We’ll start the match in Kraków with the score at 0-0
Friday, July 25, 2025
|
Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the UEFA Europa League match against Beşiktaş
– It’s never easy to play here. We started the match in a balanced way, had a high percentage of ball possession, implemented our game plan, and I’m very pleased with that. We’ll take the positives from this match, but focus more on the negatives because we can’t be conceding such simple goals and allowing situations that go against our principles. When you’re dominating the game like that, you need a better score. I told my players before the match that, when I was 19, I ruined a game by getting sent off against Bordeaux. I always tell them: I’m not taking away your right to make mistakes, but if we want to reach a higher level, we have to acknowledge our shortcomings. We need to do better in challenges – and that’s not about tactics, it’s about the player’s energy. It’s important to understand that the round isn’t over yet. Beşiktaş are a very strong team and a big club. We need to fight at least as hard away as we did here, and I hope we can do that in the second leg.
– When you joined Shakhtar, you promised to make Ukrainians happy. Today you really did make Ukrainians happy with this result. And two quick questions. Your comment on Ocheretko in the starting XI. And what did you do with Alisson, what happened? You’ve turned him into a beast. His output has been impressive: lots of goals and assists already in just his second match. And the third goal – Kevin’s ball control was just fantastic. Is that something you worked on during the training camp? Is that what you want to see from Shakhtar’s game? (ua.tribuna.com)
– As I said before, I promised to make Ukrainians happy not with the results, but with the level of football we would show. And I’m very pleased with the level we showed today. Regarding Ocheretko. We analysed the opponents, looked at his physical stats, overall distance covered, how he fits our style and his tactical behaviour – that’s how we came to the decision to start him. Of course, we have great number eights – Pedrinho, Sudakov, Bondarenko. But I told my coaching staff: if we’re going to lose, then let it be while doing the right things. And I added: if we lose 0-5, then we lose 0-5, because he really deserved to play. I also told that to the players. I’ll always be honest with them, but honesty for a coach isn’t just about the match or training – it’s also about the stadium, match conditions, the opponents and so on. And I’m very pleased with his performance. As for Alisson. I don’t think he’s become a “beast” just yet because he didn’t track back even once at the end of the first half and we gave away a free kick. Beşiktaş could have scored from that situation. He played very well, but first of all, he has to defend. He has great qualities and huge potential. I feel the same about Kevin. He also has great potential. It is completely normal for Kevin and Alisson to score and provide assists, but true success will come when players not only do what comes naturally to them, but also what they usually don’t. They did a good job, but they need to reduce other aspects of their game and instead run and fight at full capacity. Overall, I’m pleased with the performance of all three.
– Last season, in many matches you took the lead – just three draws and three defeats in 25 games. And today, you gave Beşiktaş hardly any chances. Can we call this a future style in the style of Simeone? And Shakhtar played short passes for a long time here; for example, before the third goal, you kept possession for nearly three minutes – over 50 passes. And even with the score and the quality of the performance in your favour, you made two substitutions. What are your thoughts on that? (Karar)
– I’ll start with the last question. We make all decisions together with our coaching staff. They also communicate with us through headsets from the upper tier of the stadium when we make substitutions. We don’t base our decisions on the scoreline, we focus on the quality of our performance. At that point, we weren’t satisfied with it, and that’s why we made the changes. It’s not really a future in the style of Simeone, it’s more of an idea I borrowed from Fatih Terim. He always said: don’t be afraid to do what you see on the pitch. I’m not afraid – I try to implement it. Of course, there are ups and downs during a game. When it works, it’s easy to talk about it, but sometimes it doesn’t work. We constantly tell our players: if we know how to defend, we can beat anyone. If you don’t concede, you always have a chance to win. The best way to defend is to keep the ball. We tell our players to play with the ball, to enjoy it, but above all, the passes must be accurate. First, you have to beat your opponent on the dribble and only then play the pass. We don’t want to see random passes. Maybe you’ve seen me get angry on the touchline – those are the moments when we play without a plan. If you play like that, sooner or later you’ll make a mistake. But when we get back to structured play – we’re happier. By the way, you’re asking excellent questions.
