Blokhin's steadfast Ukraine can make their mark

Oleh Blokhin admits that his second stint in charge of Ukraine has not been easy. The 59-year-old has had to rebuild the backbone of the side in the space of six months, but having already guided his country to the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, the former Ballon d'Or winner is confident that his EURO 2012 co-hosts will prove "worthy of their place".

Blokhin is determined, however, to avoid any complacency creeping into a squad that qualified automatically for the finals. "I never got to play in a European Championship," he tells UEFA.com. "It's very prestigious so [the players] need to understand that they are making history." With the right attitude, the Zhovto-Blakytni might just equal the achievements of six years ago, according to current forward Andriy Voronin, who adds: "After that, anything can happen. Nobody could have imagined Greece winning EURO 2004."