Tomorrow is another final
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
|
Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan ahead of the UEFA Europa League return leg against Panathinaikos
– First of all, I would like to say that a tragic situation has occurred in Sudakov’s family, and I express my condolences to him and his family. We are very sorry for the loss of his father. I share this sorrow with all my heart. We are all with Heorhii in this. For us, it is an emotional day. We learned about this while travelling. The entire Shakhtar family, and I personally, are deeply saddened by this and share in Sudakov’s grief.
As for the game, tomorrow we will play a difficult match. We expect it to be similar to the first encounter. We have great respect for Panathinaikos, their coach and players. We will be ready for their transitions. Of course, it won’t be easy, but we will try not to allow them to take advantage of set pieces easily. And we are prepared for that. Naturally, they will have their chances, playing against Panathinaikos is never simple, but I believe we are ready both physically and mentally to face them. We are missing many players, but that is not an excuse. By standing together as a team, we will meet the challenges of tomorrow’s game.
– What can you say about the situation in the team, aside from Sudakov: are there any positive or negative squad updates, who is available to play tomorrow and who is not? (Terrikon.com)
– Tomorrow, Kryskiv, Traore, Eguinaldo, Kevin, Pedrinho and Sudakov will be unavailable. Of course, if you ask me whether this is easy – it’s not. But difficult times create different heroes. And I believe that tomorrow the hero will be the team. I also believe that tough times will make us a true family. We will play for them, our absent players, and for our one united family. It’s not easy to manage almost without six players, who usually start, in the toughest match so far. But I’ve said from day one: I trust all my players. And I believe these 25–26 footballers are capable of seeing any competition through to the end. Our only problem is too many finals. If we get through these rounds and advance to the group stage, we will be calmer. Tomorrow is another final for us. But I believe this team have a very bright future.
– Considering the first match against the Greeks, what do Shakhtar need tomorrow to secure a win? And will there be any tactical changes? (Shakhtar TV)
– We need to score. Nothing else is required. We will play with the same tactics. We did a good job in Athens.
– You already have experience of long border crossings and limited time for recovery and match preparation. How are the team feeling under these circumstances, compared with the situation before the home match against Beşiktaş? (Terrikon.com)
– Of course, I can’t say it’s easy. Making all these trips is tough. That’s why we travel almost two days before every match, and on the day of travel we don’t train, but try to make up for it with video analysis and more theoretical work. We can’t influence this. We don’t hide behind excuses but try to focus on the bright, positive side because we have all the resources and all the possibilities. As I said, there are fewer training sessions, but during these periods we work more with video analysis. Compared with the time before the match against Beşiktaş, I feel even more excitement now. As a team, we are better prepared than back then because we are on another level and fully aware of it. If we get through this round, we will reach the play-offs. Right now, we are trying to correct the image and results of last season. But we are ready to do it tomorrow.
– You said that you are analysing the opponents thoroughly. What can you say about Panathinaikos, their level and their style of play? (Cosmote TV)
– First of all, Panathinaikos have all the necessary football experience – both in terms of player quality and club culture. They have very experienced players in their squad. They follow a different style of play, which I greatly respect. And they do it very well, especially in their transitions and set pieces. We need to be ready for that. In my life, I have a lot of experience against teams like this – there have been both defeats and victories. They will also be more aggressive, as they need to win too. But we will be ready for all their plans and will never back down.
– Tomorrow, many Ukrainian fans are expected at the stadium, just like in the previous match against Beşiktaş. What would you like to say to people coming to support Shakhtar? (ua.tribuna.com)
– I can say this to our fans: regardless of the score, they will see a team they can be proud of. This team will never give up and will do everything possible to win. If they want to watch good football, if they want to be happy – they should come. And this applies not only to Shakhtar fans or Ukrainians. It applies to everyone who watches football. In fact, it applies to everyone in Kraków because football is wonderful when it’s played in front of spectators.
As for the game, tomorrow we will play a difficult match. We expect it to be similar to the first encounter. We have great respect for Panathinaikos, their coach and players. We will be ready for their transitions. Of course, it won’t be easy, but we will try not to allow them to take advantage of set pieces easily. And we are prepared for that. Naturally, they will have their chances, playing against Panathinaikos is never simple, but I believe we are ready both physically and mentally to face them. We are missing many players, but that is not an excuse. By standing together as a team, we will meet the challenges of tomorrow’s game.
– What can you say about the situation in the team, aside from Sudakov: are there any positive or negative squad updates, who is available to play tomorrow and who is not? (Terrikon.com)
– Tomorrow, Kryskiv, Traore, Eguinaldo, Kevin, Pedrinho and Sudakov will be unavailable. Of course, if you ask me whether this is easy – it’s not. But difficult times create different heroes. And I believe that tomorrow the hero will be the team. I also believe that tough times will make us a true family. We will play for them, our absent players, and for our one united family. It’s not easy to manage almost without six players, who usually start, in the toughest match so far. But I’ve said from day one: I trust all my players. And I believe these 25–26 footballers are capable of seeing any competition through to the end. Our only problem is too many finals. If we get through these rounds and advance to the group stage, we will be calmer. Tomorrow is another final for us. But I believe this team have a very bright future.
– Considering the first match against the Greeks, what do Shakhtar need tomorrow to secure a win? And will there be any tactical changes? (Shakhtar TV)
– We need to score. Nothing else is required. We will play with the same tactics. We did a good job in Athens.
– You already have experience of long border crossings and limited time for recovery and match preparation. How are the team feeling under these circumstances, compared with the situation before the home match against Beşiktaş? (Terrikon.com)
– Of course, I can’t say it’s easy. Making all these trips is tough. That’s why we travel almost two days before every match, and on the day of travel we don’t train, but try to make up for it with video analysis and more theoretical work. We can’t influence this. We don’t hide behind excuses but try to focus on the bright, positive side because we have all the resources and all the possibilities. As I said, there are fewer training sessions, but during these periods we work more with video analysis. Compared with the time before the match against Beşiktaş, I feel even more excitement now. As a team, we are better prepared than back then because we are on another level and fully aware of it. If we get through this round, we will reach the play-offs. Right now, we are trying to correct the image and results of last season. But we are ready to do it tomorrow.
– You said that you are analysing the opponents thoroughly. What can you say about Panathinaikos, their level and their style of play? (Cosmote TV)
– First of all, Panathinaikos have all the necessary football experience – both in terms of player quality and club culture. They have very experienced players in their squad. They follow a different style of play, which I greatly respect. And they do it very well, especially in their transitions and set pieces. We need to be ready for that. In my life, I have a lot of experience against teams like this – there have been both defeats and victories. They will also be more aggressive, as they need to win too. But we will be ready for all their plans and will never back down.
– Tomorrow, many Ukrainian fans are expected at the stadium, just like in the previous match against Beşiktaş. What would you like to say to people coming to support Shakhtar? (ua.tribuna.com)
– I can say this to our fans: regardless of the score, they will see a team they can be proud of. This team will never give up and will do everything possible to win. If they want to watch good football, if they want to be happy – they should come. And this applies not only to Shakhtar fans or Ukrainians. It applies to everyone who watches football. In fact, it applies to everyone in Kraków because football is wonderful when it’s played in front of spectators.