We will win the championship – I believe in it
Friday, June 13, 2025
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The first interview with new Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan for Shakhtar TV
– Welcome to Shakhtar! We are glad to have you with us. And thank you for your warm hospitality, because today we are recording our first interview at your home in Istanbul. It is amazing. Thank you for this.
– You are always welcome. I’m so glad to see you here. I’m very happy. We'll see what we do.
– Thank you so much. We are now in the room where a lot of memorable things from your career are kept. What is the most bright and valuable thing or trophy here for you?
– As you can see, this room holds great memories. Everyone is special. But if you ask me which is the most important, I would say the LaLiga with Atletico Madrid. Because it was 38 weeks and possibly the strongest Barcelona and Real Madrid sides of that era. But these are all my achievements in my football career, and now we will see what I can do as a coach.
– For any coach, a new team is a blank page. What ideas are you bringing to this new chapter of your career?
– Basically, I’m very lucky because we are going to work with a club like Shakhtar, which has a deep historical background. So as a staff, we will add some details to this heritage and make every player understand that he is a Shakhtar player, a valuable footballer and part of a valuable club with a big history. So, I think we will be a good family and will achieve great things together.
– How did the negotiations go and what was the key factor in your decision to take over Shakhtar?
– The most important thing was that from the first meetings they only talked about the game and what was going on the pitch. I love to talk about football, I love to talk about details. So, I saw that they are into details. Secondly, I was a player and a coach who aimed and dreamed of winning throughout my career. Shakhtar also has an aim, a dream of winning again, always. So, when we talked at the meetings, I saw that we could become European champions again with this club. That was the second and most important thing that brought me to Shakhtar.
– How well did you study Shakhtar before signing?
– More than you think. Firstly, when you talk about Shakhtar, you know that it is a big club, but when you look deeper and see the reality, you find good players, a good club, a good organisation. There is a big difference between thinking and seeing. And I saw that we have great potential, a great organisation and great players, that’s what brought me to Shakhtar, and I studied it more than you think.
– I think that you had some help from one person in this process – you worked together with Taras Stepanenko in Türkiye in the last months. Did you ask him anything about the club? What did he tell you about Shakhtar?
– First of all, I want to say that Taras is a Ukrainian legend and a Shakhtar legend. I respect him a lot. But, as a professional, during my first meetings with Shakhtar, I didn’t talk to anyone out of respect for the coach there, and I was the coach of another team. But after some time, I talked to Taras because his behaviour during training sessions caught my attention. He was very professional. I felt that he came from this Shakhtar culture. It also made me curious. He did not play much in my team, but his attitude towards the young people during training was super professional. And when I signed the contract, of course we talked about Shakhtar with him.
– And what did he tell you?
– First, he said that he loved my training system and my attitude, the solutions on the pitch. He said that after joining Shakhtar, I would have a great team with young players and talents, and my vision would bring this team good results. And I think so too. I dream of the biggest achievements at Shakhtar, the top results. But I believe that we need to move towards this step by step. We don’t want to miss the details. Step by step, day by day we will get bigger. Since childhood, throughout my playing and coaching career, I have always dreamed of achieving the best.
– Have you already spoken to Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov?
– Not yet. I think we will talk during the pre-season training camp. The great thing about the club’s organisation being 100% good is that you don’t need to talk to the president every day. So, I think we will talk with him after the achievements, the wins and the trophies we get. And what I need to underline is that starting with Darijo, Mr. Palkin, you sitting here in my house, all the WhatsApp groups you’ve created, what I feel is love. If we love what we do, we will achieve great results. So, I am very happy to be at Shakhtar.
– Could you share some details about your conversations with Serhii Palkin and Darijo Srna? Any secrets?
– Mr Palkin is a true gentleman. I need to emphasise this. I was impressed by him as a person. But first we were in contact with Salvatore, the chief scout. We had talks about football, I like him very much. Darijo and I played against each other when we were professional footballers. I was on the left and he was the right-back. We played many matches between Croatia and Türkiye, winning some and losing others. But what is important is that we talked about football with him. However, the players are the most important. So, if we transfer this feeling, I believe that everything will be fine. We will make changes and adjustments based on my vision to make Shakhtar’s football even more attractive and successful. It may be hard in the first stages, but in the future... We have big dreams, and we will achieve them all together.
– You just mentioned Euro 2016. Did you have time to discuss all those warm memories with Darijo?
