We’ll field a combat-ready lineup

- I’m really delighted to be back in Ukraine at this beautiful Olimpiyskiy stadium. I’m very happy to be at home again and that tomorrow we will play against a good Ukrainian club, the leaders Shakhtar. This is the final game in the Champions League group stage, unfortunately, neither we nor Shakhtar go further, while Real Madrid and Inter do. Nevertheless, we are happy that, regardless of tomorrow's game, we claimed the third spot and will participate in the Europa League Round of 32.

- Tomorrow's match has no competitive value, but will the outcome put pressure on your team after you beat Shakhtar in Tiraspol?

- I think the result should primarily put pressure not on us, but on Shakhtar. We played well at home and won 2-0, it was the first game of the group stage. Tomorrow will be a tough match, I know what the Shakhtar Donetsk club is like. But we also prepared and want to deliver one of our best performances and enjoy the game. So that this match will end with a positive result for us.

- Your first and last game in the group stage are against Shakhtar. How much have the Sheriff team changed during this first UCL season?

- I’ve got a double impression. We got off to a really good start of two victories. Initially, we beat Shakhtar 2-0 at home, and then we defeated Real Madrid 2-1 away. It’s clear that our ambitions began to go off scale, but we understood perfectly well what awaited us next, so we tried to play to the maximum and score as many points as possible. However, we lost twice to Inter, and at home to Real Madrid. Of course, we understand who we are facing tomorrow. Shakhtar Donetsk is the club with quite a lot of very strong and expensive players, many Brazilians - technical, fast, so it won’t be easy, but we are ready for this battle. We had some unnecessary injuries – this is what probably knocked us down. We lost many of our players, and Momo Yansane is out for a long while, as well as Jasur Yakhshiboev, and Moussa. There were losses that, unfortunately, we were unable to compensate for. This is also related to the regulations, because according to the UEFA rules we can put no more than 17 foreigners on the squad list. Perhaps this ultimately played its role. For me as the head coach, and for the whole team, this will be a lesson for the future. We’ll draw the conclusions and move on.

- How will you motivate your players for the upcoming match? Will you ask them to show the quality of their play, focus on the result, or say: “Guys, this is the Champions League. Take to the pitch and just enjoy this match!”?

- Sebastien Thill who was present at the press conference, would not let me lie – before each game I say the same words to them, that they need to go out and play football, have fun. What is having fun mean? This is to behave at ease on the pitch, play football, not just hit-and-run, but a short to mid passing game, building up play. In this group, we were predicted from the very beginning to be the fourth side, but we managed and were able to make it past such a strong club as Shakhtar. We understand that tomorrow, even if the game doesn’t decide anything anymore, we’ll have a tough clash. I know Shakhtar – that’s a team of fighters who will really want to take revenge. That's what makes football interesting. Tomorrow we need to take the field and enjoy the game. And pleasure is when you do everything right on the field, not stopping for a minute, when you are constantly moving and fulfilling the requirements of the head coach.

- Having Real Madrid, Inter and Shakhtar in the group, could you imagine that you would secure the spring part of the European competition early?

- I would never think like that. We understood perfectly well that it was a group of death, but through incredible effort and will to win we managed to achieve the fact that Sheriff makes it further, with Shakhtar being left without the European spring.

- Your former team Zorya had the nickname of ‘blokes’. What nickname would you give to your current team Sheriff?

- International blokes.

- As far as we know, your contract with Sheriff expires next summer. There is unofficial information that some representatives of Ukrainian clubs, in particular Dnipro-1, entered into negotiations with you. Is it true?

- I fully refute that message. Firstly, I am not entitled to negotiate with someone while I have a contract with Sheriff. Second: after playing against Petrocub, I said that there will always be a place in my heart for Sheriff, because with this team I got the opportunity to participate in the Champions League group stage for the first time. It may happen that I renew my contract and stay at this club.

- You are a Ukrainian playing against the Ukrainian team in Ukraine, and you said that Sheriff is forever in your heart, and what is in your soul?

- Yes, I am a Ukrainian, but this is a sport, someone always wins. Let the stronger side win. At the moment, I am the head coach of Sheriff and I’m simply obliged and must protect the interests of this club, despite the fact that Shakhtar is a Ukrainian club, a club of the country that I love so much. Nothing personal. This is sport, let the stronger team win.

- Taking into account the fact that Sheriff continue fighting in European competitions, are there any plans to reinforce the team this winter? Are any players from the Ukrainian Premier League on the Moldovan club’s radar?

- There is a small nuance in terms of sttengthening. Unfortunately, under the UEFA rules and regulations, even during this period before the Europa League, we can call off the most of three players and also add three players. No more, no less. We’ve got issues in this regard, but, of course, we will look for options. We may have other problems: someone leaves, someone else’s contract expires, someone will interest some more eminent clubs, and Sheriff will be able to carry out a transfer deal. Now it’s difficult to say anything, we need to wait for January or February, when it gets clear. There are many Ukrainian footballers I’d love to see in my Sheriff team, but there’s one little ‘but’. Someone doesn’t want to come here, but just wants to go to Europe. The players whom I would like to see, unfortunately, are problematic to get, because if I take someone from Ukraine, then it’ll be only someone whom I know well and who will be the leader. That’s the only way.

- In the Champions League, you have already fulfilled your ‘fairy tale’, and what are your plans for the Europa League?

- Our dream has come true, as I said, we’ve been to a fairy tale. God grant that it ends on a positive note. Life goes on, Europa League is Europa League, of course, here we also have some ambitions. Let's wait until December 13 when we get to know our opponent in the play-offs. The Europa League also features some serious and strong clubs. Perhaps by then we will have to build the team from scratch again, but that’s our job, our life. We are ready for that.

- Who of the players stayed in Tiraspol and won't play against Shakhtar? Roberto De Zerbi said that tomorrow he will give young the footballers a chance to prove themselves, did you have an idea of fielding an experimental squad too?