We aim to be in the top eight
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan ahead of the UEFA Conference League match against Rijeka
– Tomorrow we will play against the champions, so we need to approach this match with respect. They have different plans for both phases of the game – offence and defence. As for physical preparation, I believe we are on a similar level to our opponents. Rijeka have high physical contact; they are a tough team. We have great respect for them, they have a very important coach. They may have different plans for build-up and positional attacks, developing various strategies depending on the specific match. We need to play the moments right and be prepared for this. We must also be able to respond to changes on the pitch. I have already warned my players. We are in a good position and we need to maintain it because we have dreams about the Conference League and want to make them a reality.
– Shakhtar have already secured qualification for the next round. Will you give the substitutes a chance tomorrow or field the main squad?
– First of all, nothing is decided yet because we still have the opportunity to finish in the top eight, and that is exactly what we are aiming for. Secondly, I have said this since the start of the season: we have 24 players of a similar level. Depending on the match and the opponents, we work through different plans and systems to decide on the starting line-up based on the analysis. It will be the same tomorrow. Our best eleven will take to the pitch. I always emphasise this point, as this is not a rotation team, but a family team. We insist on the “one team – one family” concept, which is why I’m stressing it again.
– This is the team’s final match of 2025, so what preliminary conclusions can you draw? And in particular, Shakhtar’s European campaign began back in July: how do you assess the team’s progress over these six months?
– I believe these have been six excellent months. We already had a very good playing culture and organisation, but for the first time in a long while Shakhtar are prioritising young players with potential. Compared to De Zerbi, Fonseca, Pusic, I may be a coach with less experience and younger, so this is a new structure for Shakhtar. We are trying to share our views on playing culture and maintain it, while also striving for certain improvements. This includes greater aggression in defence, the mental and physical development of our young players, and learning to play better in key moments. As for these six months, it has been a very good period both for me and for the players. I believe I’m a better coach now, and my players are better than they were six months ago. We are working on our system. Our automatisms are better established, our mechanism is beginning to function. Of course, the pace may have dropped slightly compared to the start of the season, but I’m satisfied with the current level. We have great hopes for the future and big dreams for this team. We must stay firmly grounded. I believe that we will be able to achieve these important dreams in the future through training and by insisting on the right aspects of football.
– You had an early start to the season and you are a coach who is very loyal to his principles, which you also demonstrated in your latest pre-match speech. You emphasised positional changes, triangles, as well as the aspect of reaction in the game. So I have two questions. First, do you feel that your system is working very well now, at 70–80 per cent, can you put a figure on it? And second, you will have a two-month break and a winter training camp in Antalya. Do you think it will be possible to raise the team’s level during this period?
– Regarding the system, I do not think it would be right to assign a percentage, but I believe we have covered its key aspects. At the moment we are very dynamic; I like our one-on-one play, the way we press and work on the pitch. We offer simple solutions, but this season we have not always been able to fully reflect our system, and that has been a learning experience for me as a coach. This is not a departure from the system, but sometimes you need to offer immediate solutions, and we have not always had the right players available due to injuries. So for me, this will also be a new experience. The two-month break will be treated as a pre-season period. After that, we will have 14 league matches and, hopefully, another 7–8 European games on the way to the final. That makes around 20 matches in total, and we will try to prepare the team physically and mentally during this period, which we view as a pre-season camp. It will not be easy. I believe our principles are working better and better, and my players are reacting more quickly. I’m very satisfied with the level we have in defence, but, as I always say, regardless of what I say, the initiative belongs to the players on the pitch – their decision to go one on one, have more contact. I’m satisfied with the current level. As I mentioned, we have not always had the players we needed for every match, and I hope that we will have more options in the second part of the season because Traore and Alisson have returned and Obah will join us, so we will have a stronger squad. That is why we have high hopes for the future, and I’m very satisfied with the position we are in. It gives us hope because we are at the top of the UPL table. I believe tomorrow’s match will allow us to be at the top in Europe as well. We have the opportunity to dream and I think that is the best thing in life.
