Goncharenko on the match against Armenia: “It’s important to choose the right lineup and give every player a chance”

Belarus national team head coach Viktor Goncharenko shared his expectations ahead of the friendly against Armenia and spoke about the team’s preparation.

The Belarusian squad arrived a day before the match: they had a training session in Cyprus in the morning, and a pre-match session is scheduled for today. According to the coach, the staff is closely monitoring players’ condition to make optimal decisions regarding the starting lineup.

Goncharenko noted that midfielder Yevgeny Yablonsky is fully fit and could start the match.

— How did preparation for the Armenia match go? Did the team recover well?
— We arrived yesterday. We had a training session in Cyprus in the morning, and today we have a pre-match session planned. We are closely monitoring the players’ condition to make the right decisions for tomorrow’s lineup. Victory always brings positive emotions, which usually help recovery.

— What is Yablonsky’s condition? Can we expect him in the lineup?
— Zhenya is ready to play, so he may appear from the starting minutes.

— Is squad rotation possible?
— There’s no point in hiding anything from the opponent. We continue monitoring the players. It’s important to give playing time to everyone in the squad and correctly determine the starting lineup and substitutions. No surprises are expected—the lineup is quite clear.

— How do you assess the fact that Armenia didn’t play their first match during this international window? Could it affect the game?
— On one hand, fewer players may get match practice. On the other, their squad might be fresher than ours. It’s a mixed situation. In general, it’s important to play as many matches as possible during such windows, and I think Armenia might be lacking that.

— You have worked with several Armenian players. How do you assess their development?
— I’m glad you mentioned them. I worked with Tiknizyan even more than with Spertsyan. I have great relationships with all of them. Moreover, I recommended Spertsyan to many coaches from top leagues.

He already performs at a high level, he is a product of FC Krasnodar, and he is valued, but I would like him to follow a path similar to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who achieved great success internationally. Spertsyan has all the qualities for that.

As for Tiknizyan, he has come a long way with me. At clubs like CSKA Moscow, young players are given limited time to prove themselves—usually about two years between the reserve and first teams. If they progress, they move up. That’s exactly what happened thanks to his hard work, left foot, skill, speed, and determination.

Is he in the right place? I’m not sure. After Lokomotiv Moscow, playing for Red Star Belgrade is quite a good option.

— How do you assess the prospects of Belarus and Armenia in qualifying for major tournaments?
— It’s wrong to work without belief in success. You have to keep knocking—no matter how long it takes. Sooner or later, these efforts will pay off.

Source: sport5.by

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