We have a reserve of potential
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
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Press conference of head coach of Shakhtar Igor Jovicevic before the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg against Feyenoord
– Did the team have time to recover physically before the significant match against Feyenoord?
– We will see tomorrow, but I think the team are mentally ready for this level of competition. We know the level of the match, we made certain adjustments after the game in Warsaw. The first game was difficult, but hopefully we did not show our best football then. I think we have a reserve of potential to play our best football. Tomorrow we will fight from the first minutes to the last. We have a good team, which repeatedly showed themselves well in matches where they were not the favorite. We came to win the match, but it will be very difficult to do, because the spectators and atmosphere are always fantastic at Feyenoord Stadium, but we are ready!
– Your personal history with Shakhtar began in Rotterdam. What emotions do you return to the city with? What path did Shakhtar travel in six months?
– Yesterday was exactly eight months since the first day of the training camp. The journey, building of a new team and the foundation of a new project continue. There is already a solid foundation and a bright future, although we are only at the start of development. In the first year, we showed that we have players with character and they can pursue the highest goals – the Champions League and the Europa League. We have already played against RB Leipzig for advancement to the Champions League Round of 16, now we are playing to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League – this is a good sign for the first season. Returning to Rotterdam, where it all began, is a sign, perhaps. After the match, it will be clear whether it is good or not, but we believe that everything should be all fine. The players must understand that tomorrow they have to play the best game in their career.
– During the showdown with Rennes, the team prepared well for the penalty shootout – Trubin's bottle with clues alone was worth it. Will you also use homemade tools tomorrow?
– Penalty is a lottery, calmness and confidence that you will save or score. If you managed to do it several times during the training session, it does not mean anything. Everything happens in the moment. Then in Rennes we scored a goal in the last minutes and had a psychological advantage over the opponents. Again: the penalty is a psychological moment, your training sessions yesterday do not mean that you will take the penalty kick better today. It is all about calmness and confidence.
– We will see tomorrow, but I think the team are mentally ready for this level of competition. We know the level of the match, we made certain adjustments after the game in Warsaw. The first game was difficult, but hopefully we did not show our best football then. I think we have a reserve of potential to play our best football. Tomorrow we will fight from the first minutes to the last. We have a good team, which repeatedly showed themselves well in matches where they were not the favorite. We came to win the match, but it will be very difficult to do, because the spectators and atmosphere are always fantastic at Feyenoord Stadium, but we are ready!
– Your personal history with Shakhtar began in Rotterdam. What emotions do you return to the city with? What path did Shakhtar travel in six months?
– Yesterday was exactly eight months since the first day of the training camp. The journey, building of a new team and the foundation of a new project continue. There is already a solid foundation and a bright future, although we are only at the start of development. In the first year, we showed that we have players with character and they can pursue the highest goals – the Champions League and the Europa League. We have already played against RB Leipzig for advancement to the Champions League Round of 16, now we are playing to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League – this is a good sign for the first season. Returning to Rotterdam, where it all began, is a sign, perhaps. After the match, it will be clear whether it is good or not, but we believe that everything should be all fine. The players must understand that tomorrow they have to play the best game in their career.
– During the showdown with Rennes, the team prepared well for the penalty shootout – Trubin's bottle with clues alone was worth it. Will you also use homemade tools tomorrow?
– Penalty is a lottery, calmness and confidence that you will save or score. If you managed to do it several times during the training session, it does not mean anything. Everything happens in the moment. Then in Rennes we scored a goal in the last minutes and had a psychological advantage over the opponents. Again: the penalty is a psychological moment, your training sessions yesterday do not mean that you will take the penalty kick better today. It is all about calmness and confidence.