My task is to make Shakhtar stronger
Friday, September 10, 2021
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In the ‘One on One with Olha Kalenchuk’ programme, Shakhtar head coach Roberto De Zerbi spoke about player development, training innovations, goals in the domestic league and the Champions League, and a lot more
- Roberto, you have been Shakhtar's head coach for 100 days. Have your expectations from your invitation to the team fulfilled?
- I don't like summing it up before my work is complete. At this stage, I’ve been working comfortably, I’m happy with the way we started the season. Of course, the sky is the limit, and I always pay attention to the things in which we could improve something. I agree that the team already have their own style at this stage, they achieved important results, so we can say that the first one hundred days passed positively.
- Going back to the day when you met the team, how did you perceive them? What was the players’ mental state?
- Last season, Shakhtar finished second, 11 points adrift of Dynamo. And they didn’t achieve any of the set goals. Therefore, I believe it’s time for a change. My major task is to leave the stronger Shakhtar after my work here than the Shakhtar I initially received. And in order for the team to grow as a whole, we need to help the young players develop, so that they improve and become real footballers.
- You said that Shakhtar's philosophy and that of yours are similar. Please describe which of the principles that are so important to you did the team have initially? What didn't you have to teach them?
- There are many talented performers in the team. The only problem, so to say, is that there are 11 people on the field instead of one as, for example, in tennis. Therefore, the talent of one individual player must correlate with the talent of a teammate. In order to create a team, it’s not enough to bring together a large number of individually strong players. It’s necessary to organize them, teach them to speak the same football language. This is the only way to create large teams. Otherwise, it will be just a line of individual top-class players who will not be a single team.
- In the first two rounds, Shakhtar defeated Inhulets and Lviv. For you, it was an acquaintance with the Ukrainian Championship. What was your first impression of it?
- In Ukraine, almost all teams are waiting for us in their half of the pitch, so that they can then carry out blistering counterattacks. We played six matches in the league and could have won them all. We won four of them along with one defeat and one draw. This fact pissed me off because we had to score maximum points. And if don’t have 18 points now, then we can only blame ourselves and no one else for this. In Italy, some teams adhere to the same principles of play that we encountered in Ukraine, although there are others who have more courage. But in general, football is the same in any country.
- In the first ten matches in charge of the team, you actively rotated the squad. Is this the way to show your footballers that you trust everyone? Or are you still getting to know the performance capabilities of your players through competitive games?
- No, those are my principles of work, one of the ways to find out the players’ capabilities. And now I have a clearer understanding of the situation in comparison with what I knew at the beginning of my tenure. In the opening matches, I saw who can play more and who can play less. Starting from the next meeting, I will continue that reshuffling, knowing well what a particular player can bring into play.
- An important point is the officiating in the Ukrainian league. There is a lot of talk about this after nearly every match. What can you say about this?
- All over the world you can find highly experienced referees, but there are also those whose level is a little bit lower. Therefore, it’s necessary to accept their mistakes if you have confidence in the referees’ impartiality. You need to be able to move on. At the same time, I do not quite like the position taken by some clubs regarding this issue. It’s annoying when they talk about refereeing without much need, when they complain and try to defend their opinion in any way.
- In Ukraine, you are faced with such a phenomenon as the foreigners quota. In some league matches, you fielded the maximum allowable number of Ukrainian footballers; in the Champions League, sometimes there were even fewer of them. Does this give you any discomfort?
- I think there is no need to establish any rules. Because all people are equal, regardless of whether they are Brazilians or Ukrainians, Italians or Croats. But this rule exists, and I have already managed to show that I can deploy more than four Ukrainians on the field at the same time if it’s in the interests of the team. If I understand that eight, nine or ten Ukrainians should play on the field, all ten will be playing there. I would like to note that at this stage, Shakhtar is going through a transitional period. We must provide opportunities for growth to such footballers as Konoplia, Sikan, Bondarenko, Mudryk, Sudakov, Trubin, Korniienko, Bondar. They deserve this credit of trust, the opportunity to prove themselves in the game. This is a prerequisite for their professional growth. And when the guys mature, the general level of Shakhtar will rise. This, of course, takes time. I don’t rule out that the guys had just few opportunities for growth in the past.