– During Beşiktaş’s build-up, you pressed high in the second and third zones. In particular, you neutralised Demir Tiknaz and Orkun Kökçü, creating a kind of “dark zone” for them, not allowing them to operate freely. You directed the opponent towards the flanks. Can we say that forcing Beşiktaş to the flanks was the key to the victory? (BeInSports)
– In fact, we were trying to press the goalkeeper more aggressively because he’s very effective with long balls. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how we conceded the second goal – we didn’t press with the level of intensity we needed. We had no intention of changing our pressing plan, because we’re going to use it against every team in the world. We truly believe in this plan. But of course, when the opponents have players like Gedson Fernandes and Orkun Kökçü, they’re capable of finding solutions even without a plan. They also have a player we’ve been watching closely – Demir Tiknaz. Actually, my assistant coach Kerem said before the match: “I hope he doesn’t play tomorrow.” Our approach is mostly focused on the players, not just pressing patterns, so we can look at it from that angle. We have dynamic full-backs, which is why we aim to force the opponent wide. They’re all young and have great potential. I can say that Pedro Henrique’s current performance still isn’t his true level. In sprints, he usually hits 36–37 km/h, he has tremendous potential. So I’d say we did all this because we trust our players.
– You scored all four goals down the right flank. 40.1% of your attacks came through that side. But in the match against Ilves, the focus was more on the left wing. What was the reason for that? Did you want to exploit weaknesses in the opponents’ defence? You had a team with rather short players last year at Eyüpspor and we also see a team with relatively short footballers this year at Shakhtar. Do you think set pieces will be an issue again, like they were last season? (Mackolik)
– I don’t think we had any serious problems with set pieces so far, maybe just the penalty after the corner delivery. In fact, up until midway through the second half of last season, we were the team that conceded the fewest goals from set pieces. Later, there were other reasons for changes – adjustments in game plans, a transformation of our playing style, and so on. And I wouldn’t want to go too deep into that now. I believe Shakhtar have good players and I don’t think we’ll have problems in attack over the course of the season. But we do need to focus more on their defensive work and improve that aspect.
– The goal you scored came after three minutes of ball control. Do you think that was possible because of weaknesses in Beşiktaş’s system? (Ensonhaber)
– Actually, we scored a similar goal in the match against Ilves – that time it was Pedrinho who finished. Of course, possession is important, but at the same time, we make runs in behind, runs into the half-spaces, we need to create free zones on the pitch. We don’t only focus on the player in possession, but also on the movement of the others. My players executed those movements at the right moment and that’s how the goal came about. I don’t think it was about Beşiktaş’s system. If you combine well and move the ball properly, you can make 50 passes even against the strongest team in the world. It can be seen as the best form of defending – having high possession. I don’t worry too much about definitions.
– If you could sign one player from the Turkish Süper Lig, who would you choose? I’m asking to get a headline. (Ahaber.com.tr)
– Right now, I’m fully focused on my team. If we feel there’s something we’re missing, we’ll communicate that. Of course, there are very good players in the Turkish league, but if I mention a specific name now, it would take attention away from my players’ performance. But if you’re really curious, I can tell you privately after the interview.
– You have a very young team – players aged 19, 21, 24 – and they’re playing in European competitions. Do you think it could be a weakness due to lack of experience or a strength for the future? (Haberglobal)
– I agree with you, it can be both a positive and a negative. But we try to focus on the positives with our players. How do we do that? When they make mistakes due to inexperience, I’m the first to stand by them. Yes, I might yell at them on the pitch, maybe to fire them up, but in the dressing room, I’m always the one closest to them. I do believe they’ll make mistakes, but in the end, I’m the one responsible for those mistakes. I believe in their great potential. They scored multiple goals here at Beşiktaş Stadium, they were strong in challenges – and I really value that. Of course, we’ll focus on the positives and improve every day.
