Our national team played very well in the qualifying cycle for Euro 2024: thanks to diligent work and intense struggle under the leadership of Serhiy Rebrov, our footballers managed to earn 14 points in an extremely tough group with England, Italy, North Macedonia, and Malta.
The start of the qualifiers was unsuccessful, with a defeat to England (0:2), but after Rebrov's arrival in June, the team played a friendly match with Germany (3:3) and two successful qualifying matches (victories 3:2 over North Macedonia and 1:0 over Malta). The September matches against England and Italy showed the strength of the Ukrainians, who, despite the defeat to the latter (1:2), earned one point in the match with the English. In October, Ukraine again defeated North Macedonia (2:0) and Malta (3:1), adding another 6 points. Despite the difficulty of the opponents, the Ukrainians showed character and effectiveness.
The key moment in the Euro 2024 qualifying cycle for the Ukrainian national team was the match against the Italian team in the last round. Both teams had the same number of points, but "Squadra Azzurra" had an advantage in head-to-head meetings, which gave them an edge in the event of a draw.
Serhiy Rebrov's plan involved resisting the pressure of the Italians in the first half and looking for an opportunity to score in the second, when the physical strength of "Squadra Azzurra" would weaken. Thanks to the excellent work of the defense, including goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, the Ukrainians managed to keep their goal intact. In the added time, our team even had a chance for a penalty after a mistake by an Italian player, but the referee ignored this moment, not resorting to the VAR system. Opinions on this were divided. For instance, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma admitted that a penalty would have been justified.
However, the Ukrainian team still lacked one accurate shot in that match to secure direct qualification to the 1/8 finals. Fortunately, the team still retains the possibility to qualify for the European Championship 2024 through the playoffs. On November 23 in Nyon, Switzerland, the draw for the Euro 2024 playoff matches took place, according to which Ukraine will meet Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 21. In case of victory, our national team will fight in the playoff final on March 26 and get a chance to qualify for the final part of the European Championship. We interviewed Rustam Khudzhamov, the goalkeeping coach of the Ukrainian national team and the creator of the Brave GK brand, to learn about the team's preparation for the qualifying cycle, the selection of goalkeepers for the national team, and his personal impressions of the work and plans for the future.
Rustam, what was your role in preparing the national team for the European Championship 2024 qualifying cycle?
Rustam Khudzhamov: As you may remember, the new coaching staff was finalized at the beginning of the summer. So, when the national team under the guidance of Sergey Rebrov began preparing for Euro 2024, there was a lot of work to be done. The role of a goalkeeper coach in the national team is a significant responsibility. At the same time, it is certainly a very interesting and exciting task. Pride in the team's achievements and the joy of the fans in the stands make this experience truly unique every time. The atmosphere at the matches was amazing, and many moments on the field sent shivers down my spine. As a goalkeeper coach, I am proud to be a part of the team's success.
Currently, there are many talented goalkeepers in the team. How was the decision made regarding who would be in the goal for the European Championship 2024 qualifiers?
Rustam Khudzhamov: Indeed, we have an extremely high level of competition among goalkeepers. We have Dmitriy Reznik, Andriy Lunin, Anatoliy Trubin, Georgiy Bushchan, and each of them possesses the highest level of professionalism. It was a very tough decision. We considered not only their playing skills but also their mental state. The decision was made based on the current situation, and it was incredibly difficult.
What was the interaction like with the national team goalkeepers, and how do you evaluate your overall work?
Rustam Khudzhamov: The experience of working with the goalkeepers during the qualifying cycle for the European Championship was excellent. Each of them showed a high level of professionalism and quickly accomplished the tasks given. It's wonderful when a player understands you with half a word and can notice important nuances in various exercises in a timely manner. Initially, at the beginning of the preparation, it seemed like there might be some difficulties, as we had previously met on the football field as opponents, and after retiring from my goalkeeper career, I had friendly interactions with them. For example, we met for discussions related to Brave GK gloves. However, our interaction within the national team went smoothly, and I'm grateful to each of them—Reznik, Lunin, Trubin, Bushchan—for their professionalism and respect for my role in the national team. The atmosphere within the team was more than pleasant, and I enjoyed every day and every hour spent together.
Rustam, tell us about the new collection of Brave GK gloves. How have the fresh models performed in the autumn season?
Rustam Khudzhamov: Brave GK gloves, especially Diamond White and Venom, have performed exceptionally well in various conditions. It's amazing how well they maintained their characteristics—even in snow, rain, and wind. Goalkeepers know that when there's heavy snowfall, ensuring grip and control, which are possible in dry summer weather, is nearly impossible. However, our gloves performed brilliantly. When we were developing the Diamond White model, for instance, I personally tried them on first, and I instantly felt that we had a real hit on our hands. However, current sales speak for themselves—our decisions have indeed been appreciated by goalkeepers in Ukraine and Europe. The new goalkeeper gloves made of latex are comfortable and of the highest quality.
What are Brave GK's plans for the future? What can we expect from future models?
Rustam Khudzhamov: We are currently testing and improving all aspects of goalkeeper gloves, including latex, fastening systems, and design. We plan to release six new models, including revamped versions and completely new developments. We will continue to delight goalkeepers with new high-quality products.