- You have now listed Shakhtar's young players. Are there any players who have already secured a place in the starting XI?
- All these guys play in the starting lineup which, as I mentioned earlier, will constantly change. Therefore, sometimes some of them will remain in the reserve, but at the same time, the audience will often see those players on the field. Mudryik, Sudakov and Bondarenko at the moment are not as well prepared as Solomon, Alan Patrick, Stepanenko, Maycon or Traore, if we talk about the players at their respective positions. In football, you can mature only through matches, and if before no one allowed the young people to play, now you have to pay for it. An illustrative example is Mudryk who at some point is capable of making a decisive contribution to the success of the team, but in another match he just blends into the crowd on the pitch.
- Champions League. Such a nice word combination, a bright brand. With Shakhtar you debuted in this tournament as a coach and took the team on to the group stage. What does this tournament mean to you?
- Of course, it’s prestigious to play in the Champions League. But for me the number one task is to win the league title. We need to distribute our strength in such a way that the championship is a priority. If the team get used to playing well in the league, they will play well in the Champions League. We live in Ukraine and take part in the Ukrainian premiership, so winning the league title is our main goal.
- What could you highlight in the encounter with Genk?
- We played well, including the first half, except for the segment when we conceded a goal. In general, we had an excellent match against the strong opponents. Shakhtar made it to the Champions League group stage after beating clubs such as Genk and Monaco. These are two strong teams that also have a decent budget, especially AS Monaco. The coaches of each of those clubs have been in charge for over a year now. I think we worked a miracle by winning the group satge berth, even considering that Shakhtar are vastly experienced in the Champions League already and that for a long period of time the team have had top-quality footballers. But the situation in which we had to confront Monaco this time was very different from what happened before.
- What’s your most vivid memory of the four qualifiers?
- Marcos Antonio's goal against Genk when the score was 2-0 because this goal took all issues of the table regarding winning this match. Those were very pleasant sensations because the day before we lost to Oleksandriia and I was really worried over the next two or three days. Plus after the goal of Marcos Antonio that secured our advancement to the next round, I got rid of those gloomy thoughts.
- You managed to achieve the result. The passions have subsided. Please tell us what you shouted to Mudryk during one of the breaks that was caught on camera during the match stream?
- I told him that he needed to play calmly, but at the same time to take responsibility, act bravely and not worry about anything because I have always been on his side. Mudryk for me is associated with a specific goal. I strive not only to instil some spectacular football in the team, win the league title and the Cup, go through the qualification stages in the Champions League, but also to bring up young players, to turn them into fully mature footballers. Mudryk is currently one of the best among the young players, and if I cannot bring him to a new level, I will regard it as my personal defeat.
- By qualifying for the group stage Shakhtar actually returned the money spent in the summer on new players. Do you think that fulfilling this task will relieve the pressure on you?
- Wherever I was, the final decision remained with me. And not every person wants to make decisions, because there’s always a risk of making a mistake. I think the players who have joined our ranks will ultimately help the club make money. I think Shakhtar will be able to sell them for a larger amount than was spent on signing the newcomers. I am quite caring about the money of the club, I like to leave the club richer than it was at the time of my arrival. I mean the transfer value of the players. In this case, I had no fear of making a mistake.
- Are there any players who have exceeded your expectations in the process of play or training?
- Many, many of them. First of all, I would like to mention Maycon, Vitao, Stepanenko. I appreciated the level that Trubin has reached after a couple of years of intensive work. None of my new charges disappointed me. Someone I knew someone better, I knew someone else a little bit worse, but I understood that I was accepting a high-level team featuring real professionals who take their duties seriously.
- The centre-back is a role on which the team’s reliability depends in many ways and which is usually the least likely to undergo rotation. Have you had enough time to try different pairings of players there? The Champions League group stage kicks off shortly. Do you have the right pair of centre-backs now?
