It is important to stay in the European competitions so that people are proud of Shakhtar
Monday, November 27, 2023
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Press conference of head coach of Shakhtar Marino Pusic before the Champions League match against Antwerp
– Shakhtar defeated Barcelona in the previous round of the Champions League, and everyone admired the team’s performance then, but after that, there was a defeat by Dnipro-1 and a draw with Polissia. What is the reason for such results, because it is a little concerning before tomorrow’s important match?
– It is actually very simple, because every game has its own story. That is the first thing. Every competition has its own energy and goal. It is important for me and for the team. We have a draw and a loss in these games, but we could have easily won both if we finished all our attacks and converted all our chances. Sometimes, if you do not do this, you can play a draw or lose a game. For me, it is all part of the game. Most important part is the way we played. And we played pretty well, especially in the last game, we created a lot of goal-scoring chances. Sometimes we needed a little bit of luck to convert one of the chances in time, to change the momentum of the game and to win. I am not happy with the result, but I am pretty happy with the way we played and what we could show.
– Will we see Artem Bondarenko in the match against Antwerp and how ready is he to play?
– He worked very hard to come back after the injury, and he has already had several sessions with us. Slowly but surely he is coming back to group training and is preparing to get some playing time. Artem will be in the squad tomorrow, and during the game we will decide if we need him or not. But I am very happy that he is on his way back.
– Shakhtar did not score against the opponent for the first time this year, it happened in the match against Polissia. What is the reason in your opinion?
– Like I said, we did not take our chances. Sometimes football is like that, you know. I am happy with the way we played, with how many chances we created – it was very good for our team. We did not finish our attacks, so we got a draw. But it was a good draw. We were not happy with the final result, but the way we played, how many chances we created – it was very good. Sometimes you need to convert one such chance in order to score even more goals. People talked about a lot of things after this game, but for me the main one is the way we played. Every game has its own energy, its own feature. We always try to find a way to win, but with our own strategy. It is bad when you create nothing, but we created a lot. We were in position to do something more than we did forty times. It is also important for me. I complimented my team after the game especially for the way they played, their energy, their discipline. Everything was almost perfect, except for the scoring. I agree with you on it.
– After the previous game, you said that Yukhym Konoplia’s injury could be quite serious. What is his condition now?
– When the player is out ten minutes after the start of the match, the situation may seem serious, but according to the first information, the injury is not that severe. He can return to the squad in two or three weeks. We are happy that it will not take very long. We also have several other injuries after that game because our players had to endure some serious attacks. But, luckily, except for Konoplia, everybody is ready to play in the first-team squad tomorrow.
– Danylo Sikan, who netted a brace in the first match against Antwerp, came to the press conference with you. Do you expect him to score goals tomorrow and did you speak privately with him about how he should act in this game?
– Of course, Danylo is doing well. He is an ambitious player, wants to score goals, works very hard and makes a big contribution to the team’s performance. I am not used to talking about individual players, to be honest, but if such question arises, I always put my team above individual players. Only the team make the player better – not the other way around. So, as a team we make each other better, and in this case as a team we also make Danylo better and put him in the position to score goals. He is improving a lot, scoring many goals, working very hard with the team. Of course, just as any young player, he has room for improvement. He and the other guys are very ambitious and eager to prove themselves, and I am very happy with that as a coach.
– After a few weeks of being a coach of Shakhtar, what difficulties do you face in daily life when managing the team in the context of the war, with a lot of players having the family members affected by the war? Does it affect you psychologically?
– I think, if your question was about work under current circumstances in Ukraine, then as a coach you perform not only the task of a football coach, but also many others. One of those is helping your players feel good and have enough confidence to explore their talents and play well. It is obvious that the situation is completely different from what all of us is used to seeing in our countries, and it requires adaptation, social skills, and also the determination to work very hard every day to improve the team. People in the club help me a lot, I am very grateful for that. Like I said last time, I see good organisation, people really try to make the best of it under these circumstances, which is not so easy. As you know, yesterday my team travelled almost 10 hours to get here. That kind of schedule takes a lot of energy, especially such trips. At the same time, we have the mental strength to face this challenge and make the best of it. So, it is uncommon situation, but it is what it is. All employees of the club, including me as a coach, try to do everything they can to make the best of it and to compete with other teams.
– Do you think the players are playing better because they are playing for their country and nation?
– For sure, this is part of the motivation and an extra motivation to play for your country, try to give some energy to the people in the country, to make them proud. But the basic motivation is to play as a professional for your teammates and for your club. At the same time, you represent your country in Europe, and at this moment it is very important that people are proud of Shakhtar and that we stay as long as possible in the European competitions.
– About your friend Mark van Bommel: did you have contact with him?
– No, we will talk tomorrow.
– What do you think about his football?