– Yes, we talked about it, but usually he wants to discuss the games they won. I only won one game, but it was a very important quarter-final in 2008. He was a great player. I was an offensive player, so I didn’t want to go back and chase him, it was hard. I’m very happy that we are on the same side now.
– Have you thought about the symbolism of the fact that you once faced each other as captains and now you will continue working together at such a big club as Shakhtar?
– First of all, I’m very happy that Darijo is a great man with a deep understanding of football. We speak the same language – about modern football. We share the same views. For sure, there will be moments when we will contradict each other over time. But we only talk about football. So, I am very happy about that. And when we pass that feeling to the players, staff and others. So, I believe we will achieve our goals.
– Now I want to ask you about your presentation, as you were welcomed in Kyiv in such a special way. Huge screens in the heart of the city. What did you think when you saw yourself there? And what did you feel at that moment?
– I saw such things, for example, presentations in my playing career. I was a great player, but this was the most important thing for me as a coach – when I was welcomed like this in Kyiv. Usually, there was a call and a question: “Coach, where are you? We’re about to make an announcement.” And I went to my parents’ house, where I spent my childhood. I went here, I was with my mother and father, waiting for Shakhtar to announce this news. Because I believed. Having a wife and children, and the option to go anywhere, I still went to Bayrampasa, to the house of my childhood, to wait there with my father and mother. I’m a strong guy with strong feelings. I believe in tactics. I believe in systems. But the feelings of the players and staff are more important. How you touch the ball, how you touch your opponents. Feelings decide this. So, this greeting was something very special. And, by the way, the most special in my life. I thank everyone, each and every one. The thing is, I think about each of you, about you who conduct the interview, about the guy filming, about the cameraman, the cook at the training base, the kit man, the driver who drives the bus – everyone. Because if you are going to be champions, it is not only about the players, it is about everyone who is related to this team. And I will be very happy after the season, when we become champions, when you go home and can say: I’m a champion and I made this team champions. I will be happier than ever. It means being a team.
– You have over ten million followers on Instagram. I cannot avoid asking about it.
– I’m so famous.
– Yes, you are so famous. Even Messi follows you. Who are all these people? And when did you gain such popularity?
– The thing is that I’m a guy living with feelings, and not only that. From the sports side, I had probably the best football career in Turkish history: Galatasaray, then I move to Atletico Madrid, then to Barcelona. And I’m a good example for young people, who love to see me there. And my life, if you’re interested in seeing the life of a coach or a football star. So, that’s exactly the kind of guy I am. They follow me because they want to see me, my life and they’re looking for the best. Shakhtar will have 10 million more followers. So that’s good. I grew up in Galatasaray, we have Galatasaray fans, all the Turkish youngsters, Atletico Madrid fans among this 10 million audience. But from now on, I will make an announcement, and I want every young Turkish player, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona fan to follow Shakhtar on all social media platforms.
– Do you think they will support us?
– There are, I think, 80 million people support us right now. I don’t know about social media, but the Turkish people are always with me. I know their hearts are always with me.
– You played for Atletico and Barcelona, two clubs with very complex and different styles of play. Atletico emphasises pace and athleticism, while Barcelona focuses more on ball control. What kind of coach is Arda Turan?
– First of all, I want to underline that I have my own system called the Arda Turan system. Because it is normal that every player is impressed by the coach he works with. I, for example, love Simeone, I love Luis Enrique, I worked with Rijkaard when I was 20 years old and I’m currently working with Fatih Terim. I got everything good from them, but I created my own Arda Turan style. So, you cannot say that I’m a coach who is influenced by someone. Football is becoming very mixed and very flexible. By the way, in the Ukrainian Premier League we will control the ball. We will play with the ball. So, we will need more solutions typical for Barcelona rather than Atletico Madrid. If you want to compare, conceding six or seven fewer goals this season would make the standing more positive. So, my play is based on two things: passing and reaction. Reaction can be offensive and defensive. We will teach that and go step by step. But the thing is that every game, every tournament has its own system. In general, I can call my system the Arda Turan system, which is very special. It will not be very easy. Whatever you build, it will be difficult. You need time. But my keyword is automatism, which is based on repetitions. My training is based on repetitions. So, we will have muscle memory to move forward. By the way, the thing that makes it easier for us and all the players is that Shakhtar also have such a memory, just like Barcelona have this memory in the Spanish League in recent history. Shakhtar also have this memory of controlling the game, passing the ball, etc. But we will need to do repetitions during training sessions.
