since the full-scale Russian invasion began. What will be your emotions tomorrow, considering more than four thousand Ukrainian fans in the stands? Do Ukrainian fighters on the front line inspire you?

— First of all, I want to thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to play, because without the efforts of the Ukrainian army, tomorrow's match simply would not have happened. We are waiting to go to the Wembley field, where there will be many Ukrainian fans, and they will also watch the matches elsewhere. We will try to show ourselves as best as possible to give them a smile from the game of the national team of Ukraine.

— Have your emotions changed over the year? Have you heard from your classmates about how someone was affected by the war?

— I think everyone in Ukraine was affected by the Russian invasion. This terrorist war has literally changed everyone's life. In the location of the national team, I feel like a family. We play football together and it's the best feeling. However, these 396 days were a complete nightmare for every Ukrainian — people lost their lives, homes, jobs, everything. So every person in Ukraine has changed during this time.