We can always do better

- What do you make of Shakhtar's European club cup season?

- Last year we managed to reach the Europa League semi-finals, this time we’ve finished it in the Round of 16. We had a really tough Champions League group stage: we had to prove ourselves really decently in games against so strong opponents in order to advance further. We ended up in the Europa League. We fairly made it past Maccabi. It was also a rather difficult stage for us, but we coped with it. In Rome, Roma dominated the first half, in the second one - for 30 minutes we did quite well, then Roma took over. Today in Kyiv, we bossed the first half: we managed to create an advantage; unfortunately, we failed to score which was very important for us, the second half was quite balanced. We understand that we can always do better. We can call this European club cup season satisfactory.

- Would the result have changed if the fans had attended the game? What are the team's plans and your personal ones for the rest of the season? What do you plan to do next with the team?

- We have the same goal from the very first competitive game - we want to win another title, become the champions of Ukraine. That's our plan for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for us, we learned late yesterday that the fans would not be allowed into the stadium. At first we thought it was strange, but then we delved deeper into all the details, and it got clear that now in Ukraine the coronavirus infection rate has surged. COVID now rules the world, COVID rules in Ukraine, so we need to respect this and, of course, health is foremost. Although, of course, it would’ve been much nicer if the fans had been present in the stands.

- Will we see you in the next European campaign with Shakhtar? Does the extension of your contract depend on the club, on you, or should it be a joint decision?

- You will be able to see me in the next European cup campaign, maybe with Shakhtar, maybe with some other club, but at the moment I’m not at all worried about that. It’s very important for me, as I replied to your colleague, to achieve our main goal - to become the champions of Ukraine. Only this is on my mind.

- Firstly, I would like to thank you for your work at Shakhtar this season. What roles need to be strengthened by Shakhtar in order to make it past the likes of Roma?

- Thank you. You know that we cannot carry out such an assessment during the season - it would be unfair to those guys who work every day. They spend every day with us, we spend it with them, and they do not deserve such conversations now. It’s clear that all the internal meetings that are held in my office remain confidential, we do not take them outside. Yes, indeed, Shakhtar have not changed the roster since last season. And it's okay if there are some minor changes for the next season. We have a lot of young players: the guys are growing, stepping it up every day, and we need to pay attention to their development, field them in the team on time. I might forget someone now, but those are Trubin, Dodo, Vitao, Korniienko, Bondar, Marcos Antonio, Sudakov, Tete, Solomon, Fernando, Viunnyk ... We need to be really focussed on their growth. It’s clear that they are helped by more experienced players who play for the Ukraine national team and who know the domestic league very well. It’s very important to assess the situation correctly and evaluate their development. I understand your question and interest, it makes all the sense, but, as I said, nothing needs to be changed during the season. Let’s talk about this towards the end of the year or next year. We are still facing lots of games. This very sensitive topic should be touched upon with great caution, taking into account only those players who are currently at the disposal of our club. Well, I forgot to mention Mudryk, sorry.

- Next season, would you and Shakhtar want rivals at the level of Real Madrid and Inter or Maccabi in European competitions? What do you think is more important: experience for many young players or the result?