Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov said his team’s opening 3-0 defeat to Romania at Euro 2024 on Monday was a result “no one expected”.
Two errors by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin proved fatal and Romania took the lead in Munich thanks to captain Nicolae Stanciu. Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus completed the victory in the second half.
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“Unfortunately no one expected this result,” said Rebrov, who led Ukraine to a fourth consecutive European Championship despite the country being ravaged by war following the Russian invasion in 2022.
“The players feel that they did not do enough. Before the game I told them that we represent a big and strong country that has been fighting for more than two years for our freedom.
“Today we didn’t do well enough, that’s why they (the players) apologize (to the fans). We have to show it to the other Ukraine for the match against Slovakia.”
Rebrov said the team had held an exclusive players’ meeting after the game, asking him to leave the locker room.
“We all have emotions. Everyone is unhappy,” he said.
“If we don’t show our maximum… then it will be very difficult.
“It doesn’t matter who the favorite is, football is about what you show that day. Today we didn’t show our level.”
Lunin, who had an excellent season as Real Madrid’s goalkeeper while replacing the injured Thibaut Courtois, admitted his mistakes were largely to blame for the defeat.
“My first mistake changed the game. I would like to apologize,” said Lunin, in his first major international tournament.
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“There is no Ukrainian football player, city, stadium, playground or child who has not been affected by war,” Andriy Shevchenko, World Cup Ballon d’Or winner.
“If a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it practically means a goal; with a little luck it can be avoided, but in most cases it is a goal.
“So it’s a mistake… I accept it, I understand it and I know it. It happened to me in the past.
“I’m sad because my teammates made a great effort and a lot of work and my mistake complicated the game.”
