It is better to see everyone

The Ukrainian Football Association publicised the “Personnel potential” (https://tinyurl.com/t5496t29) of the national team of Ukraine U-21 based on the results of the qualifying round of UEFA Euro U-21 2024, held from September 2004 to October 2025 on 9 December 2025. The publication of this article inspired me to make a small comparative analysis regarding the percentage of the players who had been fielded in the matches of the national youth teams of Ukraine and then appeared already in the staff of the U-21 team. I made such an analysis regarding our Olympic team in July of this year: https://tinyurl.com/bddmx852. Then, this indicator had been a quite high percentage for me. It was 59%. Moreover, I have chosen in the capacity of the key indicator the percentage of those who had never played in national youth teams and later came in the U-21 team. Further the quote:

“I think this is not the best indicator. For the reference: “…at UEFA EURO 2012, percentage of those players in the Ukraine “A” team who played for national youth teams (U-15 — U-19 NYT) was 57% and reached 70% at UEFA EURO 2016. To compare with 2014 FIFA World Cup, Spain “A” team percentage was 77%, Germany had 86%, and, for example, Russia “A” NT had only 27%” Source is https://tinyurl.com/2p849wna.”

It seems to me I made a mistake. I just did not take into account that the clubs refused to release all potential candidates. Then I had written the following:

“In my view, this is a consequence of the significant reduction in the international game practice of youth representative teams of UAF during the last four years.”

I should have compared this indicator with information concerning the percentage of the footballers who played in the national youth teams in the U-21 team during appropriate qualifying cycles. I suppose this simple comparison would allow us to understand better how 59% is a lot.

Here is what we have if we look at the statistics of three qualifying rounds. These are two the last — 2021/23 and 2023/25 — and the third is 2009/11. Why did I the far 2011 indicate? Because Ukraine qualified for the final round of UEFA Euro U-21 in all these three cycles. Moreover, I was wondering, in comparison, the periods when our national youth teams played regularly and frankly a lot (2011) and the period (2021 — 2024) where minimalism regarding the volume of international game practice prevailed in Ukrainian football.

UEFA Euro U-21 2023/25

Ukraine U-21 used 40 players in the qualifying cycle UEFA Euro 2023/25. Nine players among them were never invited to youth representative teams of the Ukrainian FA. This is 22,5%. However, if we considered only those who were fielded in qualifying matches, it would be 29 players. Six had never played in the national youth teams among them. It’s 20,7%.

UEFA Euro U-21 2021/23

This time, I did not analyse the cycle as a whole. In this case, these are qualifying matches and games in the final round. I took the list of the players of the Ukrainian U-21 for the final round of UEFA Euro U-21 (https://tinyurl.com/ykwp2nas). As a result, we have five footballers who did not play in the national youth teams among 23 on the player list for this tournament. It is 21,74%.

UEFA Euro U-21 2009/11

I again analysed only the final list of the players (https://tinyurl.com/atkv6xym). Therefore, we are talking about 23 players who had been in Denmark. Then it is six of 23 or 26,09%.

We have these figures in the end. In this case, I used the statistics for the players who participated in the games in qualification UEFA Euro U-21 2023/25.

UEFA Euro U-21 2023/25 — 20,7%,

UEFA Euro U-21 2021/23 — 21,74%,

UEFA Euro U-21 2009/11 — 26,09%.

We should wait until the Ukrainian final list for the UEFA Euro U-21 2023/25 for the purity of the experiment. However, in my opinion, it is already possible to conclude.

But first, I propose to identify why we should watch the percentage of the players at the level of U-21 who never played in youth association teams.

First, I believe there is a strong presumption that the “A” team begins with the youngest representative association team.

Second, if at the level U-21 appear many newcomers, this is evidence that they had not seen earlier. Therefore, for some reason, the selection and scouting have been not a particularly effective. In my opinion, it is not the best variant forming of the future of the “A” team.

Third, the smaller percentage under consideration is better the institute of the national teams of the football association worked. At the same time, it should be noted that seeing everyone is almost impossible. Some develop later than others, as they say. That is why, in my view, we need a U-20 representative team, and the domestic U-21 championship may not be superfluous.

Now, let's go directly to the conclusion. I think the two last cycles of the U-21 team demonstrated the following. Even though Ukrainian FA has significantly reduced the international game practice for the national youth teams, despite the cancellation because Covid-19 UEFA Under-19 Euro 2021 (for the players 2002 year of born) and two UEFA Under-17 Euro 2020 (2003 year of born) and 2021 (2004 year of born) — meantime the players 2002 and 2003 years of birth represent the U-21 team in the cycle 2023/25 — the percentage the players who did not play in youth representative teams less than 22% for two last qualifications. Today, it works. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Finally, here are some notes for your attention. In my opinion, 26,09% for the team that played in the final round of UEFA Euro U-21 2011 was related to the fact that, as at least two players, nobody had seen. The first goalkeeper, Anton Kanibolotskiy, did not play in the youth team in 1988 because of the high competition among the goalkeepers in this year of birth, so to speak. I will say no more. Two other goalkeepers of the U-21 team were also in the 1988 year of birth. These are Dmytro Nepohodov and Denys Boyko. Meanwhile, Yaroslav Rakitskiy was seen only in 2008, when his year of birth had already completed performance on the level of the U-19 team. Pavlo Yakovenko found him. It is the head coach of the U-21 team at that moment. Taras Stepanenko appeared in the U-19 team at the last moment, as they say. He participated in the latest match before the start of the team in the elite round of the European championship versus Italy tea. And these things happen.

And last but not least, as usual, I recall. Please remember! The author can be wrong. So, do your best to conclude on your own. The statistics do not play in football, but in our case, it is a fine illustrator of the work which had been done at the beginning if we support sort of a postulate: “A” team begins since the youngest one.

P.S. I took the statistics here: https://start.uaf.ua/players/, as always, and even from the Ukrainian Wikipedia. Because starting with the 2004 year of birth, the UAF Date Base has been somewhat incomplete. It is a pity. Or maybe I did not seek well? I hope the existing gap is quickly filled.