To see what expertise and onerous work can obtain, Ukraine’s gamers want solely to have a look at their coach.
AC Milan nice Andriy Shevchenko is heading into his first main event as head coach after 5 years in cost. The purpose is to attain the knockout phases of the European Championship for the primary time after group-stage exits in 2012 and 2016. Shevchenko was an assistant coach in France 5 years in the past and made the step up after the event.
The core of his crew is made up of established gamers like Manchester City fullback Oleksandr Zinchenko, West Ham winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka.
Being drawn with the Netherlands, Austria and North Macedonia in Group C offers Ukraine a stable probability of development.
Shevchenko’s preliminary squad for the event incorporates 34 gamers, however solely two from the Ukraine crew which gained the Under-20 World Cup in 2019 Real Madrid reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and Shakhtar left again Viktor Korniyenko.
Korniyenko has by no means performed for the nationwide crew and Lunin is being stored out of the beginning lineup by 36-year-old Andriy Pyatov.
Ukraine’s most fun younger participant was too younger for that Under-20 crew in 2019. Eighteen-year-old central defender Illya Zabarnyi broke into Dynamo Kyiv’s crew this season and performed in all 10 of the membership’s video games within the Champions League and Europa League towards opponents like Barcelona and Juventus.
Zabarnyi’s worldwide debut got here in October because the crew, diminished by coronavirus circumstances, was routed by France 7-1 in a pleasant. He has performed 5 extra occasions since then and helped to stabilize the crew forward of Euro 2020.
Turning potential into senior success is an outdated downside for Ukraine, although. Pyatov was on the crew which completed second on the 2006 European Under-21 Championship, however Ukraine didn’t qualify for the 2010, 2014 or 2018 editions of the World Cup.
Ukraine has had a more durable time than most nationwide groups amid the pandemic. After a string of gamers and employees members examined constructive for the coronavirus, the entire crew was quarantined by Swiss officers and couldn’t play its final Nations League sport. A prolonged authorized battle ensued earlier than the Court of Arbitration for Sport dominated Ukraine misplaced the sport by default and it was relegated.
Injuries are an issue, too, with Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka dashing to get well health and type after lacking Ukraine’s three World Cup qualifying video games in March. Ukraine drew all these video games 1-1. That was a good outcome towards World Cup champion France particularly after the 7-1 pleasant loss six months earlier than however under expectations towards Finland and deeply disappointing towards Kazakhstan.
When all of it clicks, although, Ukraine can threaten the most effective groups in Europe.
The excessive level of Shevchenko’s time in cost was a 2-1 win over Portugal in October 2019. Goals from Yarmolenko and striker Roman Yaremchuk put Ukraine on track to qualify for Euro 2020.
A 1-0 victory over Spain in final yr’s Nations League additional highlighted the crew’s potential.
Euro 2020: Ukraine factfile
Previous Euro efficiency: two participation, group stage in 2012 and 2016
FIFA rating: 24
Nickname: The Yellow and Blue
Coach: Andriy Shevchenko
Star gamers: Ruslan Malinovskyi, Oleksandr Zinchenko
Main golf equipment: Dynamo Kiev, Shakhtar Donetsk
How did they qualify: Top of Group B
Euro 2020 fixtures:
vs Netherlands – June 14, 12.30am
vs North Macedonia – 17 June 2021, 6:30pm
vs Austria – June 21, 9.30pm
26-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Georgiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Pyatov, Anatoliy Trubin (each Shakhtar Donetsk)
Defenders: Eduard Sobol (Club Brugge/BEL), Illia Zabarnyi, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Oleksandr Karavaev, Oleksandr Tymchyk, Denys Popov (all Dynamo Kiev), Sergiy Kryvtsov, Mykola Matviyenko (each Shakhtar Donetsk)
Midfielders: Sergiy Sydorchuk, Mykola Shaparenko, Viktor Tsygankov (all Dynamo Kiev), Marlos, Taras Stepanenko, Georgiy Sudakov (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham/ENG), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta/ITA), Yevgen Makarenko (KV Kortrijk/BEL), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Manchester City/ENG), Roman Bezus (Ghent/BEL), Oleksandr Zubkov (Ferencvaros/HUN)
Forwards: Roman Yaremchuk (Gent/BEL), Artem Besedin (Dynamo Kiev), Artem Dovbyk (Dnipro-1).
Read all of the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News right here