– You said that you are inspired by Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Fatih. What did you take from their experience into your coaching?
– Simeone is a defensive legend. What I learned from Simeone is that nothing is impossible. If you win in the league against Barcelona with Messi and Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo, you can win anything in life. So, nothing is impossible. We remembered it. I learned from Fatih Terim that if you give up, you lose. That is the proverb. Whenever you give up in your mind, you lose. We never give up. Regarding Luis Enrique, I like that he always had face-to-face conversations with everyone, with every player. Whatever he thought, he said it frankly. I learned that too. But football is a flexible game. So, we need to make the game universal. And when you watch the Champions League final, sometimes Donnarumma plays a long pass to create it. It’s not always about starting from the back with short passes, but sometimes you need to introduce different ideas, long passes. So, I have taken a few key ideas, you could say from every coach. That’s why it’s important to play by memory – instant memory. We live in such times. Seconds, milliseconds. This is important in football.
– Do you stay in touch with them?
– Of course. They all know that I love to talk about football. With Fatih Terim, we are like father and son with Luis Enrique. We stay in touch, and Rafa is, you know, a close friend in his team and environment. Simeone and I communicate every time I go to Spain. And two years ago, when I was in the Second League, Simeone came to Istanbul and attended our training session. Although from the outside you see Simeone as a tough and strict guy. But when you are talking about football you can argue with him. When he came to Eyüpspor’s training session, he talked to the players, and the first thing he said to them was: “Did you see this guy here? He argued with me from morning to night when he was a player.” He said if you have good ideas, you can argue with your coach. There’s no problem with that.
– How would you assess Shakhtar’s style of play under your leadership? What can you say about the main points of emphasis and what will you demand from your players?
– First of all, as Shakhtar, we will definitely play offensive football. But what’s more important, according to my idea, we have two main goals: the first is a team goal, the second is personal private goals. I know that every player has his own personal targets, but the team target is the most important. I will not let the personal target overtake the team target, so we will develop together. If the team target grows, the personal target will follow. Everybody has their own life. But the team target is the most important. And another thing that matters. Everyone will do the things they haven’t done before. Everybody knows that Kevin is probably the best one-on-one player in the league. But if he contributes to the defence, he would add energy to the team. This is very important for all of us. This is an example that maybe he is our leader, Kevin is the leader of the team. All my players will act like this. So, as a coach, I will ask every player for the same thing, which is the most important right now – the team’s goal.
– What do you like and dislike on the pitch? Can name three likes and three dislikes?
– Passing, reaction and being brave on the pitch are three things I like. And what I hate most... When a player comments on the negative sides, it’s not his job. Commenting on the negative aspects is my duty. They are there to turn the negative into positive, to help their friends. If ywe lose in your mind, we will run more, so we will not lose in our thoughts. The problem of concentration – I do not agree with that. And hard work. We can play badly, but we cannot run badly. If you have Messi, you have an advantage, but if you do not, you will run. Even I will run more.
– You just talked about running, about hard work, and there are rumours that the team can have up to three training sessions a day. Is that true?
– Yes of course. It is true.
– Maybe you can say something else…
– Why not? We did the same at Atletico Madrid. And of course it is very important. Athletic training is aligned with this plan. Yes, we can have three training sessions a day, but the most important thing is concentration. I will give you an example from my career: when I was an Atletico Madrid player, I ran at seven in the morning in Segovia. At that time we were looking at TV screens and watching Barcelona and Real Madrid fly to Los Angeles and Miami, wearing glasses and fancy suits on. But we were running. So, we respected them because they were a better, more talented than us. And if we want to play any match in Europe called a final, a quarter-final, a semi-final, whatever it is, we have to suffer a little bit. If you are a good player, you touch the ball for two and a half minutes during the game. what are you going to do for the rest of the 95 minutes? What we did? That Atletico Madrid team was less talented than Barcelona and Real Madrid, but we were tougher. Nobody believed that they could beat us. But we have more potential at Shakhtar than that team. I believe in it. So, we have to suffer a little and be tough to play the final games. I know that several players think about it all the time and are looking forward to it. This is very important, these are the right things. Whatever we do, I don’t want the players to be afraid of anything. Whatever we do, we will do it with joy, in our country, in Ukraine. We need to bring more joy to people when they are going through hard times. Вони переживають важкі часи, складні. And I, Arda Turan, want to bring them joy, happiness, everything I can do on the pitch. So, whatever we do, we will bring them happiness. It’s not just about Shakhtar supporters. I want to bring joy to every woman, every man, every child in Ukraine. This is my duty. I came to Ukraine to bring joy to this country. If I get involved in something, I will be there with all my heart. I am the boss on the pitch. But I will be their friend outside the pitch. The players can talk to me about whatever they want. They can chat for hours. If we are honest with each other face to face, I don’t think there will be any problem in life that cannot be solved. So, I want them to be open with me, and I want to emphasise again that my duty is to bring success to Shakhtar. But I also strive to bring joy and happiness to Ukraine.
