Petrakov: I instill attacking football in the team so that it is not afraid of anyone

Head coach of the Ukrainian national team Alexander Petrakov commented on the victory over Ireland (1:0) in the opening match of the “B” division of the League of Nations.

Ukraine defeated the Irish in Dublin thanks to Viktor Tsygankov’s goal early in the second half.

See also: Ireland – Ukraine. Goal video and match review

– How satisfied are you with the changes in the team? What brought positive results?

– We just played a very difficult match against Wales on June 5th. In order not to harm the guys, so that they do not get any injury, I decided to let young performers who did not play play. I’m glad they came out and played. Many players have debuted at the official level. We will analyze the mistakes, but I am pleased with the dedication of young players, their attitude to the game. Satisfied with the result. It’s such a positive after what happened to Wales. We have turned the page. We do not look into the past, but move forward.

– What does this victory mean for you, given that there were 3.5 thousand Ukrainian fans in the stands, madly rejoicing at the team’s success?

“Now is the time. People who are in Ireland have come. I thank this country for providing asylum to our women and children. I understand that everyone wants to go home, but now they cannot leave. We are very pleased that we have made our citizens happy.

– You played in a fairly attacking style. Do you think the Ukrainian national team is better than Ireland in this regard, since you decided to defend less and attack more?

– I instill attacking football in the team so that it is not afraid of anyone. Since you liked it, thank you very much for evaluating the work of the coaching staff, our team. I like it.

– How do you rate the game of Andrei Lunin, who had the first dry match in a long time?

I have known him since I was 15. I know his father, mother. For me, he is like a son. I am pleased that he played the official game, played to zero. I congratulated him, as well as many guys. Many players made their debut for the national team in official tournaments. Lunin, Sirota, Bondar, Popov, Kacharaba, Pikhalyonok, Ignatenko… I am glad that they got confidence. They were at the training camp, preparing. I’m happy with them. We move on.

– You made 10 substitutions in the team, which brought self-confidence to a group of players. Are you going to use the same players for the home match against Ireland or change the squad?

I don’t look that far. Tomorrow training, June 11 – game with Armenia. Let’s see how it will be. Today, 11 new performers were supposed to play, but Eduard Sobol fell ill. That’s why Vitaly Mikolenko played, whom I also know from childhood. He told me that everything was fine, that he would help. In the future, we will look at the condition of the players.

Finally, I would like to thank Ireland. You have received us very well. I walked around the city, people came up to me, wished me, Ukraine, success. You sheltered our women and children. Thank you all, goodbye. We will meet again soon in Lodz.

In the next match of the League of Nations, Ukraine will play with Armenia on Saturday, June 11.