Sergei Palkin: The fans should see all the games
Friday, July 14, 2017
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Shakhtar CEO answered the questions from reporters
- Sergei Anatolyevich, have you announced the team’s goals for the season, for the Champions League?
- For the recent decades they haven’t actually changed: to win the league title, the Cup and the Super Cup. Of course, one of the main objectives is to participate in the Champions League group stage every season. These topics are not discussed, the coaches and players know about them.
- Advancing from the group, the quarterfinals ...
- Naturally, it will be based on logic. I'm talking about our philosophy and our vision for all the seasons. Shakhtar’s objective is playing in the Champions League group stage. Of course, if we make it further, that’s a big plus. And the further, the better.
- Will Shakhtar play their home games in Kharkiv or will they change stadiums?
- In Kharkiv so far.
- While signing the contract with Parimatch, you said that any game against Dynamo, even a friendly one, is of particular importance. How much are Shakhtar psychologically ready for the approaching Super Cup clash?
- Today, you can ask the head coach about that. I think he knows the issue much deeper.
- On fan forums, disputes arose over the presence of the star on Shakhtar kits. Why did you decide not to do that?
- By and large, I already gave a comment about the star. You all can read it – there’s nothing to add.
- Will the new sponsor Parimatch influence the premium amount in case of a successful outcome in the Super Cup match?
- When we gave the information about the interaction with Parimatch, we mainly focused on our activity for promoting football. That doesn’t extend to any bonuses. We will allocate the sponsorship funds we receive from Parimatch specifically to football promotion among fans. That’s the main driving force of the agreement.
- Does the team need to be strengthened? Can we expect any transfers?
- Not at the moment. If we’ve got issues before the end of the transfer period, then we will think it over.
- When will Fred be able to play?
- In early August.
- Does Shakhtar's new kit have any details that relates it to the Donbass Arena? How much the club, the football players and you personally hope for returning to the stadium one day? Please share your opinion: how it used to be and how the arena looks now?
- I'll start in the corresponding order. I read in the press that they try to equate our kit to some political statements and standpoints. I want to say unequivocally that we are out of politics. Moreover, I will explain to people who write this stuff how the kit is created in general. That lasts for more than one month. The American company Nike offer their design options a year before the kit introduction. The idea of the Donbass Arena, which has been expressed today, is the moral state we feel. I have said repeatedly: if we don’t believe in our return, there’s no point in continuing it. That’s our stance. We must believe and we do so.
- Many experts consider Shakhtar to be the unconditional league favourites. Do you think anyone will be able to compete against the Miners?
- Football is such that anyone can compete at any time. In the summer, each club had their own preparatory process, their own reinforcement. There can be many surprises. We just love football because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Had it been that simple, it wouldn’t be interesting.
- Could you give a short evaluation of Dynamo’s transfer campaign?
- I think that's incorrect to ask me to assess our competitors. You should learn from Dynamo their view on strengthening.
- These days, three clubs remain without a broadcaster. Shakhtar are to play away against them. How will you solve the situation for the fans to be able to see your game?
- At least we will try to enable the fans to see it. The agreement is quite another thing. I pointed out that the situation is quite complicated. There’s a kind of string. On the one hand, the broadcasters refuse to air the matches, because that’s not interesting, but on the other hand, because a number of clubs play in the stadiums where it’s impossible to bring in and set an OB unit, and to ensure a normal picture. There are many questions, and it’s not known how this situation will end. But we should try to make sure that the fans see all the games. I think this is not only the broadcasters’ objective, but also that of the clubs, the Premier League and the Football Federation. If we move towards the situation when some games are not shown, we’ll get back to the nineties.
- Everyone expected the clubs to take advantage of the new format of the Premier League, but in actual fact they lose more than they gain?
- It’s a complex issue. There’s the Premier League, the broadcasters and clubs, and everyone has their own problems. Naturally, the plans made are not always fulfilled. We planned quite a lot of changes in the Premier League. For today, we’ve fulfilled some ten percent. That is, we have a long and very tough path. I don’t want to blame anyone for the things that haven’t been done at all, but the fact is that there’s a great lot of work to do.
