The team’s play inspired confidence
Saturday, August 16, 2025
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Shakhtar U19 head coach’s comment after a crushing victory over Veres Rivne U19
– It was quite an emotional encounter, and we really needed that. Recently, we took part in a tournament in Croatia, where we played many matches that demanded a lot of effort. We had concerns that, due to the limited time to prepare for the league match, the team might lack physical condition, especially since after games against PSG, Benfica or Bologna, the young players could have been a little up in the clouds. Nevertheless, the lads did well. The only setback was when, following an opponents’ set piece, there was a deflection and we conceded, which somewhat complicated the situation. However, the team pulled themselves together and, thanks to ball control and passing, eventually secured a resounding win. We have a young team – today 80% of the players on the pitch were born in 2008. They are only beginning their path in Shakhtar U19, apart from Kostiuk and Mylokost. Derykon, Tverdokhlib and other young players are already taking responsibility for the scoreline. It is also worth highlighting the more experienced footballers, who are setting an example for the younger ones. I would like to single out our foreign player Kanteh, who is quite versatile, effective in playing off the opponents’ shoulders and useful in second balls, which gives us more flexibility in our game.
– The team went into the break with the score level, but in the second half everything turned in favour of Shakhtar U19. What did you emphasise in the dressing room?
– In fact, I’m very rarely calm in the dressing room when the score is level, as I also have emotions and want to give my players pointers on how to act correctly and what needs to be changed to achieve the desired result. However, this time I was calm because the team’s play inspired confidence. I stressed to the players that they should keep performing in the same manner, and the result would surely come. Thanks to the lads for everything.
– At the beginning of the match, Onishchuk had to be substituted due to an injury. How serious is the injury and did the team support the player?
– Of course, the team always supports players in case of an injury. As for the severity, it is not yet known – a detailed examination is needed to determine the recovery period. Onishchuk was born in 2009, and we are confident that he could play at a high level, as he has the right qualities. We hope he will recover and return as soon as possible.
– Next week you have an away game against Karpaty U19. How will the team prepare for this match?
– Tomorrow, the group of players who took part in the match will have a recovery session, while the others will be given workload. In the following days, we plan targeted training sessions to prepare for the game against Karpaty, where we will work on the aspects that will be applied in the encounter.
– The team went into the break with the score level, but in the second half everything turned in favour of Shakhtar U19. What did you emphasise in the dressing room?
– In fact, I’m very rarely calm in the dressing room when the score is level, as I also have emotions and want to give my players pointers on how to act correctly and what needs to be changed to achieve the desired result. However, this time I was calm because the team’s play inspired confidence. I stressed to the players that they should keep performing in the same manner, and the result would surely come. Thanks to the lads for everything.
– At the beginning of the match, Onishchuk had to be substituted due to an injury. How serious is the injury and did the team support the player?
– Of course, the team always supports players in case of an injury. As for the severity, it is not yet known – a detailed examination is needed to determine the recovery period. Onishchuk was born in 2009, and we are confident that he could play at a high level, as he has the right qualities. We hope he will recover and return as soon as possible.
– Next week you have an away game against Karpaty U19. How will the team prepare for this match?
– Tomorrow, the group of players who took part in the match will have a recovery session, while the others will be given workload. In the following days, we plan targeted training sessions to prepare for the game against Karpaty, where we will work on the aspects that will be applied in the encounter.