The Ukraine youth national team is entering a fundamentally new chapter in its history. Following an unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2027 European Championship, which prevented the Blue-and-Yellows from reaching the final tournament, the coaching staff led by head coach Dmytro Mykhailenko has embarked on a large-scale squad overhaul. According to an official statement by the Ukrainian Association of Football published by Sport RBC.UA, the extended roster features as many as 10 potential debutants, signaling the management's serious intent to rebuild the team from scratch.
Training Camp in Murcia and Two Friendly Matches
The Ukraine U-21 team has traveled to the Spanish town of San Pedro del Pinatar, located in the Murcia province, where they will hold a full training camp. As part of their preparation, the team will play two friendly fixtures. The first opponent for Mykhailenko's squad will be Scotland U-21, with the match scheduled for Thursday, November 12. Just five days later, on Tuesday, November 17, the Ukrainian players will face their peers from the USA. Both games will kick off at 15:00 Kyiv time.
Key Figures of the Renewed Squad
The goalkeeping department of the renewed youth team features Nazar Domchak from Czech club Slavia Prague, who recently made his Champions League debut against Arsenal London. In the attacking line, the coaching staff relies on legionnaires: Dmytro Bogdanov, who plays for German club Energie Cottbus, and Bohdan Popov from Italian side Empoli. Both forwards have already proven themselves in strong European leagues and, in Mykhailenko's vision, are expected to be the main attacking forces.
Ten Debutants and the Special Case of Rozzuvailo
The defining feature of this call-up is the significant squad renewal, with the coaching staff bringing in 10 potential debutants. The lion's share of the newcomers are midfielders: Yaroslav Karaman, Oleksandr Ivanov, Viktor Tsukanov, Danyil Teplyakov, Danylo Kaydalov, and Maksym Khyminets of Slovak club Pohronie. Other new faces include goalkeeper Nazar Makarenko and defenders Yehor Abramov and Oleksandr Havrylenko. Special attention goes to Sporting Braga's midfielder Daniel Rozzuvailo, who has experience playing for Portugal U-15. He is a naturalized Portuguese player of Ukrainian descent, and his inclusion highlights Mykhailenko's flexible approach to player selection.
Full Squad for the Training Camp
Goalkeepers: Nazar Domchak (Slavia, Czech Republic), Denys Marchenko (Karpaty), Nazar Makarenko (Polissya). Defenders: Danylo Malov (Lechia, Poland), Oleksandr Soroka (Gent, Belgium), Kyrylo Dihtyar, Daniel Vernattus, Yehor Abramov (all - Metalist), Vladyslav Zakharchenko, Maksym Korobov (both - Dynamo), Oleksandr Havrylenko (Unia Skierniewice, Poland). Midfielders: Oleksiy Talpa (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Bohdan Redushko (Dynamo), Bohdan Budko (AZ, Netherlands), Yaroslav Shevchenko (Kryvbas), Yaroslav Karaman, Oleksandr Ivanov (both - Polissya), Viktor Tsukanov (Shakhtar), Danyil Teplyakov, Danylo Kaydalov (both - Metalist), Maksym Khyminets (Pohronie, Slovakia), Daniel Rozzuvailo (Braga, Portugal). Forwards: Dmytro Bogdanov (Energie, Germany), Bohdan Popov (Empoli, Italy).
It is worth noting that parallel to forming the renewed U-21 squad, coach Oleh Luzhnyi previously announced the U-19 team roster for the decisive Euro 2027 qualifying matches. Thus, the Ukrainian Association of Football is working simultaneously across two age groups, aiming to build a sustainable talent pipeline from juniors to the senior national team.