- Where will Oleksandr Karavayev continue his career?
- We don’t know yet. We are working on that issue.
- For the recent decades they haven’t actually changed: to win the league title, the Cup and the Super Cup. Of course, one of the main objectives is to participate in the Champions League group stage every season. These topics are not discussed, the coaches and players know about them.
- Advancing from the group, the quarterfinals ...
- Naturally, it will be based on logic. I'm talking about our philosophy and our vision for all the seasons. Shakhtar’s objective is playing in the Champions League group stage. Of course, if we make it further, that’s a big plus. And the further, the better.
- Will Shakhtar play their home games in Kharkiv or will they change stadiums?
- In Kharkiv so far.
- While signing the contract with Parimatch, you said that any game against Dynamo, even a friendly one, is of particular importance. How much are Shakhtar psychologically ready for the approaching Super Cup clash?
- Today, you can ask the head coach about that. I think he knows the issue much deeper.
- On fan forums, disputes arose over the presence of the star on Shakhtar kits. Why did you decide not to do that?
- By and large, I already gave a comment about the star. You all can read it – there’s nothing to add.
- Will the new sponsor Parimatch influence the premium amount in case of a successful outcome in the Super Cup match?
- When we gave the information about the interaction with Parimatch, we mainly focused on our activity for promoting football. That doesn’t extend to any bonuses. We will allocate the sponsorship funds we receive from Parimatch specifically to football promotion among fans. That’s the main driving force of the agreement.
- Does the team need to be strengthened? Can we expect any transfers?
- Not at the moment. If we’ve got issues before the end of the transfer period, then we will think it over.
- When will Fred be able to play?
- In early August.
- Does Shakhtar's new kit have any details that relates it to the Donbass Arena? How much the club, the football players and you personally hope for returning to the stadium one day? Please share your opinion: how it used to be and how the arena looks now?
- I'll start in the corresponding order. I read in the press that they try to equate our kit to some political statements and standpoints. I want to say unequivocally that we are out of politics. Moreover, I will explain to people who write this stuff how the kit is created in general. That lasts for more than one month. The American company Nike offer their design options a year before the kit introduction. The idea of the Donbass Arena, which has been expressed today, is the moral state we feel. I have said repeatedly: if we don’t believe in our return, there’s no point in continuing it. That’s our stance. We must believe and we do so.
- Many experts consider Shakhtar to be the unconditional league favourites. Do you think anyone will be able to compete against the Miners?
- Football is such that anyone can compete at any time. In the summer, each club had their own preparatory process, their own reinforcement. There can be many surprises. We just love football because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Had it been that simple, it wouldn’t be interesting.
- Could you give a short evaluation of Dynamo’s transfer campaign?
- I think that's incorrect to ask me to assess our competitors. You should learn from Dynamo their view on strengthening.
- These days, three clubs remain without a broadcaster. Shakhtar are to play away against them. How will you solve the situation for the fans to be able to see your game?
- At least we will try to enable the fans to see it. The agreement is quite another thing. I pointed out that the situation is quite complicated. There’s a kind of string. On the one hand, the broadcasters refuse to air the matches, because that’s not interesting, but on the other hand, because a number of clubs play in the stadiums where it’s impossible to bring in and set an OB unit, and to ensure a normal picture. There are many questions, and it’s not known how this situation will end. But we should try to make sure that the fans see all the games. I think this is not only the broadcasters’ objective, but also that of the clubs, the Premier League and the Football Federation. If we move towards the situation when some games are not shown, we’ll get back to the nineties.
- Everyone expected the clubs to take advantage of the new format of the Premier League, but in actual fact they lose more than they gain?
- It’s a complex issue. There’s the Premier League, the broadcasters and clubs, and everyone has their own problems. Naturally, the plans made are not always fulfilled. We planned quite a lot of changes in the Premier League. For today, we’ve fulfilled some ten percent. That is, we have a long and very tough path. I don’t want to blame anyone for the things that haven’t been done at all, but the fact is that there’s a great lot of work to do.
- Where will Oleksandr Karavayev continue his career?
- We don’t know yet. We are working on that issue.