- No, I’m sure that Marlon and Matviienko are currently capable of playing better at centre-back than others. I’m convinced that the left centre-back should be left-footed. In the situation when I could not count on Ismaily, I preferred to move Matviienko to the flank, and in this case Vitao was the best candidate for the vacant position at centre-back. But ideally one centre-back should be right-footed and the other left-footed. And we have only one team player at the left centre-back position – Matviienko. Therefore, when Mykola is forced to play down the wing, we have two right-footers at centre-back.
- At the moment, do you see Matviienko more in the centre of defence than at left-back?
- Yes. I think Matviienko is a very good footballer, but he lacks some passion to win. He has every capability for a brilliant career, I am sure that he’s able to achieve much more. Matviienko knows about this, I often instruct him and demand more toughness in challenges, regardless of the position that the defender takes on the field.
- This Champions League season, Matviienko led the team onto the pitch with the captain's armband on. Do you see him as the leader at the moment?
- I want him to fully become the one. That's why I gave him the captain's armband. Matviienko's growth starts from that point. I want him to step up this aspect of play, as there are other older footballers whose retirements are just around the corner. While Matviienko can still be counted among the young. But he is not a youth, so he will have to take the place of those who will be forced to leave due to their age. And I’d like to speed up the process of formation of Matviienko's personality.
- To what extent did Trubin's injury disrupt your plans? Prior to that, none of the goalkeepers got any match practice.
- I'm sorry that Trubin got injured, first of all I feel sorry for the player himself. Trubin has already reached a fairly high level. It doesn't matter to him whether he plays in front of a hundred thousand audience or there is only one person in the stands. This is a very important quality for a goalkeeper. I was not really worried about Trubin's injury, since Pyatov was one of the most pleasant surprises at Shakhtar. He is no longer young, he won many titles, and one might think that he has no urge or desire. But Andriy showed an example of a professional attitude to business, he retained that boyish thirst for playing both in competitive matches and in training. It’s for this reason that Trubin's injury did not bother me.
- At the start of the season, in the holding area you deployed the Maycon-Marcos Antonio pairing more often. Previously, Taras Stepanenko played there in most matches with one of those players. Please describe Stepanenko's profile. In what matches is it more profitable for you to field Stepanenko, and in which Marcos Antonio?
- Stepanenko played at one and the same position in the league. Sometimes he replaced Maycon, sometimes he replaced Marcos Antonio. In the Champions League, I preferred to use two Brazilians at the same time as I think they have different physical attributes that are more suitable for international matches. But then, in the return match against Monaco, it was noticeable that some physical qualities were lacking, this primarily concerns the pace and changing the rhythm. But I’m really happy with Stepanenko’s performance, and I am not saying this because he’s the captain. I only say what I think. Taras showed his readiness, he is one of those who displayed the deepest understanding of my principles of play. He will play many more matches under my leadership. I am the coach of this team, and the decision-making power remains with me.
- Does your straightforwardness help you in your work or, on the contrary, hinders you sometimes?
- Sometimes it may be a problem until the players get to know you well. If the person who talks to me gets to know me better, then my straightforwardness is appreciated.
- Who is currently Shakhtar's regular taker of penalties and free kicks, when a direct shot on goal is required?
- Tete, Traore, Marlos, Ismaily know how to take spot-kicks. Direct free-kicks on goal are better performed by Maycon, Alan Patrick, Solomon, Pedrinho. One of the most important aspects of taking free-kicks is confidence. If the opponents just park the bus down their half, corner-kicks and free-kicks become especially important.
- What attacking options does Sikan give Shakhtar?
- Sikan is a very kind and noble guy so you simply cannot help but wish him well. I think he will have a great career. Perhaps he doesn’t catch your eye with his technical skills, but if you know that Sikan is on the field, you will never stay alone. This is a very important aspect of play.
- Do you allow some radical tactical changes in the course of the match, for example, the play with two strikers Traore and Sikan? Or this plan B is never considered?