I also want to say that the tie isn’t over yet. Beşiktaş are a team that are strong in transitions, and they still have the away leg to play, so the threat remains. I believe we’ll start the match in Kraków with the score at 0-0 and give absolutely everything. I want to send that message to the whole Shakhtar community – the club, the players and the fans. I’d also like to thank Beşiktaş for the warm welcome. Especially Mr Serdal Adalı, the club’s president, he’s like an older brother to me. It’s always special for me to play here. And as long as we’re not facing each other on the pitch, I truly wish them success in the future.
– When you joined Shakhtar, you promised to make Ukrainians happy. Today you really did make Ukrainians happy with this result. And two quick questions. Your comment on Ocheretko in the starting XI. And what did you do with Alisson, what happened? You’ve turned him into a beast. His output has been impressive: lots of goals and assists already in just his second match. And the third goal – Kevin’s ball control was just fantastic. Is that something you worked on during the training camp? Is that what you want to see from Shakhtar’s game? (ua.tribuna.com)
– As I said before, I promised to make Ukrainians happy not with the results, but with the level of football we would show. And I’m very pleased with the level we showed today. Regarding Ocheretko. We analysed the opponents, looked at his physical stats, overall distance covered, how he fits our style and his tactical behaviour – that’s how we came to the decision to start him. Of course, we have great number eights – Pedrinho, Sudakov, Bondarenko. But I told my coaching staff: if we’re going to lose, then let it be while doing the right things. And I added: if we lose 0-5, then we lose 0-5, because he really deserved to play. I also told that to the players. I’ll always be honest with them, but honesty for a coach isn’t just about the match or training – it’s also about the stadium, match conditions, the opponents and so on. And I’m very pleased with his performance. As for Alisson. I don’t think he’s become a “beast” just yet because he didn’t track back even once at the end of the first half and we gave away a free kick. Beşiktaş could have scored from that situation. He played very well, but first of all, he has to defend. He has great qualities and huge potential. I feel the same about Kevin. He also has great potential. It is completely normal for Kevin and Alisson to score and provide assists, but true success will come when players not only do what comes naturally to them, but also what they usually don’t. They did a good job, but they need to reduce other aspects of their game and instead run and fight at full capacity. Overall, I’m pleased with the performance of all three.
– Last season, in many matches you took the lead – just three draws and three defeats in 25 games. And today, you gave Beşiktaş hardly any chances. Can we call this a future style in the style of Simeone? And Shakhtar played short passes for a long time here; for example, before the third goal, you kept possession for nearly three minutes – over 50 passes. And even with the score and the quality of the performance in your favour, you made two substitutions. What are your thoughts on that? (Karar)
– I’ll start with the last question. We make all decisions together with our coaching staff. They also communicate with us through headsets from the upper tier of the stadium when we make substitutions. We don’t base our decisions on the scoreline, we focus on the quality of our performance. At that point, we weren’t satisfied with it, and that’s why we made the changes. It’s not really a future in the style of Simeone, it’s more of an idea I borrowed from Fatih Terim. He always said: don’t be afraid to do what you see on the pitch. I’m not afraid – I try to implement it. Of course, there are ups and downs during a game. When it works, it’s easy to talk about it, but sometimes it doesn’t work. We constantly tell our players: if we know how to defend, we can beat anyone. If you don’t concede, you always have a chance to win. The best way to defend is to keep the ball. We tell our players to play with the ball, to enjoy it, but above all, the passes must be accurate. First, you have to beat your opponent on the dribble and only then play the pass. We don’t want to see random passes. Maybe you’ve seen me get angry on the touchline – those are the moments when we play without a plan. If you play like that, sooner or later you’ll make a mistake. But when we get back to structured play – we’re happier. By the way, you’re asking excellent questions.
