Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko admits Italy have high motivation against Ukraine but warns the Azzurri that his compatriots have ‘nothing to lose’ tonight.
Ukraine and Italy meet at the BayArena in Leverkusen tonight in the final match of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
A draw is enough for the Azzurri to qualify for Euro 2024, so Ukraine must win to earn a place in the tournament that will be staged in Germany next year.
“It is such an important match, more than a game for all of us,” Shevchenko told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Despite the war, the fact that we are forced to play every home game away and the difficulties we are facing inside the country, the team is still in a good position. Obviously, there has been a generational change, but we have valuable players such as Mudryk, Sudakov and Tsyngakov.
“Rebrov has done an excellent job in a very difficult situation. He has broguth his phylosphy and the team has rigenerated. At this stage, we have nothing to lose, but it does not mean we are satisfied with what we have achieved.”
Which Italy players does he fear the most?
“I fear the whole team rather than single players. Even for Luciano Spalletti, there is high motivation. I respect Luciano so much, he is an excellent coach, one of the best and he surely wants to bring Italy to the top after the World Cup disappointment. The Azzurri group is strong and they have quality players. The qualification means a lot to them, but we are ready to prove ourselves because this is not a game like the others.”