- Maybe they will be playing together during certain segments of matches. There may also be a situation in which there will be none of them on the field, with Pedrinho performing the role of a false nine.
- Moraes is expected to recover soon. Did you talk with him? What is his physical condition and when will he be able to join the team?
- Yes, we exchange messages. I know that he works hard to come back. I don’t know the exact timeframe. But even in this case, I am happy for the player because I know what it means to be seriously injured, what it means to undergo some long-term rehabilitation. With the return of Moraes, our attacking third will undoubtedly strengthen, although we shouldn’t forget that in addition to Traore and Sikan, Dentinho and Fernando can play offensively. Dentinho had fewer opportunities than he deserved, given his performance in training. Fernando was injured for almost the entire period of preparation for the season, but he has a rather rare quality that only Mudryk has at Shakhtar. They are explosive players with excellent starting pace, which is very important as there are matches like the one against Monaco when it was Fernando's appearance that levelled the teams in the physical aspect.
- Can you say in numbers how much Shakhtar's current play matches the way you want it to be?
- We are still very and very far away from it.
- At the base they mounted a screen on which you can watch videos and tactics during training. How much easier does it make your job?
- This way of conveying information was invented so that the language barrier does not affect the training process. The things that are difficult to explain in words can simply be shown.
- At what club did you first use this approach?
- I came up with this after I had signed a contract with Shakhtar.
- Perhaps there is something else that you started using for the first time in the training process at Shakhtar?
- Yes, two interpreters. That’s not easy. I'm not used to working like that. But I guess that it’s also difficult for interpreters to work with me, so the inconvenience is mutual.
- The Champions League group stage kicks off soon. Many fans have experienced the feeling of déjà vu after seeing Inter and Real Madrid as rivals again, but it will be the first time for you to meet at this level with them. What can you say about the group?
- We will play and prepare, knowing that Inter and Madrid are two great clubs. But at the same time, we must understand that no one will give us six points in the matches against Sheriff, we must claim them. I think we will have to sweat in the meetings with Sheriff either as those will be difficult games.
- Can you remember your first emotions when you found out that we got Inter and Real? By the way, you’ve repeatedly mentioned the Madrid club in your post-match press conferences.
- I often mention Real Madrid at press conferences because when I was still a child, it was an exemplary team. When I grew up, Barcelona took over that role. The childhood impressions remain deepest in my memory, that's why I mention Real when I want to give an example of a great club.
- Last season you could watch the games of Castro’s Shakhtar against Real and Inter. As a result we got eight points. Now these teams will face De Zerbi's Shakhtar. Will it be different football?
- I don’t know. Madrid and Inter also changed their coaches and added new players. If we talk about Inter, now this team is very different from last year’s one. Having won the league title, they became mentally resilient. Let's see what happens next. Before the matches in the Champions League, we still have meetings in the league, then there will be an encounter in Moldova with Sheriff, plus twice we will play against Dynamo Kyiv –once in the Super Cup and once in the league. Therefore, before thinking about matches against Inter and Real Madrid, we need to pay a lot of attention to the upcoming matches.
- Shakhtar have met with Inter many times, but have never defeated this team. You were brought up at Milan. Given this fact, how important is it for you to beat Inter?
- As an Italian coach working abroad and having the opportunity to come to my home country for a Champions League match, I am particularly delighted. Not only me, but also my family and my coaching staff. And it’s not just about taking part in such an important game. I even don’t put at the forefront the victory as such. It’s important for me that the team display the kind of football that I like. Being on the coach's bench in a Champions League match is not of any special value to me.
- There are three Italian coaches in the group - Ancelotti, Inzaghi and De Zerbi. Are the encounters with the allenatori italiani especially important for you?
- It’s delightful for me. They know me well. I know them well. We’ve already met with Ancelotti when he coached Napoli, and with Inzaghi during his tenure at Lazio. We have repeatedly confronted one another.
- What would you like to say to our fans before the start of the Champions League group stage campaign?
- We want to successfully perform in every competition - in the domestic league, in the Cup and in the Champions League. And for this we need to give our utmost in training.