– Have you already spoken to any of the players? Maybe you have some special conversations with them?
– I spoke with Matviienko. I talked to him about training because he is the captain. When he returns from the national team, because I know they have families. I told them they can take whatever time they need before coming to training. So, success on the pitch is important, but mental health matters to me as well. Today I was supposed to be relaxed, they were supposed to be ready. But the captain and everyone said they would return to training very quickly to be ready for the first qualifier on July 10.
– Can you tell us about your coaching staff, who will work together with you at Shakhtar?
– My first assistant is Kerem Yavaş who previously worked at the Türkiye national team with Fatih Terim, Şenol Güneş and Mircea Lucescu. He is young, but has extensive experience. Our goalkeeping coach is Emrah Karakovan. He currently works with the Türkiye national team. He is young, but very experienced. And we have Carlo with us. I’m so happy because I want to work with Carlo Nicolini. He is very important for me. He knows the league and Shakhtar’s culture. This is very important to me. I’m very happy! I will work with Carlo again but now I’m the coach and he is my assistant. However, he is a legend for me. I will learn a great deal from him. I’m so excited about that. We have two young assistant coaches: Mert Somay, who works as an analyst, and Sinan Sarıkurt, who is responsible for tactics. And last but not least, our professor and athletic performance coach, Utku Alemdaroglu. He is a crazy guy. He is sometimes tough in trainings. But he is very excited. We will see what happens in five days.
– Do you see any symbolism in the fact that you are the first Turkish coach in Shakhtar's history?
– Basically, the relation between Türkiye and Ukraine has always been good. So, I wonder why it has taken so long for us to come to Ukraine. Maybe our level is improving now. Shakhtar have always been good, but our level is growing at the moment. I think I can change that habit now between Türkiye and Ukraine.
– Regarding Türkiye and Turkish players: there are rumours about the potential transfers of Turkish footballers. What can you say about it?
– The thing is there are many potential players in Türkiye, but we have now 32 excellent footballers at Shakhtar, including the goalkeepers, at the start of the training camp. So, I think that we have a certain level. But we'll see during training. I believe that, like Mr Palkin and Darijo, we have a good memory and culture in the club. If we need anything, we sit down together with our staff, Darijo, Mr Palkin and the president. So, if we need something, we talk. But now, I see a very good and very talented squad there.
– But maybe now you have thoughts about which position would you like to strengthen?
– I think we don't need anything at the moment, but when we start training, if I see something, we can make additions. This squad needs to work more on the defensive side of the game too. When your defence is solid, it can turn a bad game into good one. You get the energy from defence. So, what we need is to run more, be more effective and stay strong in defence. For now, we don’t need strengthening, but we will see during training sessions. I trust my players more than they think I do.
– The team will have a busy schedule: first the pre-season training camp, and then Shakhtar will start their summer European campaign in mid-July. What are your goals with Shakhtar for this summer European campaign?
– Yes, season starts very early for us, but European games are very important for us. What is also crucial is the health and physical quality of the players. We are currently talking with the athletic performance department. We are preparing to get the footballers healthy for the games. Carlo will concentrate on that part. We will also work on improving tactically. But what matters is that I know we are starting early – Europe is important for us.
– Today you shared some thoughts on the Ukrainian Premier League. Could you give us your analysis of our championship?
– There are many tactical details, but what I see in the Ukrainian Premier League is that teams have strong blocks. Sometimes it is very hard to break through their block. We need solutions and we need good positioning there. When you have less spectators, small stadiums, finding ways to overcome those blocks can be challenging. But we have our solutions. For that part, we will focus on simple things. We don't have a problem with offence or goal scoring. We just need to do it better. But our first priority to defend well and be more prepared. We will need to level up the team in this aspect. Usually, when teams play against Shakhtar, they drop into the second zone and stay in deep defence. We will be ready for transition attacks. We will be narrow where the ball is.
