EURO 2024 Team Guide - Group E - Ukraine
With Ukrainian legend Serhiy Rebrov in charge of a young and exciting group of players, the future looks promising - Andrew Todos discusses whether it'll be a case of too much too soon.
Country:
Ukraine
FIFA World Ranking:
22
Qualification Record:
3rd Place
W4, D2, L2
Goals For – 11
Goals Against - 8
Group:
Group E
Highest Ever Euros Finish:
Quarter Finals
Previous Euros Appearances:
3 (4 including 2024)
Top International Goal Scorer (in Squad):
Andriy Yarmolenko (46)
Squad:
Preliminary Squad:
Goalkeepers: Heorhiy Bushchan (Dynamo Kyiv), Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid).
Defenders: Mykola Matviyenko, Yukhym Konoplya, Valeriy Bondar (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksandr Tymchyk (Dynamo Kyiv), Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton), Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth), Oleksandr Svatok (SK Dnipro-1), Maksym Talovierov (LASK), Bohdan Mykhaylichenko (Polissya Zhytomyr)
Midfielders: Andriy Yarmolenko, Mykola Shaparenko, Volodymyr Brazhko (all Dynamo Kyiv), Taras Stepanenko, Oleksandr Zubkov, Giorgi Sudakov (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal), Viktor Tsyhankov (Girona), Mykhaylo Mudryk (Chelsea), Serhiy Sydorchuk (Westerlo), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa).
Forwards: Artem Dovbyk (Girona), Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia), Vladyslav Vanat (Dynamo Kyiv)
The Gaffer:
Serhiy Rebrov (Appointed: June 2023)
Gaffer Bio:
Serhiy Rebrov is a certified legend of Ukrainian football. He started his career at local side Shakhtar before moving to Dynamo; way before their famed rivalry began. At Dynamo, he scored for fun and struck up an iconic partnership with future Ballon D’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko. The pair would help lead their team to the 1999 UCL semi finals before both moved on to better leagues.
In 2000, Rebrov became Spurs’ club recording signing (£10M+) but due to injuries and managerial instability it never quite worked out. Stints at Fenerbahce, West Ham and Rubin Kazan followed. He also made a late career return to Dynamo during which he set the all time record for Ukrainian Premier League goals (121) which stands to this day.
His national team career was also memorable. He was part of the only ever Ukraine squad to qualify for a World Cup (2006) and helped them reach the quarters in that debut tournament.
Following retirement in 2009, Rebrov went into coaching at Dynamo. He began with the youth sides including the U21s before complimenting numerous managers’ backroom staff as an assistant. Following the sacking of Oleh Blokhin just before the 13/14 season concluded, Rebrov was given the caretaker role. A month later, he won the Ukrainian Cup final and was made permanent.
Rebrov’s management development has a very heavy Spanish influence. Once he became permanent head coach at Dynamo, he employed a number of Spaniards to help him in his backroom staff and also take charge of the academy. His intention was to create a youth vertical structure which would ensure all age groups developed playing in the same style as the first team.
Rebrov had instant success. He followed up his cup win with back to back league titles and another cup. In 15/16 Dynamo reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time (and only time) since that 1999 run to the semi finals.
After leaving Dynamo in 2016, Rebrov and most of his Spanish staff would go onto have repeated success at Ferencvaros (3 B2B titles and a first UCL group stage in 25 years) before moving to UAE for a 2 year stint with Al Ain; winning the league in the first campaign there.
Then in June 2023, after 2 years of waiting for their first choice candidate, Ukraine’s Association of Football were finally able to pen Rebrov to a deal until 2026 World Cup.
In addition to qualifying for the upcoming Euros, Rebrov has also started another youth vertical power structure which aims to prepare the next generations for the senior side - playing fast possession based football. Thus far, the U21s have a 100% record in qualifying whilst the U17s and U19s have made their respective Euros this summer too.
The future of Ukraine’s national team under Rebrov looks very exciting.
Who Could Do with Him?
Serhiy Rebrov’s former side West Ham may have just appointed Julian Lopetegui but the Ukrainian wouldn’t have been a bad alternative to see in the post Moyes era. After being loosely linked with the Spurs job when Pochettino left, hopefully post national team career, Rebrov will get his chance to manage an ambitious European spot challenging ‘Top 5’ league side.
Formation / Style of Play:
4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3
In the 12 months that the Ukrainian has been in charge; there’s not been much differentiation in Rebrov’s starting formations. Usually all that’s up for discretion is whether veteran holding midfielder Taras Stepanenko starts in a pairing or not. It’s usually a toss up between Oleksandr Zinchenko joining him in a more defensive duo or instead playing closer to Shakhtar’s Giorgi Sudakov in a box to box role.