- This competition is special for everyone who loves football. Which kind of Shakhtar will we see in this special tournament?
- First of all, with all the players available, with them all being healthy. And delivering better performances than in the return leg against AS Monaco.
- I don't like summing it up before my work is complete. At this stage, I’ve been working comfortably, I’m happy with the way we started the season. Of course, the sky is the limit, and I always pay attention to the things in which we could improve something. I agree that the team already have their own style at this stage, they achieved important results, so we can say that the first one hundred days passed positively.
- Going back to the day when you met the team, how did you perceive them? What was the players’ mental state?
- Last season, Shakhtar finished second, 11 points adrift of Dynamo. And they didn’t achieve any of the set goals. Therefore, I believe it’s time for a change. My major task is to leave the stronger Shakhtar after my work here than the Shakhtar I initially received. And in order for the team to grow as a whole, we need to help the young players develop, so that they improve and become real footballers.
- You said that Shakhtar's philosophy and that of yours are similar. Please describe which of the principles that are so important to you did the team have initially? What didn't you have to teach them?
- There are many talented performers in the team. The only problem, so to say, is that there are 11 people on the field instead of one as, for example, in tennis. Therefore, the talent of one individual player must correlate with the talent of a teammate. In order to create a team, it’s not enough to bring together a large number of individually strong players. It’s necessary to organize them, teach them to speak the same football language. This is the only way to create large teams. Otherwise, it will be just a line of individual top-class players who will not be a single team.
- In the first two rounds, Shakhtar defeated Inhulets and Lviv. For you, it was an acquaintance with the Ukrainian Championship. What was your first impression of it?
- In Ukraine, almost all teams are waiting for us in their half of the pitch, so that they can then carry out blistering counterattacks. We played six matches in the league and could have won them all. We won four of them along with one defeat and one draw. This fact pissed me off because we had to score maximum points. And if don’t have 18 points now, then we can only blame ourselves and no one else for this. In Italy, some teams adhere to the same principles of play that we encountered in Ukraine, although there are others who have more courage. But in general, football is the same in any country.
- In the first ten matches in charge of the team, you actively rotated the squad. Is this the way to show your footballers that you trust everyone? Or are you still getting to know the performance capabilities of your players through competitive games?
- No, those are my principles of work, one of the ways to find out the players’ capabilities. And now I have a clearer understanding of the situation in comparison with what I knew at the beginning of my tenure. In the opening matches, I saw who can play more and who can play less. Starting from the next meeting, I will continue that reshuffling, knowing well what a particular player can bring into play.
- An important point is the officiating in the Ukrainian league. There is a lot of talk about this after nearly every match. What can you say about this?
- All over the world you can find highly experienced referees, but there are also those whose level is a little bit lower. Therefore, it’s necessary to accept their mistakes if you have confidence in the referees’ impartiality. You need to be able to move on. At the same time, I do not quite like the position taken by some clubs regarding this issue. It’s annoying when they talk about refereeing without much need, when they complain and try to defend their opinion in any way.
- In Ukraine, you are faced with such a phenomenon as the foreigners quota. In some league matches, you fielded the maximum allowable number of Ukrainian footballers; in the Champions League, sometimes there were even fewer of them. Does this give you any discomfort?
- I think there is no need to establish any rules. Because all people are equal, regardless of whether they are Brazilians or Ukrainians, Italians or Croats. But this rule exists, and I have already managed to show that I can deploy more than four Ukrainians on the field at the same time if it’s in the interests of the team. If I understand that eight, nine or ten Ukrainians should play on the field, all ten will be playing there. I would like to note that at this stage, Shakhtar is going through a transitional period. We must provide opportunities for growth to such footballers as Konoplia, Sikan, Bondarenko, Mudryk, Sudakov, Trubin, Korniienko, Bondar. They deserve this credit of trust, the opportunity to prove themselves in the game. This is a prerequisite for their professional growth. And when the guys mature, the general level of Shakhtar will rise. This, of course, takes time. I don’t rule out that the guys had just few opportunities for growth in the past.
