Euro 2020 – who is Ukraine captain, Andriy Pyatov?

Ukraine captain
(Image credit: PA)

Andriy Pyatov will be the Ukraine captain at Euro 2020, which begins in Rome on June 11.

Ukraine will be taking part in their third consecutive European Championship this summer.

Co-hosts at Euro 2012, they nevertheless failed to progress beyond the group phase, while they also fell at the first hurdle four years later.

Ukraine missed out on the 2018 World Cup - they have not graced that competition since 2006, when current manager Andriy Shevchenko was leading the line - but booked a spot at Euro 2020 in impressive fashion.

Ukraine finished top of their qualifying group, amassing 20 points from a possible 24 and conceding only four goals in eight games.

They finished first ahead of reigning European champions Portugal, as well as Serbia, Luxembourg and Lithuania.

Ukraine will now be hoping to reach the knockout stage of a European Championship for the first time as an independent nation.

Their campaign begins against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on June 13, before a meeting with North Macedonia in Bucharest five days later.

Ukraine will conclude the group phase at the same venue when they take on Austria on June 21.

Shevchenko will be the man in the dugout and Pyatov will act as his on-field leader this summer.

The experienced goalkeeper will turn 37 in June, which means this is likely to be his final international tournament.

Pyatov, who plies his trade with Shakhtar Donetsk at club level, has earned 96 caps for the senior side.

He made his international debut back in 2007 - the same year he joined Shakhtar - and has remained Ukraine’s No.1 ever since

Pyatov has won the Ukrainian Premier League Best Goalkeeper award on six occasions, while he is a 10-time league champion in his homeland.

His vast experience will no doubt be key to Ukraine’s chances of a successful tournament.

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