After the 2026 World Cup qualifier match against Iceland in Warsaw (2:0), head coach of the Ukrainian national team, Serhiy Rebrov, answered journalists' questions.

— Mr. Serhiy, congratulations on the victory! It was a very tough qualifier — both psychologically and emotionally. Until the 69th minute, you made no substitutions. Were you satisfied with everything?

— Not everything was to my liking, but I believe we had chances and were a team focused on results. We substituted Yegor Yarmoluk first because he had worked hard in the previous match against France. Overall, I think the substitutes who came from the bench refreshed our play. Towards the end of the game, we created very good opportunities and capitalized on them.

— Until the 80th minute, it seemed like we were banging our heads against an Icelandic wall. What was the turning point in achieving the necessary result?

— As I said before the match, Iceland played differently than in the first encounter. I believe this is our achievement. We pressed them high up the pitch and showed that we wanted to win. However, they defended very tightly, making it hard to find space. Opportunities mostly arose from long shots. After substitutions, we were able to intensify pressing and put more pressure on their penalty area — and this paid off. But credit goes to everyone. From the first minute, all players gave their maximum.

— After the final whistle, you didn't hold back your emotions, even making a quick run…

— If you remember the Dynamo Kyiv – Shakhtar Donetsk match in the Ukrainian Cup when we lost two penalties but eventually won the final, then I ran faster than that. Today, the fifth referee said I ran faster than when I played for Tottenham. These are emotions. I think if you had the chance to do something similar after a game, you wouldn't have held back either.

— Comment on Oleksandr Zubkov's play, who was first recognized as the best right winger in Turkey's league and today scored the winning goal.

— He played out of position today but did everything for victory and scored a very important goal at the end. If we recall the match against Azerbaijan, which was also very tough – then he scored by assisting to Sudakov.

I have no questions about players who join the national team. Everyone works at maximum capacity. Today, there really was a team, and I don't want to single anyone out.

— This is Yegor Yarmoluk's first cycle in the national squad, but it's hard to imagine him not being a starter. Comment on his play today and overall in qualifiers.

— I am pleased with his progress and performance. He gets more practice at Brentford, almost always starting. He is genuinely progressing and becoming an important player for the national team. Today he played slightly higher than usual and proved that he can play in midfield anywhere.

— Everyone was very charged up today. Did you motivate the players like this?

— I believe journalists were the motivators this time. There was such hype – and hate, and many posts... Players read all of it. Maybe they felt offended by something. Or conversely – wanted to prove that this squad has a chance to qualify for the World Cup. So thank you for helping.