– We have talked about the Ukrainian Premier League, but what do you know about Ukraine and have you ever visited our country?
– I was in Ukraine with the youth national teams. And also with the senior national team. In fact, Matviienko even sent me the photo of the game they won. That's why he will have to do some extra training. I know that Dynamo Kyiv are important opponents. I respect them a lot. But my goal is to make sure they never become champions of Ukraine again. When we face each other, we can learn from one another and show mutual respect. And what we need in our country, and again I say our country, Ukraine, is to make people happy, regardless of winning or losing. Of course. I want to win 100%. I want to do my best. However, we must not forget the essence of life.
– What do you think, will you enjoy Ukraine?
– If we play well, that will be enough for me. We have Darijo there, I hope that after good games and wins, he will offer me a cigar and everything will be good.
– What are your goals and ambitions together with Shakhtar for a long term? What is the most important thing for you in this role?
– For sure, my first goal is to be the Ukrainian champions again. So, that is our main target. In the short term, it is to play games in Europe that have “final” in their name – like quarter-finals, semi-finals or final, I don’t know. We have to push for it. We will play in the third zone, control the game, have the ball. I believe that my style and ideas come through the players more when we have the ball. When you have the ball, you can build the game with your strategy. In the long term, everything is possible: winning the Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals of the Champions League, finding a path to the Super Cup – why not?
– Every coach has their own vision of the dream team. And even if it’s not like that, it’s better not to say so. Can you imagine the perfect version of Shakhtar?
– I have a big dream. I was at the Arsenal vs PSG semi-final match in Champions League. Now I dream that Shakhtar could be one of those teams in the semi-finals one day. We have to believe in that. That is my dream. I know how to play at that level. I won at that level, I lost at that level. And I will teach my players how to play at that level. First and foremost, all of us will be ready to suffer on the pitch every day.
– We began our interview with your memories – shirts, trophies. So when and where will you have Shakhtar shirt?
– 10 months, after the first trophy. We will win.
– We have to find a place now for the future.
– Yes, for the future. Maybe, maybe we can do it. I think this is an amazing place. I hope my wife approves it. This is very important for me. But 10 or 12 months after, when we will win the championship. I believe in it. But what matters even more is that we will play better. We will play like Shakhtar. Maybe we can lose the championship – of course, I don't want that, 100%. But first of all, we will play very good football. This is very important for Shakhtar's history, for the future. You know, if we do this, we will be able to win a European trophy in the coming years.
– Mister, thank you for this interview. Also, I’m so happy to see you here. All our staff welcomes again. Enjoy Istanbul and see you in Slovenia.
– It was a pleasure for us. So, see you in Slovenia. We are ready to work.
– Thank you.
– You are always welcome. I’m so glad to see you here. I’m very happy. We'll see what we do.
– Thank you so much. We are now in the room where a lot of memorable things from your career are kept. What is the most bright and valuable thing or trophy here for you?
– As you can see, this room holds great memories. Everyone is special. But if you ask me which is the most important, I would say the LaLiga with Atletico Madrid. Because it was 38 weeks and possibly the strongest Barcelona and Real Madrid sides of that era. But these are all my achievements in my football career, and now we will see what I can do as a coach.
– For any coach, a new team is a blank page. What ideas are you bringing to this new chapter of your career?
– Basically, I’m very lucky because we are going to work with a club like Shakhtar, which has a deep historical background. So as a staff, we will add some details to this heritage and make every player understand that he is a Shakhtar player, a valuable footballer and part of a valuable club with a big history. So, I think we will be a good family and will achieve great things together.
– How did the negotiations go and what was the key factor in your decision to take over Shakhtar?
– The most important thing was that from the first meetings they only talked about the game and what was going on the pitch. I love to talk about football, I love to talk about details. So, I saw that they are into details. Secondly, I was a player and a coach who aimed and dreamed of winning throughout my career. Shakhtar also has an aim, a dream of winning again, always. So, when we talked at the meetings, I saw that we could become European champions again with this club. That was the second and most important thing that brought me to Shakhtar.
– How well did you study Shakhtar before signing?
