Ruslan Rotan: "The result upsets us, but this match in Japan will benefit us"

27.03.2024 14:00

Photo of UAF press service

The head coach of the Olympic team of Ukraine, Ruslan Rotan, commented on the first match in the history of the team.

On March 26, as part of preparations for the 2024 Olympics, the Ukrainian Olympic team played a friendly match against the Japanese U-23 team (0:2). The head coach of the blue-yellow Ruslan Rotan commented on the game of his wards in Fukuoka.

"We had a very useful friendly match against a strong opponent. We are very grateful to the Japanese for the warm welcome and for this game. Of course, we perfectly understood what was waiting for us - a long flight, transfers, waiting, changing time zones. Maybe that's why, in fact, we played well for only till halftime. In a match with such an opponent, this is not enough. The Japanese national team is a very organized, disciplined and tactically trained team. I consider them as one of the favorites for the Asian Cup (U-23).

This was only the beginning of our preparations for the Olympics. The result upsets us, but this match will benefit us. For today, the main task is to hear from the clubs clear answers to the questions regarding the release of players for the Olympic Games. We will conduct an active dialogue with them," said Ruslan Rotan.

Recall that on March 20, Ukraine found out their opponents at the football tournament of the Olympics-2024. While in the fourth pot, they got Argentina, Morocco and the third team in Asia. The blue-yellow will play their matches on July 24, 27 and 30.

Olympics-2024. Men's football tournament

Group A: France, USA, winner of the intercontinental play-off, New Zealand.

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, AFC-3, Ukraine.

Group C: AFC-2, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic.

Group D: AFC-1, Paraguay, Mali, Israel.

Calendar of group B

24.07.2024

Argentina - Morocco (16:00, Saint-Etienne)

AFC-3 — Ukraine (20:00, Lyon)

27.07.2024

Argentina — AFC-3 (16:00, Lyon)

Ukraine — Morocco (18:00, Saint-Etienne)

30.07.2024

Ukraine — Argentina (18:00, Lyon)

Morocco — AFC-3 (18:00, Nice)

The kick off is Kyiv time. 

The two best teams of group B on the grid advance to the representatives of group A.

The format of the Olympic tournament is traditional: competition in four groups of four teams, the two strongest advance to the playoffs, then there are quarterfinals, semifinals, a match for third place and the final (August 9, Paris, Parc des Princes).

Recall that last summer, after defeating France (3:1) in the quarter-final match of Euro-2023 (U-21) and having won a ticket to the semi-finals, our team achieved a historic success — won for the country the right to perform at the football tournament of the Olympics for the first time. Together with Ukraine, the national teams of Spain and Israel won licenses for the 2024 Summer Games from Europe in this discipline through the youth Euro-2023. 

Today, 12 participants of the men's football tournament of the Olympic Games 2024 are known, which will compete between July 24 and August 9 in seven French cities: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne, Nice and Nantes. In competitions, according to the regulations, players born after January 1, 2001 can participate. In addition, each team can enter three footballers who are older than this age.

In total, 16 national teams will participate in the tournament: France — as the host, three teams will represent Europe (Ukraine, Spain, Israel), three — Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Mali), three — Asia (to be announced by May 3), two — South The Americas (Paraguay, Argentina), two from the CONCACAF zone (USA, Dominican Republic), one from Oceania (New Zealand), and they will also be joined by the winner of the playoff between the fourth-placed teams in Africa (Guinea) and Asia.