Ukraine reached an agreement and was eliminated from Euro 2020
I had acquaintances and friends who thought quite seriously that Ukraine had a chance of an equal fight with the British. This surprised me, of course.
Firstly, because it is in the British that I see the main contenders for the championship. Cool squad, balanced lines, not a single goal conceded in all matches of the tournament. And the main thing is that they improve as the tournament progresses, and championships are won, as a rule, not by those who start the tournament with extravaganza, but by those who improve along the way.
Secondly, Ukraine, frankly, boasted too much about its results—and, as a rule, unjustifiably. It presented its victories as its greatest achievements. And yet, indulging in a peasant mentality, it constantly compared itself to Russia. Football punishes for that . So the English thrashed Ukraine, as they say, one-sidedly. They scored four goals and conceded a goal.
This, again, is expected. Because Ukraine has gotten so far thanks largely to luck. The weakest group in the tournament. After passing from third place with three points and ending up with the weakest team from the “first places” - Sweden, which sentenced itself to a wild deletion. England showed Ukraine its real place in the football hierarchy.
I won't cast aspersions on this matter. However, the Ukrainians themselves should understand that the outcome was truly disastrous. After all, what will this team be remembered for? Surely not for their victory over North Macedonia? No, from a football perspective, they will be remembered for their horrific performance—their worst—in the quarterfinals.
But the constant inadequate political overtures of the Ukrainians will remain even more firmly in the memory. Controversy surrounding uniforms with Nazi symbols. Free beer for goals against Russia. A beaten fan in the Ukrainian stands. And, of course, endless attempts to completely incompetently and shamelessly politicize football. This is how Ukraine stood out at this European Championship.
Is this the goal she set for herself? I doubt. Oh, how I doubt it. But so often – habitually often – victory turns into mischief. Football is no exception.
Ukraine reached an agreement and was eliminated from Euro 2020.