UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s recent comment regarding Italy’s potential failure to qualify for Euro 2024 has drawn strong criticism from Ukraine head coach, Serhiy Rebrov.

Ukraine, currently in third place, is set to face off against second-placed Italy on Monday night, November 20. A victory for Rebrov’s team would secure their qualification for Euro 2024 at Italy’s expense.

The stakes are high for Italy, as they must avoid defeat to secure their qualification. Failure would see them miss out on another major tournament following playoff eliminations in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Rebrov expressed his team’s reaction to Ceferin’s remarks during a press conference, stating that the players would approach the game with a sense of anger.

Ceferin’s comment, given to media outlet LaPresse, emphasized the importance of Italy’s national team and echoed his belief that their failure to qualify would be a ‘disaster’.

Unsurprisingly, Ceferin’s words incited strong reactions within the Ukrainian footballing community. Nonetheless, Rebrov affirmed that his team would channel this as motivation for their upcoming match.

The former Dynamo Kyiv, Tottenham, and West Ham forward emphasized that his focus remained on his players and their preparation for the game, dismissing the impact of Ceferin’s comments.

He further underlined the significance of the upcoming match and the responsibility his team felt, particularly against a team like Italy. Rebrov acknowledged past mistakes but emphasized their determination to perform better this time around.

‘It is one thing to play against North Macedonia or Malta, with respect, but when we play England or Italy, it is different,’ Rebrov remarked. ‘This is a game when we have to show our face. We made lots of mistakes in Italy, but we understand our responsibility in this game and what we have to do.’

ncG1vNJzZmimlazAr7vWp6CgnaKerm%2B6xmimrqyilrSmecWrpqZlpaC%2ForXNnmScp5GYtW671Z6pZq2Vm65uvNGeqqKclaPBtHnSrZitnZ2au7V5zqdkoqyRoca0ecSuqahlYmV%2FdXnQrpiloZaesKLAyKilaA%3D%3D