Blokhin: Ukraine bow out with heads high
Reuters - Tuesday 19 June 2012, 22:30
Oleh Blokhin said Ukraine had
nothing to be ashamed of after the Euro 2012 co-hosts bowed out
of the tournament on Tuesday following a 1-0 defeat by England
which left them third in Group D.
Blokhin probably spoke for millions of dejected Ukrainians
when he cursed his side's luck in having what he saw as a goal
ruled out in the second half with replays suggesting Marco
Devic's effort may have been over the line before it was
cleared.
The Ukraine coach praised his side's display in their final
group game in which they laid siege to England's goal for long
periods, but were unable to capitalise on good spells of
possession and conceded a sloppy goal when Wayne Rooney headed
in.
Ukraine needed to beat England to go through, but it was Roy
Hodgson's side (seven points) who progressed to the
quarter-finals as group winners along with France (four).
Ukraine finished third with three points ahead of Sweden, who
they beat, also on three.
"We have a promising team and I would like to thank my
players and all supporters for this game. We weren't lucky
enough, but I do not feel ashamed with our performance tonight,"
Blokhin told reporters.
The coach was still seething at having what he viewed as a
clear goal ruled out, taking his anger out on one reporter by
challenging him to "go outside and have a man conversation".
"Have you ever played?, he snapped. "You write what you like.
You don't like my team or me. I understand you are a journalist.
You should respect me."
Refocusing, Blokhin said he could not understand how his
side were controversially denied an equaliser on 62 minutes when
Devic's shot was half-saved by keeper Joe Hart, then hacked off
or from beyond the line by defender John Terry.
The additional assistant referee, introduced to try to deal
with close goalline decisions, did not indicate a goal to the
referee, to the fury of Blokhin.
"What should I say? There were five referees on the pitch
and the ball was 75 centimetres behind the goalline," said
Blokhin, whose side head out along with co-hosts Poland at the
group stage.
"Why do we need five referees if (England striker Andy)
Carroll plays with his elbows or Terry fouls from behind?
"I do not want to talk about referees. But I would not like
to put everything on referees. You have seen it, so you may
write all you want."
Striker Andriy Shevchenko, who announced after the game that
he would retire from international football after a farewell
friendly, echoed Blokhin's sentiment when he said defeat by
England "was unfair".
"I think Ukraine was just as good as the opposition. It was
our best game at this stage. We were playing for the public and
I hope we have not disappointed them," Shevchenko, Ukraine's
leading player for over a decade, said after winning his 111th
international cap as a second-half substitute.
"Yes, we are out of the Euros now but this is football, this
is sports. I would like to say that we tried to show good
football at this tournament... and I think we have succeeded."