We need to be in the UCL qualifying stage
Friday, April 30, 2021
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In an interview to Shakhtar News, Shakhtar head coach Luis Castro spoke about the preparation for the match against Dnipro-1 that will take place in Kyiv on the 1st of May
- Mister, what is the team working on within this week cycle?
- We are working to win the next match. We work out our defensive formation and our macro-principles for the game. We’re really focussed on winning, knowing how important it is. The league season has been very difficult for us, and now we need to solve the second-spot issue - to strengthen our standing and be in the Champions League qualifying stage next season. We’ve been practising everything that may be required in the upcoming game.
- Dnipro-1 have really stepped it up: in 2021 they claimed a few victories, including major ones. What kind of game against the opponents do you expect?
- We know about every attribute of Dnipro-1 and we know our own qualities. We respect the opponents, but first of all we respect ourselves. We are looking inward now. You are right, Dnipro-1 have enjoyed a great season - they deliver some excellent quality performance this year, they have high-level footballers. We understand how difficult the match will be.
- What are the strengths of Dnipro-1?
- The team launch their attacks in a great way. Their striker is very strong. A lot of their passes reach the box, but they may also feed the forward, so the opponents are dangerous while attacking. We’ve seen many great chances by this team lately and are aware of their qualities. Dnipro-1 have been enjoying a great year 2021 for a reason. In football, there’s always an explanation for things. We’ve got every reason to play like Dnipro-1 – they are doing well.
- Can we expect that those with less match practice and young footballers will be more involved in the three remaining matches?
- Are you talking about the footballers who didn't have so much playing time? Everybody played actually. Everyone was needed this season. We have lost many players. If someone doesn’t remember, we had 12 coronavirus cases, really tough injuries, so we had to train for quite a long time without those players. This is a very unusual season. Even those guys who returned after COVID-19 were unprepared, and we had to deploy those young footballers who, basically, weren’t yet ready. Therefore, to say that someone did not spend enough time on the field ... We can say so about Ismaily, Konoplyanka. Probably, we didn’t field hem so much because of the complex injuries that they suffered and still are going through. And those who are not yet prepared will not play.
- Who else is injured now?
- Ismaily, Konoplyanka, Bondar, Moraes, Marlos. Many players. And I always say there are reasons for that. Yes, I take full responsibility as a coach. This is what I’ve got to do every day – to check my conscience after my daily work. But as I said, there are always reasons behind things in football. Nothing just happens. If we conduct a kind of interesting exercise and compare our last season’s team where nothing has changed, with the current team, then very quickly we will come to the conclusion explaining why this is so.
- We are working to win the next match. We work out our defensive formation and our macro-principles for the game. We’re really focussed on winning, knowing how important it is. The league season has been very difficult for us, and now we need to solve the second-spot issue - to strengthen our standing and be in the Champions League qualifying stage next season. We’ve been practising everything that may be required in the upcoming game.
- Dnipro-1 have really stepped it up: in 2021 they claimed a few victories, including major ones. What kind of game against the opponents do you expect?
- We know about every attribute of Dnipro-1 and we know our own qualities. We respect the opponents, but first of all we respect ourselves. We are looking inward now. You are right, Dnipro-1 have enjoyed a great season - they deliver some excellent quality performance this year, they have high-level footballers. We understand how difficult the match will be.
- What are the strengths of Dnipro-1?
- The team launch their attacks in a great way. Their striker is very strong. A lot of their passes reach the box, but they may also feed the forward, so the opponents are dangerous while attacking. We’ve seen many great chances by this team lately and are aware of their qualities. Dnipro-1 have been enjoying a great year 2021 for a reason. In football, there’s always an explanation for things. We’ve got every reason to play like Dnipro-1 – they are doing well.
- Can we expect that those with less match practice and young footballers will be more involved in the three remaining matches?
- Are you talking about the footballers who didn't have so much playing time? Everybody played actually. Everyone was needed this season. We have lost many players. If someone doesn’t remember, we had 12 coronavirus cases, really tough injuries, so we had to train for quite a long time without those players. This is a very unusual season. Even those guys who returned after COVID-19 were unprepared, and we had to deploy those young footballers who, basically, weren’t yet ready. Therefore, to say that someone did not spend enough time on the field ... We can say so about Ismaily, Konoplyanka. Probably, we didn’t field hem so much because of the complex injuries that they suffered and still are going through. And those who are not yet prepared will not play.
- Who else is injured now?
- Ismaily, Konoplyanka, Bondar, Moraes, Marlos. Many players. And I always say there are reasons for that. Yes, I take full responsibility as a coach. This is what I’ve got to do every day – to check my conscience after my daily work. But as I said, there are always reasons behind things in football. Nothing just happens. If we conduct a kind of interesting exercise and compare our last season’s team where nothing has changed, with the current team, then very quickly we will come to the conclusion explaining why this is so.