Yaroslav Rakits’kyy: Our objective is edging past Sevilla
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
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Before the Europa League game, Shakhtar defender took part in the traditional press conference
- Yaroslav, how are you, does your knee injury bother you?
- Everything’s good, I’m fine! I missed a few games, but that's because the coach gave me the opportunity to have some rest and heal the injury. Now I am fully available.
- As a defender, who do you consider Sevilla’s most dangerous player?
- Sevilla are the attacking team, being mighty opponents in general. I would highlight Yevhen Konoplyanka - he's fast, giving Sevilla a greater attacking pace. But in general, the coach will tell us how to operate on the pitch.
- Is it hard to train and play away from your home city for so long? How does it affect the team?
- Of course, we find it tough without Donetsk, without the Donbass Arena! But that's life – for two years now we have been flying from Kyiv to Lviv, travelling across different Ukrainian places. We got used to it, and our objective is taking the field, showing our level and producing a decent performance.
- Everyone remembers Shakhtar’s games against Sevilla and the goal by Palop in the dying seconds in Donetsk. The goalkeeper’s connection was perhaps a surprise to Shakhtar defence, who didn’t sort it out. Are you ready for the fact that Sevilla can offer you something extraordinary in the course of the game?
- We have reached the semi-finals, and we want to make it to the final! What happened back in 2007, of course, is unpleasant. But one forgets everything, and that’s history now. And now we want to write our history! That is, to reach the final.
- Sevilla players say that they won’t be happy with the 0-0 stalemate. Will that result in the home match be acceptable for Shakhtar?
- We will play to win only! It’s a two-legged tie, and our objective is edging past Sevilla.
- Everything’s good, I’m fine! I missed a few games, but that's because the coach gave me the opportunity to have some rest and heal the injury. Now I am fully available.
- As a defender, who do you consider Sevilla’s most dangerous player?
- Sevilla are the attacking team, being mighty opponents in general. I would highlight Yevhen Konoplyanka - he's fast, giving Sevilla a greater attacking pace. But in general, the coach will tell us how to operate on the pitch.
- Is it hard to train and play away from your home city for so long? How does it affect the team?
- Of course, we find it tough without Donetsk, without the Donbass Arena! But that's life – for two years now we have been flying from Kyiv to Lviv, travelling across different Ukrainian places. We got used to it, and our objective is taking the field, showing our level and producing a decent performance.
- Everyone remembers Shakhtar’s games against Sevilla and the goal by Palop in the dying seconds in Donetsk. The goalkeeper’s connection was perhaps a surprise to Shakhtar defence, who didn’t sort it out. Are you ready for the fact that Sevilla can offer you something extraordinary in the course of the game?
- We have reached the semi-finals, and we want to make it to the final! What happened back in 2007, of course, is unpleasant. But one forgets everything, and that’s history now. And now we want to write our history! That is, to reach the final.
- Sevilla players say that they won’t be happy with the 0-0 stalemate. Will that result in the home match be acceptable for Shakhtar?
- We will play to win only! It’s a two-legged tie, and our objective is edging past Sevilla.
