Soccer

Ukraine duo named in squad after they kiss and make up

Andriy Yarmolenko had kicked Taras Stepanenko after goal celebration during Ukrainian league match

Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates after scoring for Ukraine in the international friendly match between against Wales at Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev. Photograph: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images
Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates after scoring for Ukraine in the international friendly match between against Wales at Olimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev. Photograph: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images
Thu May 19 2016 - 16:54

Andriy Yarmolenko and Taras Stepanenko were named in Ukraine's provisional 28-man squad for Euro 2016 after they shook hands to settle a dispute which had threatened to overshadow coach Mykhaylo Fomenko's preparations for next month's tournament in France.

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Stepanenko was blatantly kicked by Yarmolenko for kissing his club’s badge and staging a provocative goal celebration in front of Dynamo Kiev fans in a domestic derby on May 1st.

“I would like peace and friendship to prevail inside our team. As a man, I am used to being responsible for my actions,” Yarmolenko said reading a prepared statement in front of assembled media on Thursday.

“I admit my fault. I was wrong in that situation. I hope Taras would agree to shake my hand so that we can peacefully prepare for the Euros,” he added before shaking hands with Stepanenko.

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Stepanenko said: "We have discussed this situation . . . and I hope this won't happen again as we are likely to play side-by-side in the Ukraine team for many years.

“This dispute should be considered settled.”

Striker Evhen Seleznyov, who recently rejoined his former club Shakhtar, failed to make the cut despite helping Ukraine to qualify for the finals.

The 30-year-old striker is reported to have fallen out of favour with coach Fomenko after moving to the Russian club Kuban from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in February.

“The coaching staff are still having discussions on some positions. We also have four players on the reserve list. Evhen Seleznyov is not on it,” Fomenko said.

Ukraine are scheduled to play friendlies against Romania on May 29th and Albania on June 3rd before facing world champions Germany in their opening Euro 2016 match on June 12th. They will also face Poland and Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland in Group C.

UKRAINE SQUAD

Goalkeepers (3): Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar), Denys Boyko (Besiktas), Mykyta Shevchenko (Zorya).

Defenders (8): Evhen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev), Bohdan Butko (Amkar), Artem Fedetskyi (Dnipro), Mykyta Kamenyuka (Zorya), Oleksandr Karavaev (Zorya), Oleksandr Kucher (Shakhtar), Yaroslav Rakytskyi (Shakhtar), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (Shakhtar).

Midfielders (14): Oleh Gusev (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Rybalka (Dynamo Kiev), Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kiev), Serhiy Sydorchuk (Dynamo Kiev), Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Evhen Konoplyanka (Sevilla), Ivan Petyak (Zorya), Ruslan Rotan (Dnipro), Taras Stepanenko (Shakhtar), Viktor Kovalenko (Shakhtar), Maksym Malyshev (Shakhtar), Evhen Shakhov (Dnipro), Anatolyi Tumoschuk (Kairat), Oleksandr Zinchenko (UFA).

Forwards (3): Arem Kravets (Stuttgart), Roman Zozylya (Dnipro), Pylyp Budkivskyi (Zorya).