- You have now listed Shakhtar's young players. Are there any players who have already secured a place in the starting XI?
- All these guys play in the starting lineup which, as I mentioned earlier, will constantly change. Therefore, sometimes some of them will remain in the reserve, but at the same time, the audience will often see those players on the field. Mudryik, Sudakov and Bondarenko at the moment are not as well prepared as Solomon, Alan Patrick, Stepanenko, Maycon or Traore, if we talk about the players at their respective positions. In football, you can mature only through matches, and if before no one allowed the young people to play, now you have to pay for it. An illustrative example is Mudryk who at some point is capable of making a decisive contribution to the success of the team, but in another match he just blends into the crowd on the pitch.
- Champions League. Such a nice word combination, a bright brand. With Shakhtar you debuted in this tournament as a coach and took the team on to the group stage. What does this tournament mean to you?
- Of course, it’s prestigious to play in the Champions League. But for me the number one task is to win the league title. We need to distribute our strength in such a way that the championship is a priority. If the team get used to playing well in the league, they will play well in the Champions League. We live in Ukraine and take part in the Ukrainian premiership, so winning the league title is our main goal.
- What could you highlight in the encounter with Genk?
- We played well, including the first half, except for the segment when we conceded a goal. In general, we had an excellent match against the strong opponents. Shakhtar made it to the Champions League group stage after beating clubs such as Genk and Monaco. These are two strong teams that also have a decent budget, especially AS Monaco. The coaches of each of those clubs have been in charge for over a year now. I think we worked a miracle by winning the group satge berth, even considering that Shakhtar are vastly experienced in the Champions League already and that for a long period of time the team have had top-quality footballers. But the situation in which we had to confront Monaco this time was very different from what happened before.
- What’s your most vivid memory of the four qualifiers?
- Marcos Antonio's goal against Genk when the score was 2-0 because this goal took all issues of the table regarding winning this match. Those were very pleasant sensations because the day before we lost to Oleksandriia and I was really worried over the next two or three days. Plus after the goal of Marcos Antonio that secured our advancement to the next round, I got rid of those gloomy thoughts.
- You managed to achieve the result. The passions have subsided. Please tell us what you shouted to Mudryk during one of the breaks that was caught on camera during the match stream?
- I told him that he needed to play calmly, but at the same time to take responsibility, act bravely and not worry about anything because I have always been on his side. Mudryk for me is associated with a specific goal. I strive not only to instil some spectacular football in the team, win the league title and the Cup, go through the qualification stages in the Champions League, but also to bring up young players, to turn them into fully mature footballers. Mudryk is currently one of the best among the young players, and if I cannot bring him to a new level, I will regard it as my personal defeat.
- By qualifying for the group stage Shakhtar actually returned the money spent in the summer on new players. Do you think that fulfilling this task will relieve the pressure on you?
- Wherever I was, the final decision remained with me. And not every person wants to make decisions, because there’s always a risk of making a mistake. I think the players who have joined our ranks will ultimately help the club make money. I think Shakhtar will be able to sell them for a larger amount than was spent on signing the newcomers. I am quite caring about the money of the club, I like to leave the club richer than it was at the time of my arrival. I mean the transfer value of the players. In this case, I had no fear of making a mistake.
- Are there any players who have exceeded your expectations in the process of play or training?
- Many, many of them. First of all, I would like to mention Maycon, Vitao, Stepanenko. I appreciated the level that Trubin has reached after a couple of years of intensive work. None of my new charges disappointed me. Someone I knew someone better, I knew someone else a little bit worse, but I understood that I was accepting a high-level team featuring real professionals who take their duties seriously.
- The centre-back is a role on which the team’s reliability depends in many ways and which is usually the least likely to undergo rotation. Have you had enough time to try different pairings of players there? The Champions League group stage kicks off shortly. Do you have the right pair of centre-backs now?
