Oleksandr Zinchenko: "There are many young and experienced players in the national team of Ukraine now. I think it's a great mix."

20.03.2024 18:33

Photo of UAF press service

Midfielder of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Zinchenko together with head coach Serhiy Rebrov attook part in the press conference on the eve of the semi-final match of the Euro-2024 qualification play-off with the team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

— Several years ago, you already played against Bosnians. What are your expectations for this opponent now?

— Of course, we know that it will be difficult, because they have a great team, there are experienced players who can share their experience with others. Of course, every national team plays better in front of its own fans. I hope we will show our best game.

— Many say that now the national team of Ukraine is the best in a long time. Do you feel the pressure as the team played in the quarter finals of Euro 1 led by Andriy Shevchenko? Do you feel like you have to go further?

— I don't know who can judge which team is better. We'll leave that to other people. The generation in the national team of Ukraine is changing now, there are many young players as well as experienced ones. I think it's a great mix at the moment. I really hope that our team will reach great heights. This is what we believe. You can talk a lot, but it's another thing to show it on the field. We will choose the second and try to show ourselves from the best side.

— How was the last week in Spain? What is the atmosphere like in the team after a long break? What state are you in, because you missed a lot?

— The atmosphere is wonderful, we all understand why we came here, we are aware of our responsibility. Preparation is proceeding properly. I hope we can show all this on the field. As for my condition, I feel good physically and mentally, I am 100 percent ready.

— The national team of Ukraine practiced penalty kicks. How do you feel about the possibility of a post-match series??

- These are the rules of the game. If we draw, then there will be extra periods and penalties. Of course, we would like to achieve a positive result in 90 minutes, but in football you have to be ready for everything. That's why we practiced it in training.

As a reminder, the Euro 2024 qualification semi-final play-off encounter between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine takes place on March 21 in Zenica and starts at 20:45 local time (21:45 Kyiv time).