– More than you think. Firstly, when you talk about Shakhtar, you know that it is a big club, but when you look deeper and see the reality, you find good players, a good club, a good organisation. There is a big difference between thinking and seeing. And I saw that we have great potential, a great organisation and great players, that’s what brought me to Shakhtar, and I studied it more than you think.
– I think that you had some help from one person in this process – you worked together with Taras Stepanenko in Türkiye in the last months. Did you ask him anything about the club? What did he tell you about Shakhtar?
– First of all, I want to say that Taras is a Ukrainian legend and a Shakhtar legend. I respect him a lot. But, as a professional, during my first meetings with Shakhtar, I didn’t talk to anyone out of respect for the coach there, and I was the coach of another team. But after some time, I talked to Taras because his behaviour during training sessions caught my attention. He was very professional. I felt that he came from this Shakhtar culture. It also made me curious. He did not play much in my team, but his attitude towards the young people during training was super professional. And when I signed the contract, of course we talked about Shakhtar with him.
– And what did he tell you?
– First, he said that he loved my training system and my attitude, the solutions on the pitch. He said that after joining Shakhtar, I would have a great team with young players and talents, and my vision would bring this team good results. And I think so too. I dream of the biggest achievements at Shakhtar, the top results. But I believe that we need to move towards this step by step. We don’t want to miss the details. Step by step, day by day we will get bigger. Since childhood, throughout my playing and coaching career, I have always dreamed of achieving the best.
– Have you already spoken to Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov?
– Not yet. I think we will talk during the pre-season training camp. The great thing about the club’s organisation being 100% good is that you don’t need to talk to the president every day. So, I think we will talk with him after the achievements, the wins and the trophies we get. And what I need to underline is that starting with Darijo, Mr. Palkin, you sitting here in my house, all the WhatsApp groups you’ve created, what I feel is love. If we love what we do, we will achieve great results. So, I am very happy to be at Shakhtar.
– Could you share some details about your conversations with Serhii Palkin and Darijo Srna? Any secrets?
– Mr Palkin is a true gentleman. I need to emphasise this. I was impressed by him as a person. But first we were in contact with Salvatore, the chief scout. We had talks about football, I like him very much. Darijo and I played against each other when we were professional footballers. I was on the left and he was the right-back. We played many matches between Croatia and Türkiye, winning some and losing others. But what is important is that we talked about football with him. However, the players are the most important. So, if we transfer this feeling, I believe that everything will be fine. We will make changes and adjustments based on my vision to make Shakhtar’s football even more attractive and successful. It may be hard in the first stages, but in the future... We have big dreams, and we will achieve them all together.
– You just mentioned Euro 2016. Did you have time to discuss all those warm memories with Darijo?
– Yes, we talked about it, but usually he wants to discuss the games they won. I only won one game, but it was a very important quarter-final in 2008. He was a great player. I was an offensive player, so I didn’t want to go back and chase him, it was hard. I’m very happy that we are on the same side now.
– Have you thought about the symbolism of the fact that you once faced each other as captains and now you will continue working together at such a big club as Shakhtar?
– First of all, I’m very happy that Darijo is a great man with a deep understanding of football. We speak the same language – about modern football. We share the same views. For sure, there will be moments when we will contradict each other over time. But we only talk about football. So, I am very happy about that. And when we pass that feeling to the players, staff and others. So, I believe we will achieve our goals.
– Now I want to ask you about your presentation, as you were welcomed in Kyiv in such a special way. Huge screens in the heart of the city. What did you think when you saw yourself there? And what did you feel at that moment?
– I saw such things, for example, presentations in my playing career. I was a great player, but this was the most important thing for me as a coach – when I was welcomed like this in Kyiv. Usually, there was a call and a question: “Coach, where are you? We’re about to make an announcement.” And I went to my parents’ house, where I spent my childhood. I went here, I was with my mother and father, waiting for Shakhtar to announce this news. Because I believed. Having a wife and children, and the option to go anywhere, I still went to Bayrampasa, to the house of my childhood, to wait there with my father and mother. I’m a strong guy with strong feelings. I believe in tactics. I believe in systems. But the feelings of the players and staff are more important. How you touch the ball, how you touch your opponents. Feelings decide this. So, this greeting was something very special. And, by the way, the most special in my life. I thank everyone, each and every one. The thing is, I think about each of you, about you who conduct the interview, about the guy filming, about the cameraman, the cook at the training base, the kit man, the driver who drives the bus – everyone. Because if you are going to be champions, it is not only about the players, it is about everyone who is related to this team. And I will be very happy after the season, when we become champions, when you go home and can say: I’m a champion and I made this team champions. I will be happier than ever. It means being a team.
