Petrakov: We only think about how to please our fans and the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukrainian football players are focused on the decisive meeting for entering the World Cup

Main coach Ukrainian national team Oleksandr Petrakov spoke about the preparation of the team for the match against Wales in the play-off final World Cup 2022.

The mentor noted that the players communicate with the Ukrainian military and will do everything possible to please the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the fans.

“I’m fine with the fact that this could be my last match. The coach always has a packed suitcase in the corner. So it’s all good, that’s the job. My fellow coaches understand me, I’m not afraid of anything. And you [журналистов] too,” Petrakov said.

“How will the war affect tomorrow’s match? We’ll see during the game. I won’t say anything.”

“Ignatenko? I called him earlier. I don’t even remember when. He had problems with a visa, he was only given a passport. And he just arrived. No one puts pressure on me, there is no pressure. We are preparing to play as normal.”

“The team wrote a lot to the guys at the front. Basically, they communicate with the players of the national team, not with me. The President was at the forefront, brought us the flag of Ukraine. We hung it in the locker room before the game. The guys are written off, not me.

“Wales are a very well-played team. I saw a very good work of the coaching staff. Many world-class players – Ramsey, Bale, James. What I saw is a very well-played team. Tomorrow two teams will meet for the World Cup. This is football and I think that the game will be good, the fans will like it. But how it will be, I never predict.

“We have a difficult situation in the state. Not everyone follows football, we have grief, people are dying. But we do not think about underestimating our team, we only think about how to please our fans and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are focused on the game, we’ll see tomorrow.”

Ukraine and Wales will play on Sunday, June 5. The match will take place at the 30,000-seat Cardiff City stadium in the capital of Wales. The beginning is at 19:00 Kyiv time. Spaniard Antonio Miguel Mateu Laos has been appointed as the main referee of the meeting.

The Ukrainian national team reached the final of the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup qualification after defeating Scotland (3:1) in Glasgow. Andrey Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbik scored for Oleksandr Petrakov’s team.

Source: Sportarena

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