WORLD CUP 2006
Ukraine Interview Player - Andrii Shevchenko
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How do you rate Ukraine’s chances?
The finals are going to be a new experience for us and we’ll try to progress as far as we can. Our principal aim is to qualify for the knockout stages.
How big a part did Oleh Blokhin play in the qualifying campaign?
Blokhin is a charismatic figure and one of the most important things he has brought to the job is his
ability to inspire us.
What are Ukraine’s greatest strengths?
We have a disciplined team who follow the tactical plan and show a one-for-all spirit. We are better defensively than we were, and have improved our ability to launch quick counter-attacks.
How do you view your group rivals?
The Spanish are the favourites, but don’t forget how difficult they found it to qualify. Tunisia are quite a strong side with a lot of experience but do not have a good finals record. Saudi Arabia are the dark horses. We can play all of them without fear.
Who are your favourites to win the World Cup?
Modern football is quite unpredictable. Brazil, Italy, England, Argentina, Germany and France are the leading candidates, but a good number of other teams are able to compete with them. There are no weak teams at the World Cup finals.
How do you see your role as captain?
I do not want to be only a role model for my younger team-mates. I also want to be a friend and a colleague. I’m on an equal footing with all of them on and off the pitch. I know that some of our players will be nervous at the finals. As captain, I have to help them play their game and be confident in their ability.
What is your message for your team-mates?
Our presence in the finals is a huge success for the development of Ukrainian football. Each of us has to concentrate on our
forthcoming matches. By reaching the finals we’ve done only half the job; the much more difficult part lies ahead in Germany.
Ukraine Squad
1 GK SHOVKOVSKIY Oleksandr - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
2 DF NESMACHNIY Andriy - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
3 DF YATSENKO Olexander (FK Kharkiv UKR)
4 MF TYMOSCHUK Anatoliy - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
5 DF YEZERSKIY Vladimir - (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, UKR)
6 DF RUSOL Andriy - (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, UKR)
7 FW SHEVCHENKO Andriy - (Chelsea, ENG)
8 MF SHELAYEV Oleg - (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, UKR)
9 MF GUSEV Oleg - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
10 FW VORONIN Andriy - (Bayer Leverkusen, GER)
11 MF REBROV Serhiy - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
12 GK PYATOV Andriy - (Vorskla Poltava, UKR)
13 DF CHIGRYNSKIY Dmytro - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
14 MF GUSIN Andriy - (CSK VVS Samara, RUS)
15 FW MILEVSKIY Artem - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
16 FW VOROBEY Andriy - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
17 DF VASHCHUK Vladislav - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
18 MF NAZARENKO Serhiy - (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, UKR)
19 MF KALINICHENKO Maksim - (Spartak Moscow, RUS)
20 FW BYELIK Oleksiy - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
21 MF ROTAN Ruslan - (Dynamo Kyiv, UKR)
22 DF SVIDERSKIY Vyacheslav - (Arsenal Kyiv, UKR)
23 GK SHUST Bogdan - (Shakhtar Donetsk, UKR)
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