We lacked efficiency in the finishing phase
Monday, December 1, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the UPL match against Kryvbas
– Today was truly an important day in the context of the teams’ positions in the league table. In my view, we started the match well and created several genuinely dangerous opportunities, but we lacked efficiency in the finishing phase. Later, we were punished for careless play in our own half – we lost the ball, and as a result, the opponents managed to score. We then managed to equalise, but again we weren’t careful and focused enough during a set piece, which allowed them to score a second goal. Looking at the game overall, I believe that we need to react better to situations that go against us in the future. Regarding our playing patterns, we always favour passing over dribbling, and today, in my opinion, we fell a little short in that regard. I did like the energy the players brought onto the pitch today, but on the other hand, I didn’t like the fact that we were often forced to act outside of our main pattern. Of course, big clubs like Shakhtar are always unhappy when they take anything less than three points. But in football, we also have to look at the positives: today we managed to secure an important point, which will also count towards our achievements this season.
– Dmytro Riznyk and Marlon Santos were left out of the squad. How are they feeling?
– Yes, Riznyk is currently injured and didn’t make the squad. As we constantly emphasise, we need to protect our players and look after them when necessary. On the other hand, Fesiun performed excellently today and I’m completely satisfied with how he came into the game and replaced his teammate. As for Marlon Santos, he was injured during yesterday’s training session. To be honest, I’m not very keen on discussing medical matters and leave that to the qualified staff in our team as I’m not particularly competent in the medical field.
– Today was an emotional match and we saw your reaction when the team scored. But before that, there were a few incidents that led to disputes between the two coaching staffs. Could you explain what happened in these moments and after the match?
– This wasn’t about the result of the match, it was primarily about respect. I understand that in every game emotions run high and sometimes we want to express them more than usual. However, as I said, this had nothing to do with the score on the board today. When it comes to respect for the opponents, whenever there is an injury on the pitch – whether to us or to the opposition – I instruct my players to put the ball out of play. The same happened in the match against LNZ, if you remember: even though we were behind, I gave the same instruction. Regarding the verbal confrontation you witnessed, I understand it was a surge of emotions, but there are boundaries, red lines that must not be crossed. Any comments about family or close relatives are, in my view, completely inappropriate and should never be made under any circumstances. So yes, perhaps I overreacted somewhat, but in incidents like these, I will never regret having a strong reaction.
– In football, we have “Fergie time” – you know, when a team score in the final minutes. Can we already talk about something like “Arda Turan time”?
– Thank you for the comparison. However, I should remind you that to even be comparable to Sir Alex Ferguson, I would probably need to spend a lifetime as a coach. Perhaps even a whole lifetime wouldn’t be enough to earn the respect required for such a comparison. But thank you.
– Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik said that you are better than him only in terms of Instagram followers. What’s your take on that?
– Shakhtar youth team really have a fantastic coach. I genuinely admire what he does and support him in all his endeavours. And perhaps, in truth, he might even be able to coach Shakhtar better than me.
– Dmytro Riznyk and Marlon Santos were left out of the squad. How are they feeling?
– Yes, Riznyk is currently injured and didn’t make the squad. As we constantly emphasise, we need to protect our players and look after them when necessary. On the other hand, Fesiun performed excellently today and I’m completely satisfied with how he came into the game and replaced his teammate. As for Marlon Santos, he was injured during yesterday’s training session. To be honest, I’m not very keen on discussing medical matters and leave that to the qualified staff in our team as I’m not particularly competent in the medical field.
– Today was an emotional match and we saw your reaction when the team scored. But before that, there were a few incidents that led to disputes between the two coaching staffs. Could you explain what happened in these moments and after the match?
– This wasn’t about the result of the match, it was primarily about respect. I understand that in every game emotions run high and sometimes we want to express them more than usual. However, as I said, this had nothing to do with the score on the board today. When it comes to respect for the opponents, whenever there is an injury on the pitch – whether to us or to the opposition – I instruct my players to put the ball out of play. The same happened in the match against LNZ, if you remember: even though we were behind, I gave the same instruction. Regarding the verbal confrontation you witnessed, I understand it was a surge of emotions, but there are boundaries, red lines that must not be crossed. Any comments about family or close relatives are, in my view, completely inappropriate and should never be made under any circumstances. So yes, perhaps I overreacted somewhat, but in incidents like these, I will never regret having a strong reaction.
– In football, we have “Fergie time” – you know, when a team score in the final minutes. Can we already talk about something like “Arda Turan time”?
– Thank you for the comparison. However, I should remind you that to even be comparable to Sir Alex Ferguson, I would probably need to spend a lifetime as a coach. Perhaps even a whole lifetime wouldn’t be enough to earn the respect required for such a comparison. But thank you.
– Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik said that you are better than him only in terms of Instagram followers. What’s your take on that?
– Shakhtar youth team really have a fantastic coach. I genuinely admire what he does and support him in all his endeavours. And perhaps, in truth, he might even be able to coach Shakhtar better than me.