- No, I’m sure that Marlon and Matviienko are currently capable of playing better at centre-back than others. I’m convinced that the left centre-back should be left-footed. In the situation when I could not count on Ismaily, I preferred to move Matviienko to the flank, and in this case Vitao was the best candidate for the vacant position at centre-back. But ideally one centre-back should be right-footed and the other left-footed. And we have only one team player at the left centre-back position – Matviienko. Therefore, when Mykola is forced to play down the wing, we have two right-footers at centre-back.
- At the moment, do you see Matviienko more in the centre of defence than at left-back?
- Yes. I think Matviienko is a very good footballer, but he lacks some passion to win. He has every capability for a brilliant career, I am sure that he’s able to achieve much more. Matviienko knows about this, I often instruct him and demand more toughness in challenges, regardless of the position that the defender takes on the field.
- This Champions League season, Matviienko led the team onto the pitch with the captain's armband on. Do you see him as the leader at the moment?
- I want him to fully become the one. That's why I gave him the captain's armband. Matviienko's growth starts from that point. I want him to step up this aspect of play, as there are other older footballers whose retirements are just around the corner. While Matviienko can still be counted among the young. But he is not a youth, so he will have to take the place of those who will be forced to leave due to their age. And I’d like to speed up the process of formation of Matviienko's personality.
- To what extent did Trubin's injury disrupt your plans? Prior to that, none of the goalkeepers got any match practice.
- I'm sorry that Trubin got injured, first of all I feel sorry for the player himself. Trubin has already reached a fairly high level. It doesn't matter to him whether he plays in front of a hundred thousand audience or there is only one person in the stands. This is a very important quality for a goalkeeper. I was not really worried about Trubin's injury, since Pyatov was one of the most pleasant surprises at Shakhtar. He is no longer young, he won many titles, and one might think that he has no urge or desire. But Andriy showed an example of a professional attitude to business, he retained that boyish thirst for playing both in competitive matches and in training. It’s for this reason that Trubin's injury did not bother me.
- At the start of the season, in the holding area you deployed the Maycon-Marcos Antonio pairing more often. Previously, Taras Stepanenko played there in most matches with one of those players. Please describe Stepanenko's profile. In what matches is it more profitable for you to field Stepanenko, and in which Marcos Antonio?
- Stepanenko played at one and the same position in the league. Sometimes he replaced Maycon, sometimes he replaced Marcos Antonio. In the Champions League, I preferred to use two Brazilians at the same time as I think they have different physical attributes that are more suitable for international matches. But then, in the return match against Monaco, it was noticeable that some physical qualities were lacking, this primarily concerns the pace and changing the rhythm. But I’m really happy with Stepanenko’s performance, and I am not saying this because he’s the captain. I only say what I think. Taras showed his readiness, he is one of those who displayed the deepest understanding of my principles of play. He will play many more matches under my leadership. I am the coach of this team, and the decision-making power remains with me.
- Does your straightforwardness help you in your work or, on the contrary, hinders you sometimes?
- Sometimes it may be a problem until the players get to know you well. If the person who talks to me gets to know me better, then my straightforwardness is appreciated.
- Who is currently Shakhtar's regular taker of penalties and free kicks, when a direct shot on goal is required?
- Tete, Traore, Marlos, Ismaily know how to take spot-kicks. Direct free-kicks on goal are better performed by Maycon, Alan Patrick, Solomon, Pedrinho. One of the most important aspects of taking free-kicks is confidence. If the opponents just park the bus down their half, corner-kicks and free-kicks become especially important.
- What attacking options does Sikan give Shakhtar?
- Sikan is a very kind and noble guy so you simply cannot help but wish him well. I think he will have a great career. Perhaps he doesn’t catch your eye with his technical skills, but if you know that Sikan is on the field, you will never stay alone. This is a very important aspect of play.
- Do you allow some radical tactical changes in the course of the match, for example, the play with two strikers Traore and Sikan? Or this plan B is never considered?
- Maybe they will be playing together during certain segments of matches. There may also be a situation in which there will be none of them on the field, with Pedrinho performing the role of a false nine.
- Moraes is expected to recover soon. Did you talk with him? What is his physical condition and when will he be able to join the team?
