Andrea Maldera Appointed Head Coach of Ukraine's National Team
The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) is expected to officially announce the appointment of Andrea Maldera as the new head coach of Ukraine's national team in the coming days. The 54-year-old Italian specialist will take the helm, with former Ukraine national team defender Volodymyr Yezerskyi serving as one of his assistants.
Volodymyr Yezerskyi's Background
Volodymyr Yezerskyi is a Ukrainian coach who gained recognition through his playing career. He played for clubs such as:
- Dynamo Kyiv,
- Dnipro,
- Shakhtar Donetsk.
Yezerskyi is a three-time Ukrainian champion and a two-time winner of the Ukrainian Cup. His coaching experience is also impressive: he has worked as an assistant at clubs like Oleksandriya under Ruslan Rotan, Karpaty under Myron Markevych, as well as with the Ukraine U19 team under Dmytro Mykhaylenko and the Ukraine youth team under Unai Melgosa. Additionally, Yezerskyi has served as head coach for the Ukraine U17 and U18 national teams.
As for Andrea Maldera, until June 2016 he worked within AC Milan's structure, focusing on technical development and match analysis. Maldera also gained significant experience with the Ukraine national team, where he assisted head coach Andriy Shevchenko for five years. In August 2021, Maldera left the national team to join England's Brighton, and later worked as an assistant at France's Marseille. It is worth noting that Maldera has no prior experience as a head coach, which may raise some questions among fans.
The appointment of Andrea Maldera as head coach of Ukraine's national team, with Volodymyr Yezerskyi included in his coaching staff, marks a significant step for the development of Ukrainian football. Observers are awaiting official confirmation from the UAF and further details on the team's plans going forward.
This move could prove pivotal for Ukrainian football, as the new coaching staff aims not only to boost the national team's performance but also to foster the growth of young talent. Given Maldera's background in analytics and his prior work with the squad, there is hope for fresh approaches in training methods, which could positively impact the team's results on the international stage.
The hiring of Andrea Maldera as head coach signifies a pivotal moment for the Ukrainian national team, especially considering the recent trend of foreign coaches leading the squad. For instance, the discussions surrounding Rebrov's potential leadership highlight the evolving landscape of Ukrainian football management, raising questions about the future direction of the team.