To fulfil the coaches’ instructions

- We were preparing for this match after the Super Cup clash against Dynamo, so everything is fine, we are ready. Hopefully, we will fulfil the coaches’ instructions and even a little more.

- You played Inter a year ago, and what do the guys say about this team now? Did Ruslan Malinovskyi share with you any information after successfully opposing the Milanese in Serie A with Atalanta a few days ago?

- We discuss some routine issues because it often happens that little things matter a lot. I haven’t talked to Ruslan, but I followed their match against Inter on the way home.

- Have you watched the Usyk vs Joshua boxing match? How can Shakhtar become a counterpart of Usyk in football?

- I watched it in the company of my wife. Usyk began his preparations for this fight back in January, purposefully sparring for 15 or 18 rounds which lasted four minutes instead of three with breaks of just 30 seconds in order to be physically ready and work well on his feet against a boxer like Joshua. I think we primarily need to look at the character of Usyk who challenged the entire boxing world and proved by his work and faith that everything in this life is possible. He won everything from amateur boxing titles to the most prestigious professional heavyweight ones.

- Last season, you played against Inter whose attacks were spearheaded by Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian is no longer in the Italian team, but there is Dzeko who opposed you as part of Roma. Who caused you more issues, who is it more difficult against?

- I believe that comparisons are inappropriate in this case. Those are two masters, two top-profile footballers. It’s right that they operate in a similar style, but, as for me, Lukaku is more powerful, it's hard to challenge him, while Dzeko is more mobile, he was the leader at Roma and remains one of the national team leaders with vast experience. It’s no coincidence that it was him who was invited to take this role after Lukaku’s departure.

- In the game against Dynamo, it was visible to the naked eye that the Shakhtar coaching staff and players had a great attitude. Should we expect the same kind of attitude from you in the match against Inter?

- From day one after I first met Mister, in training and before games he always asks for and demands from the players much more than they can give in terms of tactics and technique. But it’s not always possible to win even having that, one also needs to have mettle and grit. The coach asks us to display the things we have achieved in the game against Dynamo in every encounter, be it the domestic league or the Champions League, and even in training. He expects particularly great progress from the young guys. Therefore, I really hope that each of us listens and prepares to get mentally stronger in terms of preparation for such important matches.

- According to your coach, Simone Inzaghi’s Inter is stronger than that of Antonio Conte. And what do you think? How can you achieve the result tomorrow?

- Mister lives and breathes football, he reviewed all the matches that were possible to watch, and saying so means that he is right. We played three games against Conte’s Inter in European competitions, and I have never met Simone Inzaghi's teams. I haven't played against Lazio, so I can't say anything. We'll see it tomorrow. To achieve a positive result, the first thing that needs to be done is fulfilling the instructions of the coaching staff, everything that we prepare and agree upon. And, of course, I want to repeat once again: we need to be really strong mentally, ready for the fact that we can, ought and must play against such teams.

- Is the current process of preparation for Inter any different from last season’s one under Luis Castro?