- Yes, we exchange messages. I know that he works hard to come back. I don’t know the exact timeframe. But even in this case, I am happy for the player because I know what it means to be seriously injured, what it means to undergo some long-term rehabilitation. With the return of Moraes, our attacking third will undoubtedly strengthen, although we shouldn’t forget that in addition to Traore and Sikan, Dentinho and Fernando can play offensively. Dentinho had fewer opportunities than he deserved, given his performance in training. Fernando was injured for almost the entire period of preparation for the season, but he has a rather rare quality that only Mudryk has at Shakhtar. They are explosive players with excellent starting pace, which is very important as there are matches like the one against Monaco when it was Fernando's appearance that levelled the teams in the physical aspect.
- Can you say in numbers how much Shakhtar's current play matches the way you want it to be?
- We are still very and very far away from it.
- At the base they mounted a screen on which you can watch videos and tactics during training. How much easier does it make your job?
- This way of conveying information was invented so that the language barrier does not affect the training process. The things that are difficult to explain in words can simply be shown.
- At what club did you first use this approach?
- I came up with this after I had signed a contract with Shakhtar.
- Perhaps there is something else that you started using for the first time in the training process at Shakhtar?
- Yes, two interpreters. That’s not easy. I'm not used to working like that. But I guess that it’s also difficult for interpreters to work with me, so the inconvenience is mutual.
- The Champions League group stage kicks off soon. Many fans have experienced the feeling of déjà vu after seeing Inter and Real Madrid as rivals again, but it will be the first time for you to meet at this level with them. What can you say about the group?
- We will play and prepare, knowing that Inter and Madrid are two great clubs. But at the same time, we must understand that no one will give us six points in the matches against Sheriff, we must claim them. I think we will have to sweat in the meetings with Sheriff either as those will be difficult games.
- Can you remember your first emotions when you found out that we got Inter and Real? By the way, you’ve repeatedly mentioned the Madrid club in your post-match press conferences.
- I often mention Real Madrid at press conferences because when I was still a child, it was an exemplary team. When I grew up, Barcelona took over that role. The childhood impressions remain deepest in my memory, that's why I mention Real when I want to give an example of a great club.
- Last season you could watch the games of Castro’s Shakhtar against Real and Inter. As a result we got eight points. Now these teams will face De Zerbi's Shakhtar. Will it be different football?
- I don’t know. Madrid and Inter also changed their coaches and added new players. If we talk about Inter, now this team is very different from last year’s one. Having won the league title, they became mentally resilient. Let's see what happens next. Before the matches in the Champions League, we still have meetings in the league, then there will be an encounter in Moldova with Sheriff, plus twice we will play against Dynamo Kyiv –once in the Super Cup and once in the league. Therefore, before thinking about matches against Inter and Real Madrid, we need to pay a lot of attention to the upcoming matches.
- Shakhtar have met with Inter many times, but have never defeated this team. You were brought up at Milan. Given this fact, how important is it for you to beat Inter?
- As an Italian coach working abroad and having the opportunity to come to my home country for a Champions League match, I am particularly delighted. Not only me, but also my family and my coaching staff. And it’s not just about taking part in such an important game. I even don’t put at the forefront the victory as such. It’s important for me that the team display the kind of football that I like. Being on the coach's bench in a Champions League match is not of any special value to me.
- There are three Italian coaches in the group - Ancelotti, Inzaghi and De Zerbi. Are the encounters with the allenatori italiani especially important for you?
- It’s delightful for me. They know me well. I know them well. We’ve already met with Ancelotti when he coached Napoli, and with Inzaghi during his tenure at Lazio. We have repeatedly confronted one another.
- What would you like to say to our fans before the start of the Champions League group stage campaign?
- We want to successfully perform in every competition - in the domestic league, in the Cup and in the Champions League. And for this we need to give our utmost in training.
- This competition is special for everyone who loves football. Which kind of Shakhtar will we see in this special tournament?
- First of all, with all the players available, with them all being healthy. And delivering better performances than in the return leg against AS Monaco.