Viktor Hancharenka: We fought for every inch of the magnificent pitch with the support of our great fans

— I think the match was top-quality. We played two different halves. We fought for every inch of our magnificent pitch with the support of our great fans. We had moments when the level of the game fell, but today we were able to recoup and to take the lead. In the second half we switched to the game with quick attacks and scored the third goal.

— Can you persuade Akinfeev to go to Euro 2021?
— If Igor decides, we all will be for it. But nevertheless, I understand him. We must respect the decision that he will make. If he is ready to go and his health permits, we would like to see him at such a high level.

— Why did you decide to choose Karpov and not Vasin?
— Vasin felt slightly unwell. Therefore, we decided in favor of healthy Karpov. Moreover, he has a lot of high-level matches under his belt.

— How would you assess the progress of Maradishvili and Tiknizyan?
— We now have such a wide team that allows us to rotate the squad for different opponents, use different playbooks. If these guys come out in XI, then they deserve it. I am glad that our alumni not only play in starting XI, but also benefit.

— How did you manage to maintain the game level in the second half?
— We slightly modified our playbook, pressure and players positions in order to maintain more strength at the end of the match. Moreover, European tournaments matches will start soon. It is also important that we have Chidi in our team, who can get on the ball and attacks at high speed.