– You have over ten million followers on Instagram. I cannot avoid asking about it.
– I’m so famous.
– Yes, you are so famous. Even Messi follows you. Who are all these people? And when did you gain such popularity?
– The thing is that I’m a guy living with feelings, and not only that. From the sports side, I had probably the best football career in Turkish history: Galatasaray, then I move to Atletico Madrid, then to Barcelona. And I’m a good example for young people, who love to see me there. And my life, if you’re interested in seeing the life of a coach or a football star. So, that’s exactly the kind of guy I am. They follow me because they want to see me, my life and they’re looking for the best. Shakhtar will have 10 million more followers. So that’s good. I grew up in Galatasaray, we have Galatasaray fans, all the Turkish youngsters, Atletico Madrid fans among this 10 million audience. But from now on, I will make an announcement, and I want every young Turkish player, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona fan to follow Shakhtar on all social media platforms.
– Do you think they will support us?
– There are, I think, 80 million people support us right now. I don’t know about social media, but the Turkish people are always with me. I know their hearts are always with me.
– You played for Atletico and Barcelona, two clubs with very complex and different styles of play. Atletico emphasises pace and athleticism, while Barcelona focuses more on ball control. What kind of coach is Arda Turan?
– First of all, I want to underline that I have my own system called the Arda Turan system. Because it is normal that every player is impressed by the coach he works with. I, for example, love Simeone, I love Luis Enrique, I worked with Rijkaard when I was 20 years old and I’m currently working with Fatih Terim. I got everything good from them, but I created my own Arda Turan style. So, you cannot say that I’m a coach who is influenced by someone. Football is becoming very mixed and very flexible. By the way, in the Ukrainian Premier League we will control the ball. We will play with the ball. So, we will need more solutions typical for Barcelona rather than Atletico Madrid. If you want to compare, conceding six or seven fewer goals this season would make the standing more positive. So, my play is based on two things: passing and reaction. Reaction can be offensive and defensive. We will teach that and go step by step. But the thing is that every game, every tournament has its own system. In general, I can call my system the Arda Turan system, which is very special. It will not be very easy. Whatever you build, it will be difficult. You need time. But my keyword is automatism, which is based on repetitions. My training is based on repetitions. So, we will have muscle memory to move forward. By the way, the thing that makes it easier for us and all the players is that Shakhtar also have such a memory, just like Barcelona have this memory in the Spanish League in recent history. Shakhtar also have this memory of controlling the game, passing the ball, etc. But we will need to do repetitions during training sessions.
– You said that you are inspired by Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Fatih. What did you take from their experience into your coaching?
– Simeone is a defensive legend. What I learned from Simeone is that nothing is impossible. If you win in the league against Barcelona with Messi and Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo, you can win anything in life. So, nothing is impossible. We remembered it. I learned from Fatih Terim that if you give up, you lose. That is the proverb. Whenever you give up in your mind, you lose. We never give up. Regarding Luis Enrique, I like that he always had face-to-face conversations with everyone, with every player. Whatever he thought, he said it frankly. I learned that too. But football is a flexible game. So, we need to make the game universal. And when you watch the Champions League final, sometimes Donnarumma plays a long pass to create it. It’s not always about starting from the back with short passes, but sometimes you need to introduce different ideas, long passes. So, I have taken a few key ideas, you could say from every coach. That’s why it’s important to play by memory – instant memory. We live in such times. Seconds, milliseconds. This is important in football.
– Do you stay in touch with them?
– Of course. They all know that I love to talk about football. With Fatih Terim, we are like father and son with Luis Enrique. We stay in touch, and Rafa is, you know, a close friend in his team and environment. Simeone and I communicate every time I go to Spain. And two years ago, when I was in the Second League, Simeone came to Istanbul and attended our training session. Although from the outside you see Simeone as a tough and strict guy. But when you are talking about football you can argue with him. When he came to Eyüpspor’s training session, he talked to the players, and the first thing he said to them was: “Did you see this guy here? He argued with me from morning to night when he was a player.” He said if you have good ideas, you can argue with your coach. There’s no problem with that.
– How would you assess Shakhtar’s style of play under your leadership? What can you say about the main points of emphasis and what will you demand from your players?