Ukraine are expected to line up with 4 at the back. Albeit, the holding midfielder - be it Stepanenko or Brazhko, fluidly drop back into a sweeper position when extra numbers are needed defensively effectively making it a centre back trio for periods.
In possession, Ukraine like to start transitions from the back. Their main style is building up play with centre backs or midfielders looking to try and feed in the wide positions regularly occupied by Mykhaylo Mudryk or Viktor Tsyhankov. These two link up well with their respective full backs too who like to play on the overlap to create chances in the box.
Strengths:
Ukraine probably boasts one of its best ever squads (on paper) ahead of this tournament. At no other point have they had so many players playing in Europe’s top leagues. And a lot of them are going into this summer on the back of a successful club campaign.
Ukraine’s resilience is another. The Yellow Blues have gone behind in 4 of Rebrov’s 6 total competitive wins in charge. Under previous managers, Ukraine struggled to rally back. Rebrov’s team talks and a channelling of the wartime spirit seem to have steered Ukraine on a new course. If they go down, they’re definitely not out.
Coupled with the above, Serhiy Rebrov’s in-game management skills are very proactive. If things don’t seem to be working out on the pitch; he won’t be shy to make changes at adequate times and throw the kitchen sink if needed too.
Weaknesses:
“Second game syndrome” seems to be the unscientific diagnosis for Ukraine’s persistent difficulties in second matches of an international break. Regardless of the opposition there always seems to be some kind of hangover from the first game (which most of the time is a rather positive performance). With the Euros hitting them with games every few days, it will be a true test to see if they can overcome it.
On the pitch, Ukraine’s weakness seems to be facing sides that like to press heavily. They struggle to keep up with or hold that intensity from the opposition and as a result sees them either lose concentration or discipline.
Aside from this, the defence is slightly imbalanced from a quality perspective. Whilst Illya Zabarnyi and Vitaliy Mykolenko have shown their pedigree this season in the Premier League. Shakhtar duo Mykola Matvienko and Yukhym Konoplya’s defensive consistencies leave a lot to be desired.
Player to Watch:
Giorgi Sudakov -
The 21 year old made his first Ukraine start against England at Wembley in March of last year. He hasn’t looked back since and is arguably one of the first names on the team sheet. Agile and technically gifted - he’s got a real talent for dribbling and passing. He’s also someone who’s able to unlock Mudryk due to their friendship since academy days.
The Shakhtar attacking midfielder is a man in demand too. For large parts of this season; Shakhtar have been touting their new crown jewel to top clubs across Europe. Each week you hear a new transfer rumour that includes Shakhtar adding €10M to their asking fee. And it’s likely he will move for big money this summer.
One for the Future:
Volodymyr Brazhko –
The 22 year old has only just completed his second full senior club season but already looks to be the long awaited replacement for the indispensable Taras Stepanenko . After impressing on loan at Zorya Luhansk and captaining Ukraine’s U21s to the Euros semis last season, he went on to become Dynamo Kyiv’s starting defensive midfielder during this campaign.
He’s robust, disciplined and a good reader of the game. After making his debut by starting in both play off matches after an injury to 34 year old Stepanenko ahead of the Play Offs in March; it looks pretty certain that he’ll take over permanently from Stepaneko post Euros.
Unlucky to Miss Out:
Danylo Sikan –
Despite grabbing 10 goals in the Ukrainian Premier League and scoring 4 in the UCL, there was no space for the Shakhtar striker in the final squad. The three forwards Rebrov has opted for, in his words; each offer something a bit different from one another. Whereas Sikan is a little less versatile but still a very effective poacher.
Fellow UPL player Vladyslav Vanat was the league’s top scorer (14 goals / 7 assists) so Rebrov is perfectly justified but you still feel for Sikan. Fortunately, he’s got the fallback of being included in Ukraine’s first ever Olympics squad. And it’s pretty certain that he will be the starting forward during that tournament.
Likely Line Up:
Lunin; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Stepanenko, Zinchenko, Sudakov; Tsyhankov, Mudryk, Dovbyk
Fixtures:
Matchday 1 – Romania v Ukraine – 17th June
Matchday 2 – Slovakia v Ukraine – 21st June
Matchday 3 – Ukraine v Belgium – 26th June
Verdict:
With Ukraine still in the midst of its full scale war with Russia, this summer’s tournament has a greater meaning for the squad and Ukraine itself than mere performances on the pitch.
As such, the squad understands that each performance will raise spirits for its soldiers and fellow citizens back home so they’ve got all the added motivation they need. In addition, they’ve got a huge platform to share with the world that the war still continues.
Their above mission is paired with the fact that they genuinely have a very exciting, young squad. Throw Serhiy Rebrov at the helm too and Ukraine should have a good chance of challenging for top spot in their group. Making it to the knockout stages is the bare minimum expected.
Andrew Todos (@ZoryaLondonsk)