Ukraine national team defender Illia Zabarnyi gave an emotional flash interview to the MEGOGO media service following the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League matchday five fixture where the Ukrainians lost 0-1 to Northern Ireland. The footballer did not hide his dissatisfaction with the result and openly admitted that the team is in a crisis. According to Sport RBC.UA, the defender emphasized that every player must first demand more from themselves and their partners, and this honesty became the main message of his statement.
"We're in deep shit": An honest assessment of the situation
Speaking to journalists, Zabarnyi did not hide behind diplomatic wording. "Somewhere I didn't push enough, somewhere I made a mistake, perhaps in that regard. And we see that, unfortunately, we need to tell the truth and we are, I apologize, in deep shit, but we need to raise our heads and get out of here together. That's all," the defender stated. Such directness from a current national team player reflected the overall mood within the squad after another disappointing result.
Realism instead of self-deception
Answering a question about prospects, the footballer urged not to build illusions. "We need to be realists. Anything can happen. We can play in League C and we need to look the truth in the eye and understand this. But if we don't want to do that, then we need to win the next match," he stressed. Thus, Zabarnyi effectively did not rule out a scenario where the Ukraine national team drops two divisions lower, but shifted the focus to the necessity of immediate winning actions.
Two shots on target the entire match
Separately, the defender commented on the team's play under the new tactical setup and attacking problems. Throughout the match, the Ukrainians managed only two shots on target, which, according to him, is not even enough to score. "Well, as we can see, it's bad. This is not enough to score. And we will analyze it. A lot of new information. We want to understand how we should play correctly," the footballer explained, admitting that the squad still has to master the head coach's fresh scheme.
On the verge of relegation from League B
Concluding the interview, Zabarnyi noted that the Northern Irish used their strengths better, whereas the Ukrainian team failed to impose its own game on the opponent. "They know how to play, they know their strengths, and they use them. We lost to their game today in this regard. And that's why the result is like this. But it is very painful. Two such defeats against Northern Ireland and it is very hard," he added. Recall that after this defeat, the Ukraine national team found itself on the verge of relegation from League B of the Nations League, making the next match critically important.
