Ukraine national team before the crucial match: finishing preparation

The national team of Ukraine continue preparing for their first competitive games this year. Throughout May, the team led by Oleksandr Petrakov held a training camp at the base of the Slovenian Football Association in Brdo, having played three test matches during this time.

Valerii Bondar, defender of Shakhtar and Ukraine:

“We are getting ready for one of the most important matches of our lives. The training process is going very well. In the first part of the training camp, we had two training sessions a day, and now we’ve got the opportunity to go to the gym in the morning and work out on the pitch in the evening. We are in good physical shape already. Feeling no fatigue at all because we are in the national team. We know why we’ve gathered here, why we do all this and train.”

The Ukrainians spend the final preparatory week in the fullest possible strength: internationals from the top leagues (with the exception of Lunin) have joined the national team, Mudryk and Mykolenko recovered, Shaparenko and Popov are about to rejoin the general group. Yesterday, the team played a full small-sided match, in which, according to the head coach, they tried to simulate the Scots’ tactic and practised set pieces. The match ended 1-1 with the goals netted by Yaremchuk and Dovbyk. The Blue-and-Yellows have two more training days ahead, and on Monday they will set off for Glasgow.

Oleksandr Petrakov, Ukraine head coach:

“The training camp went very well, the guys did well, I'm happy with everyone. We enjoyed a great reception in Slovenia, just like at home. The players’ morale is sky-high. There is no need to influence them, to say anything: they are experienced footballers and understand everything perfectly well.”