Andrea Maldera, the head coach of the Ukrainian national team, personally followed the performance of the U-19 youth team at the Euro 2026 Championship. Immediately after the tournament concluded, the Italian specialist published an emotional address to the young footballers, highly praising their game and character.
High praise from the main team's coach
According to information published by RBC-Ukraine citing the coach's Instagram, Maldera was pleasantly surprised by how the young players performed. In his opinion, the European Championship became the ideal platform to make a statement on the international stage.
The specialist emphasized that the results of the coaching staff's work under Dmitry Mykhaylenko and the players' dedication deserve nothing but praise. In his message, the head coach of the country's main team wrote:
"Ukraine U-19 national team, you have conducted a fantastic tournament! Players, coaches, staff – everyone in the team can truly be proud of what you have achieved, because the whole country is already proud of you".
A springboard to big football
Andrea Maldera made it clear that for many players in this team, the European forum should become a powerful springboard into senior international football. He urged the leaders of the youth national team not to slacken their pace and to prepare for completely new, much more serious challenges in their careers.
"Do not stop at what you have achieved! You have huge potential, and a wonderful future awaits you. Keep moving forward! Glory to Ukraine!" — added the head coach.
Tournament results and prospects
At the European Championship, the Ukraine U-19 team demonstrated impeccable play during the group stage, winning three victories in three matches. The team confidently dealt with their peers from Croatia, Serbia, and Italy.
This success allowed the "blue-and-yellows" not only to reach the Euro semi-finals but also to guarantee themselves a spot at the U-20 World Youth Championship 2027. The Ukrainians' tournament run ended only at the semi-final stage in a dramatic confrontation with the German national team. Our guys scored first, but ultimately lost with a score of 1:2.
Key players and the future
Individually, Vitaliy Hlyut, Nazar Domchak, Mykyta Kaliuzhny, Patrick Sikut, Dmytro Bohdanov, Pavlo Lyusin, Bohdan Olichenko, and others performed best in the Ukrainian squad. Judging by the reaction of the first team's coaching staff, the main conclusions have already been drawn.
The brightest representatives of this generation have every chance to receive their first call-up to the national team during the next international training camps.