– During Beşiktaş’s build-up, you pressed high in the second and third zones. In particular, you neutralised Demir Tiknaz and Orkun Kökçü, creating a kind of “dark zone” for them, not allowing them to operate freely. You directed the opponent towards the flanks. Can we say that forcing Beşiktaş to the flanks was the key to the victory? (BeInSports)
– In fact, we were trying to press the goalkeeper more aggressively because he’s very effective with long balls. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how we conceded the second goal – we didn’t press with the level of intensity we needed. We had no intention of changing our pressing plan, because we’re going to use it against every team in the world. We truly believe in this plan. But of course, when the opponents have players like Gedson Fernandes and Orkun Kökçü, they’re capable of finding solutions even without a plan. They also have a player we’ve been watching closely – Demir Tiknaz. Actually, my assistant coach Kerem said before the match: “I hope he doesn’t play tomorrow.” Our approach is mostly focused on the players, not just pressing patterns, so we can look at it from that angle. We have dynamic full-backs, which is why we aim to force the opponent wide. They’re all young and have great potential. I can say that Pedro Henrique’s current performance still isn’t his true level. In sprints, he usually hits 36–37 km/h, he has tremendous potential. So I’d say we did all this because we trust our players.
– You scored all four goals down the right flank. 40.1% of your attacks came through that side. But in the match against Ilves, the focus was more on the left wing. What was the reason for that? Did you want to exploit weaknesses in the opponents’ defence? You had a team with rather short players last year at Eyüpspor and we also see a team with relatively short footballers this year at Shakhtar. Do you think set pieces will be an issue again, like they were last season? (Mackolik)
– I don’t think we had any serious problems with set pieces so far, maybe just the penalty after the corner delivery. In fact, up until midway through the second half of last season, we were the team that conceded the fewest goals from set pieces. Later, there were other reasons for changes – adjustments in game plans, a transformation of our playing style, and so on. And I wouldn’t want to go too deep into that now. I believe Shakhtar have good players and I don’t think we’ll have problems in attack over the course of the season. But we do need to focus more on their defensive work and improve that aspect.
– The goal you scored came after three minutes of ball control. Do you think that was possible because of weaknesses in Beşiktaş’s system? (Ensonhaber)
– Actually, we scored a similar goal in the match against Ilves – that time it was Pedrinho who finished. Of course, possession is important, but at the same time, we make runs in behind, runs into the half-spaces, we need to create free zones on the pitch. We don’t only focus on the player in possession, but also on the movement of the others. My players executed those movements at the right moment and that’s how the goal came about. I don’t think it was about Beşiktaş’s system. If you combine well and move the ball properly, you can make 50 passes even against the strongest team in the world. It can be seen as the best form of defending – having high possession. I don’t worry too much about definitions.
– If you could sign one player from the Turkish Süper Lig, who would you choose? I’m asking to get a headline. (Ahaber.com.tr)
– Right now, I’m fully focused on my team. If we feel there’s something we’re missing, we’ll communicate that. Of course, there are very good players in the Turkish league, but if I mention a specific name now, it would take attention away from my players’ performance. But if you’re really curious, I can tell you privately after the interview.
– You have a very young team – players aged 19, 21, 24 – and they’re playing in European competitions. Do you think it could be a weakness due to lack of experience or a strength for the future? (Haberglobal)
– I agree with you, it can be both a positive and a negative. But we try to focus on the positives with our players. How do we do that? When they make mistakes due to inexperience, I’m the first to stand by them. Yes, I might yell at them on the pitch, maybe to fire them up, but in the dressing room, I’m always the one closest to them. I do believe they’ll make mistakes, but in the end, I’m the one responsible for those mistakes. I believe in their great potential. They scored multiple goals here at Beşiktaş Stadium, they were strong in challenges – and I really value that. Of course, we’ll focus on the positives and improve every day.
I also want to say that the tie isn’t over yet. Beşiktaş are a team that are strong in transitions, and they still have the away leg to play, so the threat remains. I believe we’ll start the match in Kraków with the score at 0-0 and give absolutely everything. I want to send that message to the whole Shakhtar community – the club, the players and the fans. I’d also like to thank Beşiktaş for the warm welcome. Especially Mr Serdal Adalı, the club’s president, he’s like an older brother to me. It’s always special for me to play here. And as long as we’re not facing each other on the pitch, I truly wish them success in the future.