UEFA Euro 2012: Blokhin blames food poisoning for friendly defeat

Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin dismissed fears about his team's poor form ahead of the European championship following the co-hosts second consecutive friendly defeat at the hands of Turkey on Tuesday.

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"We experienced serious personnel problems in the match with Turkey as our 10 players were suffering from food poisoning and we had to shuffle the line-up just before the kick off," Blokhin said after the match in Ingolstadt, Germany, which his team lost 2-0.

"We still do not know what caused it as those who suffered the poisoning ate different food. We know only one thing - our players were poisoned here in Germany.

"But there's no great loss without some small gain. The incident gave a chance for the other players to prove themselves," added the former playing great.

Blokhin, who guided Ukraine into the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, also said that the main reason of his team's defeat was his players' lack of concentration and accuracy in front of goal.

"The first-half was evenly balanced though Turkey took the lead but after the break we squandered a hatful of chances, that we should have converted into goals," the 59-year-old said.

"It's very hard to come to any conclusion after a match in which you have 10 players unavailable. Besides, defender Bogdan Butko and midfielder Denis Garmash were both playing despite being poisoned.

"Now, with just a week before our opening Euro match we have the main task: to cure the players, to permit them to recover completely."

Blokhin remained defiant and said he believed his team was capable of being title contenders.

"Our team can go all the way up to the very top at the Euro," he said. "But to achieve this result many circumstances should be favourable for our team.

"Few people believed that Greece would beat Portugal in the Euro-2004 final but they did it.

"And Russia's win over the Netherlands four years ago (in the quarter-finals) was also unpredictable. Anything's possible at Euro. And our winning is possible too."