Today, on July 28, the mass-media representatives had a chance to attend Shakhtar, Donetsk evening training session. Two days before the upcoming fixture against Arsenal, Kyiv, Pitsmen’s tutor Mircea Lucescu answered the journalists questions.

- Probably, the forthcoming encounter against Arsenal will be a principle one, the players will be supermotivated by your anniversary?
- It is just a simple play in the championship, regardless of the anniversary. Lately we had rather tough clashes against Arsenal. Anniversary will interest me only after the match finishing. The fact that tomorrow we do not stay here, but go to Kiev and spend the night there, just confirm those words. We will surely witness a hard clash. We leave for away fixture in order to beat them. It is our duty.

- Did the teams you trained before, please or distress you mostly on your previous birthdays?
- I do not remember, whether they pleased or distressed. The previous year birthday was surely not very much pleasant one. If you remember, then we played against Timisoara. If someone remembers, the 60^th anniversary was a good one. The main thing is to win and move up in the tournament table, to gain the confidence both for us and our fans.

- How do you motivate your guys? Do you promise them anything or vice versa, frighten them with fines?
- I will say once again, we are going to have a regular championship’s fixture coming. The players are motivated in the same way, as for any other matches, no matter whether it is my anniversary or birthday. We must get prepared, appear in the pitch maximally concentrated and defeat the rival.

- Please tell us, when can we see Roman Yemelianov in play?
- Probably, his time will come in the nearest future.

- And Eduardo da Silva?
- As I’ve already said, probably in the fixture against Sevastopol he will step on the pitch.

- Could you explain the situation with Kravchenko? When he appears in play, he is enormously active, he either scores or assists in goals. However later, after that, he disappears at all. So what happens with him?
- I choose those, who are in perfect fitness on the matchday. You know, every time we are challenging for win only. He is a player, as well as all the others. When he is fit, he certainly, plays. I always feel it. If not, then the others perform.

- The team is left by two of the players. What is the optimum number of footballers should be?
- We still have time to think before August 31. But meanwhile we stopped at that, that means, only those stayed, who are in team now. Generally speaking, two very much experienced players, having the top-flight matches experience, left the team. They helped Shakhtar to win its titles, and I very respect them for that. Nevertheless, we parted, and now certainly the young players will get some chances. And they will have to use these chances. Now they will face the competition. Yemel'yanov, Kravchenko, Stepanenko, Teixeira, Costa must prove their worthiness of staying in the team. Additionally, all of them are young. To be honest, Duljaj and Lewandowski could still play for us. Those young people, being behind them previously, now must prove, that they are fit to replace them. Such competition will strengthen the team’s play.

- The news are spread, that Khudzhamov could leave for Metalist. How will you comment on that situation?
- I do not know, I can not say anything meanwhile.

- Do you think that it would be better for Khudzhamov to be transferred to the other team?
- It is not the problem we have to discuss with the mass-media. It is our intimate «kitchen» affairs. We will think and discuss it.

- It so happened that a year ago you celebrated your birthday in the hospital struggling the heart problems. Within the last year were you more careful as far as your health concern?
- Today I underwent medical examination, and I was said, that the more aggressive I am and the more I yell, the more it is better for me! Probably, there are some moments in the encounters, when the coach must shout from time to time, to cheer and stimulate the footballers movements somehow. I would also prefer to sit on the subs bench and watch quietly the play, but it not always happens like this.

- When in the previous clash Douglas Costa approached the ball before performing direct free kick, you said something to him. Did you want to promt him something or just celebrated beforehand?
- I was next to him then and, probably, felt that moment could be a key one, and we could score, we were pressed by time then. It happened exactly that way.

- Arsenal leads following their first two Matchdays. How do you estimate opponent’s play? Do you feel they are able to challenge for the first places in championship? And, in your opinion, is Shakhtar the team, able to perform the top-flight play, or you are just in process of entering the season?
- It is just the championship opening, therefore it is hard to estimate the state of one or the other team. A great deal will depend on the calendar schedule, on the playing home or away fixtures. Additionally it is necessary to consider the history of who and how was engaged in the training camps and what goals were set. Usually everything is summed up at the end, after drawing of the final line. And now it is still early to talk and analyse anything. I can only say that the teams performing the attacking football can walk up the pedestal, instead of those who stay at their home half, in the back-four line just denying the rival's efforts. Yes, they can eventually gain some points, but nothing more.

- Are there, in your opinion, strong players in Arsenal?
- It is a very experienced team and, as I’ve said previously, it will be very hard to play against it. They are well-mastered, therefore everything will depend on them. If Arsenal prepares well for every game they play, they may challenge for something more.

FC Shakhtar
Press-office