We’re pleased with the draw

- Roma is not the worst option, given that the possible rivals included Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United. I reсkon this is a good draw for us. Shakhtar already met with the Romans in the Champions League round of 16 in 2011, and we advanced further back then. We’ve got some successful experience with this team, and we should take advantage of that to display the kind of football our fans will enjoy, and to do our best to make it through to the next round. It’s worth noting that the Italians advanced from the group being in the top spot, ahead of Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. This is a very revealing fact, which confirms the opponents’ high class. In addition, Roma currently features a number of strong players: the same Nainggolan, Edin Dzeko, the goalkeeper Alisson. These days, those are high-level players. We must prepare very and very seriously for the match, especially since that’s one of our team’s opening games next year - immediately after a two-and-a-half-month break. It’s necessary for us to be up to the mark both physically and mentally, and not to forget that Roma showcase a very high-quality football, being considered one of the Italian league favourites. We need to take into account all those subtleties, to consider every detail, because there are no minor things in football.
 
- Have you talked to the representatives of the Rome-based club? What do they think about the draw?
- Yes, we have already spoken with the representatives of Roma after the event. We have good relationships with them - we communicate beyond football and even at the event we were sitting not far from each other. I can say that both the Italians and we are satisfied with the draw. Most importantly, it’s about those who will retain a great mood after the Last 16 fixtures.