I don’t accept any morals lecturing
Thursday, September 23, 2021
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Shakhtar head coach Roberto De Zerbi spoke about the Super Cup victory over Dynamo, the attitude, respect for Dynamo and Mircea Lucescu, as well as about the experienced footballers’ contracts
- What did you tell the players that caused such aggressiveness on the pitch? (Futbolnyi format)
- Good evening. I just said that we are Shakhtar, that our club is prestigious, the club that has won many trophies. However, last season we won nothing: Dynamo Kyiv became the champions. There are strong players in my team, they should have more faith in their qualities, have even more courage, have grit. If we step it up, the distance between us and Dynamo will get smaller. I said just that.
- From the first minutes you and your coaching staff were very emotional. You ran out of the coaching area. Did you want to pass your energy to the team in that way, charge and fire them up? (Profutbol Digital)
- We have really hot blood. I believe that playing football well requires not just legs, but also brains and a heart. There is no big team without a heart and brains, just as there is no big player without that. I really love to work on the tactical and technical side, but if you don’t add the right emotions, your brains and heart, then tactics and technique don’t really help.
- Did Lucescu want to surprise you with fielding the pacey Supriaha? And were you actually surprised? (Futbolnyi format)
- Supryaha is a strong footballer. In general, Dynamo are a strong team. They won the Ukrainian Super Cup three times in a row, they won the league title last season enjoying an 11-point lead. They have Lucescu, the coach who won the most trophies in Ukraine. For us, young coaches, Lucescu is a master. It doesn't really matter who plays, because Dynamo have many strong players, plus they have acquired some great players on the transfer market.
- Yesterday, at a press conference, you said that Dynamo and Mircea Lucescu put some pressure on the referees. This time, there were lots of passions and wrangling between the benches. Lucescu said before you that it implies some disrespect for Dynamo. How can you comment on this? (Football Hub)
- Firstly, I respect everyone. But if Lucescu says that we didn’t have respect, when he increases pressure on the officials at every match ... I don’t accept any morals lecturing. They are the champions. Having won the league title, they deserve it. For me Lucescu is a maestro. But I don't accept any morals lecturing on how one must behave on the pitch. Dynamo is an important club, but Shakhtar is also an important club. And I never step up pressure onto the refs, never! However, I don't like it if others think I'm a fool.
- Congratulations on your first trophy in Ukraine. You went through the baptism of fire - this is your first Ukrainian Clasico. What’s your impression of it? And would it be correct to say that the experienced players like Stepanenko or Marlos made the game? (Tribuna.com)
- Of course, they helped to win. We currently experience a a delicate moment at Shakhtar. The Ukrainian footballers are really important to us. And there are two groups of them: those who are older, and many really young ones, not yet one hundred percent ready. And only Matviienko is in between them. We must try to give a chance to every strong young footballer. Bondar, Konoplia, Korniienko, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Mudryk, Sikan ... We must give them some time for making progress, and also accept their mistakes at times. So that in two or three seasons they will be at the same level as that of Tsyhankov, Zabarnyi, Shaparenko at Dynamo now. Today we are still lucky to have Stepanenko, Pyatov, Kryvtsov and Marlos. Perhaps, after a while, we will be lucky to have Junior Moraes back. As long as we have such experienced players, it’s beneficial for us to have them showing us the way.
- Please comment on the situation with Marlos: will his deal be extended? (Kyivskyi Futbol)
- I want him to extend the contract, and I think the club wants it too. As, for example, in Stepanenko’s case. For us, these are strong and important players.
- Dynamo started the first half sharper, created several dangerous chances at your goal. How did you manage to turn it around in your favour? ("UA: Pershyi)
- Dynamo create scoring chances because they have a strong team, but we also had a great scoring chance – Traore’s one. Difficulties arose particularly when Matviienko had issues and left the pitch often. At that moment, we lost our organization and could not press hard, as we did throughout the rest of the match. Of course, a strong team caused us some difficulties, but no more than that.
- Good evening. I just said that we are Shakhtar, that our club is prestigious, the club that has won many trophies. However, last season we won nothing: Dynamo Kyiv became the champions. There are strong players in my team, they should have more faith in their qualities, have even more courage, have grit. If we step it up, the distance between us and Dynamo will get smaller. I said just that.
- From the first minutes you and your coaching staff were very emotional. You ran out of the coaching area. Did you want to pass your energy to the team in that way, charge and fire them up? (Profutbol Digital)
- We have really hot blood. I believe that playing football well requires not just legs, but also brains and a heart. There is no big team without a heart and brains, just as there is no big player without that. I really love to work on the tactical and technical side, but if you don’t add the right emotions, your brains and heart, then tactics and technique don’t really help.
- Did Lucescu want to surprise you with fielding the pacey Supriaha? And were you actually surprised? (Futbolnyi format)
- Supryaha is a strong footballer. In general, Dynamo are a strong team. They won the Ukrainian Super Cup three times in a row, they won the league title last season enjoying an 11-point lead. They have Lucescu, the coach who won the most trophies in Ukraine. For us, young coaches, Lucescu is a master. It doesn't really matter who plays, because Dynamo have many strong players, plus they have acquired some great players on the transfer market.
- Yesterday, at a press conference, you said that Dynamo and Mircea Lucescu put some pressure on the referees. This time, there were lots of passions and wrangling between the benches. Lucescu said before you that it implies some disrespect for Dynamo. How can you comment on this? (Football Hub)
- Firstly, I respect everyone. But if Lucescu says that we didn’t have respect, when he increases pressure on the officials at every match ... I don’t accept any morals lecturing. They are the champions. Having won the league title, they deserve it. For me Lucescu is a maestro. But I don't accept any morals lecturing on how one must behave on the pitch. Dynamo is an important club, but Shakhtar is also an important club. And I never step up pressure onto the refs, never! However, I don't like it if others think I'm a fool.
- Congratulations on your first trophy in Ukraine. You went through the baptism of fire - this is your first Ukrainian Clasico. What’s your impression of it? And would it be correct to say that the experienced players like Stepanenko or Marlos made the game? (Tribuna.com)
- Of course, they helped to win. We currently experience a a delicate moment at Shakhtar. The Ukrainian footballers are really important to us. And there are two groups of them: those who are older, and many really young ones, not yet one hundred percent ready. And only Matviienko is in between them. We must try to give a chance to every strong young footballer. Bondar, Konoplia, Korniienko, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Mudryk, Sikan ... We must give them some time for making progress, and also accept their mistakes at times. So that in two or three seasons they will be at the same level as that of Tsyhankov, Zabarnyi, Shaparenko at Dynamo now. Today we are still lucky to have Stepanenko, Pyatov, Kryvtsov and Marlos. Perhaps, after a while, we will be lucky to have Junior Moraes back. As long as we have such experienced players, it’s beneficial for us to have them showing us the way.
- Please comment on the situation with Marlos: will his deal be extended? (Kyivskyi Futbol)
- I want him to extend the contract, and I think the club wants it too. As, for example, in Stepanenko’s case. For us, these are strong and important players.
- Dynamo started the first half sharper, created several dangerous chances at your goal. How did you manage to turn it around in your favour? ("UA: Pershyi)
- Dynamo create scoring chances because they have a strong team, but we also had a great scoring chance – Traore’s one. Difficulties arose particularly when Matviienko had issues and left the pitch often. At that moment, we lost our organization and could not press hard, as we did throughout the rest of the match. Of course, a strong team caused us some difficulties, but no more than that.