I have confidence in my players

- This season, in the match against the Italian club you surprised us by changing the formation. Based on the fact that Roma play with three central defenders, will you change anything in your side’s formation?

- To change your play, you don't need to change the tactical alignment at all. There are certain specs for the players’ location and their subsequent dynamics. We shouldn’t forget that a formation is just the initial setup. We have different options for playing. Against Roma we will pick our own path, along which we will try to go, rip open the right zones and reach the opponents’ goal. We can change the formation but, as I said, this is not the most important thing. In any case, the team will take the field tomorrow to achieve a good result so that in the return leg in Kyiv we could successfully reach the quarter-finals.

- What legacy did Paulo Fonseca leave for you at Shakhtar?

- He left the fantastic players, a great team, the team who earned titles. This is the club with great fans who love Shakhtar. Excellent administration who try to do their best for us to feel full comfort and have all the conditions for work. When a coach like Fonseca leaves after winning several titles, it certainly leaves the feeling that everyone misses him.

- We saw different versions of your team in the Champions League: you dropped deep in the match against Inter, played high defensively against Real Madrid and beat them twice. What will be more important tomorrow: defending well or trying to score an away goal?

- It’s primarily important to fulfil the strategy for tomorrow's game, to be really disciplined and attentive. This stage consists of two legs, and tomorrow’s one is just the first. We will try to fulfil everything: do our best to score goals and, through our defensive organization, not to let the opponents approach our goal. It will be necessary to seal off some specific areas that are important for Roma's attacking. We will try to neutralize them. That said, also to carve open the zones we need for attacking in the encounter with such an organized team as Roma. Each game has its own story and strategy. We know what Roma want and what we want - to advance to the next stage. We understand perfectly well that tomorrow we will meet with one of the contenders for the Europa League trophy. It’s important to be watchful and to take the encounter very seriously. Sometimes I have to field players where the opponents allow me to, but we also need to showcase our game. Tomorrow, I think, will see some very disciplined tactical warfare on the field.

- Paulo Fonseca knows your team’s strengths and weaknesses very well. Is this a problem for you? Or you think that Shakhtar have changed enough over the eighteen months to surprise them?

- We, the coaches, fully analyse the opponents’ play before absolutely every match, we’ve got videos featuring collective and individual actions, by sectors, along the flanks. We perfectly well know everything the opponents do. What we often don’t know, and perhaps this is one of the main factors, is the mental component of the team. How do they react to bad moments when something goes wrong on the field? How do the rest of the guys react to a low moment of their teammate? Perhaps Paulo has that advantage: he knows the players, their behaviour, the mental attitude, so to speak, from the inside. Is this the decisive factor? Who knows! I don’t think so. As a coach, I trust my players very much. First of all, it’s important how each of the guys performs his task on the field. We’ve got a great opportunity to develop our work. I’ve got absolute confidence in my players. I always tell them that we can beat any opponent at any stadium in the world. That's the advantage available. My guys always do a great job.

- Have Shakhtar rediscovered their best form after the winter break?

- Teams are always growing, from season to season. I believe in work, I believe that ambition and total dedication help us. This is the philosophy of life. If in your profession you give your all every day, work hard and try to do your best, will there be any bad days? Yes, there will be some. But in any case, your opportunities will grow, every day you will get more effective.

- How important is it for you that your fans are present at the stadium in the return leg?