Boring match
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
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The Shakhtar manager Paulo Fonseca reflected on the cup game vs Olimpik
- It was a boring match. I think the fans don’t like this kind of football. We tried hard, although it was difficult to rip open the opposing defence who neither played nor attacked. In the first half, the opponents did not even reach our goal and put ten men in front of their boxRipping open the opposing defence with so many players was hard. In the second half, Olimpik actually won the lottery by scoring the first goal, while the opponents didn’t even try to do so. It's one thing when you can’t make it, but don't just try ... As a coach who loves some spectacular performance, it's hard for me to understand that. I feel sorry for those who come to watch that kind of football. We attacked and won the game which was very boring. In view of our efforts, I think this is entirely just. Of course, at some moments we weren’t as fast as the clash demanded it. However, I want to repeat that it’s not easy when the opponents just park the bus in their penalty area. The well-deserved win. Shakhtar are the only team who at least tried to play and win it today.
- A spot-kick makes any game more intriguing. Were both spot kicks fair?
- I wouldn’t like to talk about that now. The meeting was so boring that the spot kicks even revived it a bit. I would say the following: I’ve got some great doubts about both of them - not just the one against us, but also the one against the opponents. I must fairly admit it. Had I been the ref, I would probably not have awarded a spot-kick in any of the episodes.
- It was a kind of rehearsal before the Ukrainian ‘El Clasico’. Have you seen today how you’re going to play Dynamo?
- I don't think there was any kind of rehearsal. It was a completely different match, and I hope that the encounter with Dynamo will be completely different. We had a significant rotation, changed the line-up. We have many suspended players and a lot of injured footballers. Stepanenko got injured, plus Fernando today ... Some guys will not appear vs Dynamo, so I don’t think we can talk about any kind of rehearsal.
- Do you already know what happened with Fernando? Will Marlos and Taison be able to play Dynamo?
- Fernando just got his ankle twisted. I don’t believe that in two days he will be able to get back to the ranks. Taison is recovering well, but it’s still difficult to say whether he’ll appear against Dynamo. Marlos is also in question. His recovery is not as good as that of Taison, so he’s most likely not to participate. Stepanenko’s app is also doubtful.
- What do you make of Mudryk's debut?
- For his first minutes on the field, as for such a young player, - I liked it. He appeared at the difficult moment in the game, showed his confidence and desire. He’s a promising football player for the future.
- Perhaps that’s the first time when Shakhtar will spend four full days in Kharkiv. Do you have any other plans besides training sessions and preparation?
- Everything is absolutely normal: a hotel, two training sessions ... Probably, if I’ve got the possibility, I will walk around the centre despite the fact that it’s already cold and that the winter is nearing. I will stroll along the main streets and squares not to sit all the time in the hotel.
- And what about the team?
- Most likely, they will also go for a walk. In their free time, the guys can always circle down the centre of the city. I like Kharkiv, we feel very good here. People recognize us and give us a warm welcome.
- Did you celebrate Halloween or maybe you just plan to mark it? Is the Zorro outfit far away?
- Nope, I’ve got no costume. We’ve got just a couple of days left before the next game – it’s important to have some rest, there’s not enough time for recovery. At the moment, we start thinking about the match against Dynamo. We’ve got no time to mark Halloween.
- A spot-kick makes any game more intriguing. Were both spot kicks fair?
- I wouldn’t like to talk about that now. The meeting was so boring that the spot kicks even revived it a bit. I would say the following: I’ve got some great doubts about both of them - not just the one against us, but also the one against the opponents. I must fairly admit it. Had I been the ref, I would probably not have awarded a spot-kick in any of the episodes.
- It was a kind of rehearsal before the Ukrainian ‘El Clasico’. Have you seen today how you’re going to play Dynamo?
- I don't think there was any kind of rehearsal. It was a completely different match, and I hope that the encounter with Dynamo will be completely different. We had a significant rotation, changed the line-up. We have many suspended players and a lot of injured footballers. Stepanenko got injured, plus Fernando today ... Some guys will not appear vs Dynamo, so I don’t think we can talk about any kind of rehearsal.
- Do you already know what happened with Fernando? Will Marlos and Taison be able to play Dynamo?
- Fernando just got his ankle twisted. I don’t believe that in two days he will be able to get back to the ranks. Taison is recovering well, but it’s still difficult to say whether he’ll appear against Dynamo. Marlos is also in question. His recovery is not as good as that of Taison, so he’s most likely not to participate. Stepanenko’s app is also doubtful.
- What do you make of Mudryk's debut?
- For his first minutes on the field, as for such a young player, - I liked it. He appeared at the difficult moment in the game, showed his confidence and desire. He’s a promising football player for the future.
- Perhaps that’s the first time when Shakhtar will spend four full days in Kharkiv. Do you have any other plans besides training sessions and preparation?
- Everything is absolutely normal: a hotel, two training sessions ... Probably, if I’ve got the possibility, I will walk around the centre despite the fact that it’s already cold and that the winter is nearing. I will stroll along the main streets and squares not to sit all the time in the hotel.
- And what about the team?
- Most likely, they will also go for a walk. In their free time, the guys can always circle down the centre of the city. I like Kharkiv, we feel very good here. People recognize us and give us a warm welcome.
- Did you celebrate Halloween or maybe you just plan to mark it? Is the Zorro outfit far away?
- Nope, I’ve got no costume. We’ve got just a couple of days left before the next game – it’s important to have some rest, there’s not enough time for recovery. At the moment, we start thinking about the match against Dynamo. We’ve got no time to mark Halloween.