We will try to attack and possess the ball. This is the best strategy
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
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Press conference of head coach of Shakhtar Marino Pusic before the Champions League match against PSV
– Good evening. Before the press conference, I read some parts of your interview to the Dutch De Telegraaf, where you talk about Liverpool and a winter break. Can you explain what your words mean? Do you want to leave us? (ua.tribuna.com)
– No, it was not about that, it was about the opportunities that I had last summer, the opportunities to leave the club and move to other clubs, one of them was Liverpool. But I explained why I did not do that. I have the contract with Shakhtar for a year and a half and intentions to stay as long as possible because I feel commitment – not only to the club in general, but especially to my players and people who work in the club. Despite all the difficulties and circumstances in the country, I am not the kind of guy who will leave just like that. We have a great future ahead, and in football you never know what is going to happen because it is a very unpredictable world. But I have intentions to stay with the club as long as possible.
– The statistics of PSV this season are impressive – a lot of scored goals… (ua.tribuna.com)
– Yes, great team.
– Can you call PSV your most attacking rival this season and how will you stop them tomorrow? (ua.tribuna.com)
– By attacking them, like Johan Cruyf said. This is the best strategy. Of course, if the opponent plays better, has more possession and pushes us back, we will be forced to defend. It is not my style, but even if it happens, you have to be well-organised. It is a challenge for us, because now in the domestic league we are a team that always fully take the initiative, score more goals, create more chances and spend most of the time in the opponent’s half of the field. And when you face such opponents in the Champions League, you know that you will also have to be in your own half sometimes. Let me say that we show in big games that we are also able to do that. It is not our style, but if needed, we should play like that. But the best way to defend, like I said, is to seize the initiative and to attack as well, to possess the ball. I think, Johan Cruyf said that, the smartest coach of all times. And he is 100 percent right. We will try to do so. Will we succeed? I do not know, we will see tomorrow.
– We would like to know your opinion about Mexican forward of PSV Hirving Lozano. (MexicoTV)
– Amazing player with a great career. He scored a lot of goals here. The winger who is different from, for example, Noa Lang or Bakayoko, he is very opportunistic, very fast, uses the space, has scoring abilities. The footballer who is very difficult to play against. I do not know if he will play tomorrow, we will see, but he is a fantastic player. Like Santiago Gimenez. Great striker.
– No, it was not about that, it was about the opportunities that I had last summer, the opportunities to leave the club and move to other clubs, one of them was Liverpool. But I explained why I did not do that. I have the contract with Shakhtar for a year and a half and intentions to stay as long as possible because I feel commitment – not only to the club in general, but especially to my players and people who work in the club. Despite all the difficulties and circumstances in the country, I am not the kind of guy who will leave just like that. We have a great future ahead, and in football you never know what is going to happen because it is a very unpredictable world. But I have intentions to stay with the club as long as possible.
– The statistics of PSV this season are impressive – a lot of scored goals… (ua.tribuna.com)
– Yes, great team.
– Can you call PSV your most attacking rival this season and how will you stop them tomorrow? (ua.tribuna.com)
– By attacking them, like Johan Cruyf said. This is the best strategy. Of course, if the opponent plays better, has more possession and pushes us back, we will be forced to defend. It is not my style, but even if it happens, you have to be well-organised. It is a challenge for us, because now in the domestic league we are a team that always fully take the initiative, score more goals, create more chances and spend most of the time in the opponent’s half of the field. And when you face such opponents in the Champions League, you know that you will also have to be in your own half sometimes. Let me say that we show in big games that we are also able to do that. It is not our style, but if needed, we should play like that. But the best way to defend, like I said, is to seize the initiative and to attack as well, to possess the ball. I think, Johan Cruyf said that, the smartest coach of all times. And he is 100 percent right. We will try to do so. Will we succeed? I do not know, we will see tomorrow.
– We would like to know your opinion about Mexican forward of PSV Hirving Lozano. (MexicoTV)
– Amazing player with a great career. He scored a lot of goals here. The winger who is different from, for example, Noa Lang or Bakayoko, he is very opportunistic, very fast, uses the space, has scoring abilities. The footballer who is very difficult to play against. I do not know if he will play tomorrow, we will see, but he is a fantastic player. Like Santiago Gimenez. Great striker.