We have big dreams in Europe
Friday, December 19, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the UEFA Conference League match against Rijeka
– First of all, I want to congratulate my players, I’m proud of them. It’s not easy to reach the top eight in any European tournament, so my players did an excellent job. I tried to give them equal playing time, and in this young team, I believe everyone got a chance. It has been a long journey, and we always have long trips, which means most of the time we can’t train properly, often having no training two days before a game. We haven’t had many opportunities for this, so my players worked hard – I’m very happy and proud of them.
– You started the season in Slovenia and now you’ve finished it with the final game here. So, are you happier than you were during the first match in Ljubljana?
– Of course. I’m happy to be Shakhtar’s coach, I’m proud of it, I feel it every day, and that’s why I try to give my all every single day. I will always be grateful to the Almighty for the opportunity to coach Shakhtar, and I fully understand how important it is for my own development and for the team’s progress. I think about it every day. Of course, sometimes I make mistakes, but the club, the players and our organisation do everything possible to cover them. We constantly support each other, that's why I’m very satisfied with our current position. I’m even more excited and happy because I fully understand the value of this achievement.
– You’ve been following your path in the Conference League, and some people think that the level of the opponents you faced wasn’t very high, except for Legia and Rijeka. What’s your opinion on this? Can you summarise the European campaign? How important was it to finish the season this way and what are your expectations for the future?
– Last year, Chelsea won this tournament. I don’t want to show any disrespect to football because it’s always full of surprises. I never accept such opinions and believe they come from people who have never been on the pitch. Every game is difficult, even if you’re playing against an opponents’ academy, U19 team. You have to respect the game and the opponents. Regarding our opponents in the Conference League, we played against the champions of Ireland and now against the champions of Croatia. So I don’t accept that opinion even by one per cent because I consider it disrespectful to football. I have a very positive view of my players’ work, I sincerely respect it and I’m very happy about it. We’ve had six very tough months with long trips. Some journeys lasted up to 15–16 hours, so you have to show respect for football, because it has many surprises. I remember many titles lost in matches against smaller clubs. We know where we are right now, and that makes us genuinely happy. If you ask what excites me most and what I strive for, it’s winning the Conference League.
– You now have a longer winter break. How important is this for the players and coaching staff who face such long trips? What are your expectations for upcoming European matches?
– Yes, it’s very important for us that we don’t have to play in the round of 32, because with such travel schedules, you need to prepare psychologically first. Also, if we had ended up outside the top eight, it would have been very risky for us because we wouldn’t be able to preserve our players for the domestic league and recover them properly. without this time. This period also gives us the opportunity to work on tactics as we usually don’t have time for tactical training with such a schedule. We often work with minus one preparation session or plus one recovery session. That’s why this time is so important from the perspective of the training process. Regarding the Conference League: yes, we have big dreams, but if you look at the top, you can stumble along the way, so we approach it step by step. Right now, the match against our next opponents is what matters most. Even in these knockout games, we don’t focus on the entire two-leg stage, but only on the next game ahead. This is something I learned from Simeone – to take it step by step. We will respect our opponents. Do we have big dreams in Europe? Yes, but the next game is always the most important.
– You started the season in Slovenia and now you’ve finished it with the final game here. So, are you happier than you were during the first match in Ljubljana?
– Of course. I’m happy to be Shakhtar’s coach, I’m proud of it, I feel it every day, and that’s why I try to give my all every single day. I will always be grateful to the Almighty for the opportunity to coach Shakhtar, and I fully understand how important it is for my own development and for the team’s progress. I think about it every day. Of course, sometimes I make mistakes, but the club, the players and our organisation do everything possible to cover them. We constantly support each other, that's why I’m very satisfied with our current position. I’m even more excited and happy because I fully understand the value of this achievement.
– You’ve been following your path in the Conference League, and some people think that the level of the opponents you faced wasn’t very high, except for Legia and Rijeka. What’s your opinion on this? Can you summarise the European campaign? How important was it to finish the season this way and what are your expectations for the future?
– Last year, Chelsea won this tournament. I don’t want to show any disrespect to football because it’s always full of surprises. I never accept such opinions and believe they come from people who have never been on the pitch. Every game is difficult, even if you’re playing against an opponents’ academy, U19 team. You have to respect the game and the opponents. Regarding our opponents in the Conference League, we played against the champions of Ireland and now against the champions of Croatia. So I don’t accept that opinion even by one per cent because I consider it disrespectful to football. I have a very positive view of my players’ work, I sincerely respect it and I’m very happy about it. We’ve had six very tough months with long trips. Some journeys lasted up to 15–16 hours, so you have to show respect for football, because it has many surprises. I remember many titles lost in matches against smaller clubs. We know where we are right now, and that makes us genuinely happy. If you ask what excites me most and what I strive for, it’s winning the Conference League.
– You now have a longer winter break. How important is this for the players and coaching staff who face such long trips? What are your expectations for upcoming European matches?
– Yes, it’s very important for us that we don’t have to play in the round of 32, because with such travel schedules, you need to prepare psychologically first. Also, if we had ended up outside the top eight, it would have been very risky for us because we wouldn’t be able to preserve our players for the domestic league and recover them properly. without this time. This period also gives us the opportunity to work on tactics as we usually don’t have time for tactical training with such a schedule. We often work with minus one preparation session or plus one recovery session. That’s why this time is so important from the perspective of the training process. Regarding the Conference League: yes, we have big dreams, but if you look at the top, you can stumble along the way, so we approach it step by step. Right now, the match against our next opponents is what matters most. Even in these knockout games, we don’t focus on the entire two-leg stage, but only on the next game ahead. This is something I learned from Simeone – to take it step by step. We will respect our opponents. Do we have big dreams in Europe? Yes, but the next game is always the most important.