The day before the qualifying play-off match between Ukraine and Sweden national teams, Swedish coach Greem Potter held a pre-match press conference. Here are the responses of the English coach to questions from Ukrainian journalists.

– How difficult was it to prepare the team considering that you only had two matches to get acquainted with the squad?

– On one hand, it was indeed challenging. But on the other hand, the process went rather smoothly: this was facilitated by the players themselves, the coaching staff, and their warm, highly focused attitude. Since I arrived here, discipline and commitment of the boys have remained at the highest level. It is clear that we managed to address a difficult period for them. Our goal was to improve this situation. I believe we achieved decent progress if one looks at the current state of the team. However, the main measure of our work is performance and the results gained. We are aware of the significance of the match and our immediate tasks. Still, our opponent has exactly the same goals. We are ready for the match. I fully trust my players, and we can't wait for the starting whistle.

– How many matches of Ukraine's national team have you watched? And which one impressed you the most?

– For a thorough analysis, we reviewed all the games of the Ukrainian national team in this campaign. The team left a very pleasant impression. We clearly see their game structure both defensively and offensively. This is a strong collective where individual qualities of the players are well integrated into the overall mechanism. It's hard to single out any one match as they went through the qualification very evenly and steadily, securing second place right behind the French. Therefore, we approach the opponent with maximum respect.

– Both teams have serious losses. What do you think will be affected more by these losses?

– The game itself will show whose squad issues are more painful. But I prefer to focus on the performers currently in my roster, as they are indeed top-class players. The team is ready, and our task for tomorrow is to secure the necessary result.

– Who do you consider the leaders of Ukraine's national team and the most dangerous players?

– I am not in favor of singling out anyone personally. As I have already mentioned, the key feature of the Ukrainian national team is their team interaction. They have enough skilled performers, and in my view, the head coach did a very good job organizing the team's play. We are preparing to face a strong opponent with a rich tactical arsenal and a high-quality set of players.

Sweden national team squad

GK: Mårke Elborg (Sunderland, England), Kristoffer Norfeldt (AIK, Sweden), Noel Ternkvist (Mjällby, Sweden)

Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds, England), Isaak Hång (Atalanta, Italy), Herman Johansson (Dallas, USA), Victor Lindelöf (Aston Villa, England), Gustav Lagerbäck (Braga, Portugal), Karl Starfelt (Celta, Spain), Elliot Sturud (Mjällby, Sweden), Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)