– With Mark Antwerp achieved a great result, becoming the champions last year and winning trophies. It is not easy to do, it is a great achievement. Respect to him, his team and Antwerp FC. They are tough opponents. I know they have not had a great start this season, but sometimes it is just a moment that is not going well. I think he is a very good coach, and he has already shown it. His team are not easy to beat.
– It is actually very simple, because every game has its own story. That is the first thing. Every competition has its own energy and goal. It is important for me and for the team. We have a draw and a loss in these games, but we could have easily won both if we finished all our attacks and converted all our chances. Sometimes, if you do not do this, you can play a draw or lose a game. For me, it is all part of the game. Most important part is the way we played. And we played pretty well, especially in the last game, we created a lot of goal-scoring chances. Sometimes we needed a little bit of luck to convert one of the chances in time, to change the momentum of the game and to win. I am not happy with the result, but I am pretty happy with the way we played and what we could show.
– Will we see Artem Bondarenko in the match against Antwerp and how ready is he to play?
– He worked very hard to come back after the injury, and he has already had several sessions with us. Slowly but surely he is coming back to group training and is preparing to get some playing time. Artem will be in the squad tomorrow, and during the game we will decide if we need him or not. But I am very happy that he is on his way back.
– Shakhtar did not score against the opponent for the first time this year, it happened in the match against Polissia. What is the reason in your opinion?
– Like I said, we did not take our chances. Sometimes football is like that, you know. I am happy with the way we played, with how many chances we created – it was very good for our team. We did not finish our attacks, so we got a draw. But it was a good draw. We were not happy with the final result, but the way we played, how many chances we created – it was very good. Sometimes you need to convert one such chance in order to score even more goals. People talked about a lot of things after this game, but for me the main one is the way we played. Every game has its own energy, its own feature. We always try to find a way to win, but with our own strategy. It is bad when you create nothing, but we created a lot. We were in position to do something more than we did forty times. It is also important for me. I complimented my team after the game especially for the way they played, their energy, their discipline. Everything was almost perfect, except for the scoring. I agree with you on it.
– After the previous game, you said that Yukhym Konoplia’s injury could be quite serious. What is his condition now?
– When the player is out ten minutes after the start of the match, the situation may seem serious, but according to the first information, the injury is not that severe. He can return to the squad in two or three weeks. We are happy that it will not take very long. We also have several other injuries after that game because our players had to endure some serious attacks. But, luckily, except for Konoplia, everybody is ready to play in the first-team squad tomorrow.
– Danylo Sikan, who netted a brace in the first match against Antwerp, came to the press conference with you. Do you expect him to score goals tomorrow and did you speak privately with him about how he should act in this game?
– Of course, Danylo is doing well. He is an ambitious player, wants to score goals, works very hard and makes a big contribution to the team’s performance. I am not used to talking about individual players, to be honest, but if such question arises, I always put my team above individual players. Only the team make the player better – not the other way around. So, as a team we make each other better, and in this case as a team we also make Danylo better and put him in the position to score goals. He is improving a lot, scoring many goals, working very hard with the team. Of course, just as any young player, he has room for improvement. He and the other guys are very ambitious and eager to prove themselves, and I am very happy with that as a coach.
– After a few weeks of being a coach of Shakhtar, what difficulties do you face in daily life when managing the team in the context of the war, with a lot of players having the family members affected by the war? Does it affect you psychologically?
– I think, if your question was about work under current circumstances in Ukraine, then as a coach you perform not only the task of a football coach, but also many others. One of those is helping your players feel good and have enough confidence to explore their talents and play well. It is obvious that the situation is completely different from what all of us is used to seeing in our countries, and it requires adaptation, social skills, and also the determination to work very hard every day to improve the team. People in the club help me a lot, I am very grateful for that. Like I said last time, I see good organisation, people really try to make the best of it under these circumstances, which is not so easy. As you know, yesterday my team travelled almost 10 hours to get here. That kind of schedule takes a lot of energy, especially such trips. At the same time, we have the mental strength to face this challenge and make the best of it. So, it is uncommon situation, but it is what it is. All employees of the club, including me as a coach, try to do everything they can to make the best of it and to compete with other teams.
– Do you think the players are playing better because they are playing for their country and nation?
– For sure, this is part of the motivation and an extra motivation to play for your country, try to give some energy to the people in the country, to make them proud. But the basic motivation is to play as a professional for your teammates and for your club. At the same time, you represent your country in Europe, and at this moment it is very important that people are proud of Shakhtar and that we stay as long as possible in the European competitions.
– About your friend Mark van Bommel: did you have contact with him?
– No, we will talk tomorrow.
– What do you think about his football?
– With Mark Antwerp achieved a great result, becoming the champions last year and winning trophies. It is not easy to do, it is a great achievement. Respect to him, his team and Antwerp FC. They are tough opponents. I know they have not had a great start this season, but sometimes it is just a moment that is not going well. I think he is a very good coach, and he has already shown it. His team are not easy to beat.