Kutsev confident as Ukraine make bow

Qualifying for the finals of UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ has been the biggest achievement so far for Ukraine's national team and their coach Anatoliy Kutsev. As he prepares his squad for the tournament, Kutsev tells uefa.com about Ukraine's progress in the women's game, the atmosphere within the team and their prospects in Finland.

uefa.com: What target have you set your team in Finland?

Anatoliy Kutsev: The minimum is to qualify for the quarter-finals. We respect all our opponents, but we can do it. A lot will depend on the first match on Sunday, where we play another debutant, the Netherlands. Later we meet Denmark, the favourites in Group A. We played them in qualifying, winning one and losing one, with both games finishing 1-0. I suppose we can beat the hosts Finland. But we'll see what happens. Only time will tell.

uefa.com: What was the key to Ukraine's success in qualifying?

Kutsev: First of all, we managed to create an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. Players and coaches became like-minded people and this helped change the psychology of the team and set new goals for the squad. The road to EURO 2009™ started two and a half years ago for us, at our first training camp. First of all, we tried to convince the girls that they were ready to play at this level and could win any match. In my own opinion, the coach's task is just that - to give direction to the work that needs to be done and to help players fulfil their potential.

uefa.com: What tactical system do you prefer?

Anatoliy Kutsev: As a former defender, I like it when the team defends as a unit and then quickly moves forward. In ten qualifying matches, we conceded only three goals, none of them from set-pieces. In terms of tactics, which can all be a bit relative, we usually play 4-5-1 with two defensive midfielders. Our strength up front is in attacking from the flanks and using a lot of individual skill. Our striker Daryna Apanaschenko scored some decisive goals in qualification; she's a top-class player.

uefa.com: How has your success helped the popularity of women's football in Ukraine?

Anatoliy Kutsev: Interest is growing bit by bit. Four years ago we had only four or five teams in the national league, now that number has doubled and television is getting more and more interested in showing matches.

uefa.com: Yet your best players come from clubs in the Russian league...

Anatoliy Kutsev: The financial resources of the two countries are different. As a result, our girls go to Russia, where there are more good teams and the standard is higher. However, our national team is a winner because of that. Our players not only earn good money, but also improve their skills, and that improvement is quite significant. For example, at the end of May we beat Russia 2-0 in a friendly. So we'll be flying to Finland with confidence.