Ahead of the upcoming match between Ukraine and Slovakia in the second round of the UEFA Europa League group stage, Ukraine's national team head coach Rebrov attended a pre-match press conference and shared his team's preparations and thoughts on the upcoming match.
Rebrov began by talking about Ukraine's loss against Romania, saying frankly that the defeat was the responsibility of both the coach and the players. "All of us are responsible for Romania's defeat." He said, while emphasizing that when selecting players, he focuses more on their tactical adaptability and fitness than on the roster alone.
Regarding the team's internal communication, Rebrov revealed that after the loss, the players spontaneously had an in-depth conversation to try to find out what went wrong. He respected the players' wishes and left the locker room at their request so that they could discuss more freely.
Talking about the changes in the lineup, Rebrov said that there will indeed be some adjustments, but the specific adjustments will be based on the players' status and training. He specifically mentioned Mikolenko, a player who missed some time due to injury but has now started to resume training.
When evaluating the upcoming opponent Slovakia, Rebrov gave high recognition. He believes that Slovakia is a very disciplined team that can achieve good results through efficient tactical execution even without a large number of star players. He made special mention of the great performance Slovakia showed against Belgium and said that Ukraine will respect their opponents but at the same time concentrate on their own game.
Rebrov also shared his experience working with legendary coach Lobanovsky and emphasized the importance of players taking stock of themselves. He encouraged the players to analyze the game after a loss, understand their mistakes, and go into the next game with a higher level of motivation and desire.
In conclusion, Rebrov said that the Europa League is the highest level of competition, and for some of the young players this is their first Europa League, and although it carries a huge responsibility, it is also a great opportunity to showcase their talents. He called on the fans to respect and support the national team and looked forward to playing a great game against Slovakia.