I would like to add to my answer. This is the story of a team that had great fans and used to play in front of 40–50 thousand supporters, but now, even when we make 600–700 passes per game and play very well, we do not feel that on the pitch. Also, when we play every three days, it is not easy, and if we drop during a match, we do not have that support from the fans. Of course, they travel with us all over the world, but it is very difficult for such important players to play in front of 2–3 thousand supporters. I hope we will return to the days when we played in front of 30 thousand fans.
– Shakhtar have already secured qualification for the next round. Will you give the substitutes a chance tomorrow or field the main squad?
– First of all, nothing is decided yet because we still have the opportunity to finish in the top eight, and that is exactly what we are aiming for. Secondly, I have said this since the start of the season: we have 24 players of a similar level. Depending on the match and the opponents, we work through different plans and systems to decide on the starting line-up based on the analysis. It will be the same tomorrow. Our best eleven will take to the pitch. I always emphasise this point, as this is not a rotation team, but a family team. We insist on the “one team – one family” concept, which is why I’m stressing it again.
– This is the team’s final match of 2025, so what preliminary conclusions can you draw? And in particular, Shakhtar’s European campaign began back in July: how do you assess the team’s progress over these six months?
– I believe these have been six excellent months. We already had a very good playing culture and organisation, but for the first time in a long while Shakhtar are prioritising young players with potential. Compared to De Zerbi, Fonseca, Pusic, I may be a coach with less experience and younger, so this is a new structure for Shakhtar. We are trying to share our views on playing culture and maintain it, while also striving for certain improvements. This includes greater aggression in defence, the mental and physical development of our young players, and learning to play better in key moments. As for these six months, it has been a very good period both for me and for the players. I believe I’m a better coach now, and my players are better than they were six months ago. We are working on our system. Our automatisms are better established, our mechanism is beginning to function. Of course, the pace may have dropped slightly compared to the start of the season, but I’m satisfied with the current level. We have great hopes for the future and big dreams for this team. We must stay firmly grounded. I believe that we will be able to achieve these important dreams in the future through training and by insisting on the right aspects of football.
– You had an early start to the season and you are a coach who is very loyal to his principles, which you also demonstrated in your latest pre-match speech. You emphasised positional changes, triangles, as well as the aspect of reaction in the game. So I have two questions. First, do you feel that your system is working very well now, at 70–80 per cent, can you put a figure on it? And second, you will have a two-month break and a winter training camp in Antalya. Do you think it will be possible to raise the team’s level during this period?
– Regarding the system, I do not think it would be right to assign a percentage, but I believe we have covered its key aspects. At the moment we are very dynamic; I like our one-on-one play, the way we press and work on the pitch. We offer simple solutions, but this season we have not always been able to fully reflect our system, and that has been a learning experience for me as a coach. This is not a departure from the system, but sometimes you need to offer immediate solutions, and we have not always had the right players available due to injuries. So for me, this will also be a new experience. The two-month break will be treated as a pre-season period. After that, we will have 14 league matches and, hopefully, another 7–8 European games on the way to the final. That makes around 20 matches in total, and we will try to prepare the team physically and mentally during this period, which we view as a pre-season camp. It will not be easy. I believe our principles are working better and better, and my players are reacting more quickly. I’m very satisfied with the level we have in defence, but, as I always say, regardless of what I say, the initiative belongs to the players on the pitch – their decision to go one on one, have more contact. I’m satisfied with the current level. As I mentioned, we have not always had the players we needed for every match, and I hope that we will have more options in the second part of the season because Traore and Alisson have returned and Obah will join us, so we will have a stronger squad. That is why we have high hopes for the future, and I’m very satisfied with the position we are in. It gives us hope because we are at the top of the UPL table. I believe tomorrow’s match will allow us to be at the top in Europe as well. We have the opportunity to dream and I think that is the best thing in life.
I would like to add to my answer. This is the story of a team that had great fans and used to play in front of 40–50 thousand supporters, but now, even when we make 600–700 passes per game and play very well, we do not feel that on the pitch. Also, when we play every three days, it is not easy, and if we drop during a match, we do not have that support from the fans. Of course, they travel with us all over the world, but it is very difficult for such important players to play in front of 2–3 thousand supporters. I hope we will return to the days when we played in front of 30 thousand fans.