– First of all, as Shakhtar, we will definitely play offensive football. But what’s more important, according to my idea, we have two main goals: the first is a team goal, the second is personal private goals. I know that every player has his own personal targets, but the team target is the most important. I will not let the personal target overtake the team target, so we will develop together. If the team target grows, the personal target will follow. Everybody has their own life. But the team target is the most important. And another thing that matters. Everyone will do the things they haven’t done before. Everybody knows that Kevin is probably the best one-on-one player in the league. But if he contributes to the defence, he would add energy to the team. This is very important for all of us. This is an example that maybe he is our leader, Kevin is the leader of the team. All my players will act like this. So, as a coach, I will ask every player for the same thing, which is the most important right now – the team’s goal.
– What do you like and dislike on the pitch? Can name three likes and three dislikes?
– Passing, reaction and being brave on the pitch are three things I like. And what I hate most... When a player comments on the negative sides, it’s not his job. Commenting on the negative aspects is my duty. They are there to turn the negative into positive, to help their friends. If ywe lose in your mind, we will run more, so we will not lose in our thoughts. The problem of concentration – I do not agree with that. And hard work. We can play badly, but we cannot run badly. If you have Messi, you have an advantage, but if you do not, you will run. Even I will run more.
– You just talked about running, about hard work, and there are rumours that the team can have up to three training sessions a day. Is that true?
– Yes of course. It is true.
– Maybe you can say something else…
– Why not? We did the same at Atletico Madrid. And of course it is very important. Athletic training is aligned with this plan. Yes, we can have three training sessions a day, but the most important thing is concentration. I will give you an example from my career: when I was an Atletico Madrid player, I ran at seven in the morning in Segovia. At that time we were looking at TV screens and watching Barcelona and Real Madrid fly to Los Angeles and Miami, wearing glasses and fancy suits on. But we were running. So, we respected them because they were a better, more talented than us. And if we want to play any match in Europe called a final, a quarter-final, a semi-final, whatever it is, we have to suffer a little bit. If you are a good player, you touch the ball for two and a half minutes during the game. what are you going to do for the rest of the 95 minutes? What we did? That Atletico Madrid team was less talented than Barcelona and Real Madrid, but we were tougher. Nobody believed that they could beat us. But we have more potential at Shakhtar than that team. I believe in it. So, we have to suffer a little and be tough to play the final games. I know that several players think about it all the time and are looking forward to it. This is very important, these are the right things. Whatever we do, I don’t want the players to be afraid of anything. Whatever we do, we will do it with joy, in our country, in Ukraine. We need to bring more joy to people when they are going through hard times. Вони переживають важкі часи, складні. And I, Arda Turan, want to bring them joy, happiness, everything I can do on the pitch. So, whatever we do, we will bring them happiness. It’s not just about Shakhtar supporters. I want to bring joy to every woman, every man, every child in Ukraine. This is my duty. I came to Ukraine to bring joy to this country. If I get involved in something, I will be there with all my heart. I am the boss on the pitch. But I will be their friend outside the pitch. The players can talk to me about whatever they want. They can chat for hours. If we are honest with each other face to face, I don’t think there will be any problem in life that cannot be solved. So, I want them to be open with me, and I want to emphasise again that my duty is to bring success to Shakhtar. But I also strive to bring joy and happiness to Ukraine.
– Have you already spoken to any of the players? Maybe you have some special conversations with them?
– I spoke with Matviienko. I talked to him about training because he is the captain. When he returns from the national team, because I know they have families. I told them they can take whatever time they need before coming to training. So, success on the pitch is important, but mental health matters to me as well. Today I was supposed to be relaxed, they were supposed to be ready. But the captain and everyone said they would return to training very quickly to be ready for the first qualifier on July 10.
– Can you tell us about your coaching staff, who will work together with you at Shakhtar?
– My first assistant is Kerem Yavaş who previously worked at the Türkiye national team with Fatih Terim, Şenol Güneş and Mircea Lucescu. He is young, but has extensive experience. Our goalkeeping coach is Emrah Karakovan. He currently works with the Türkiye national team. He is young, but very experienced. And we have Carlo with us. I’m so happy because I want to work with Carlo Nicolini. He is very important for me. He knows the league and Shakhtar’s culture. This is very important to me. I’m very happy! I will work with Carlo again but now I’m the coach and he is my assistant. However, he is a legend for me. I will learn a great deal from him. I’m so excited about that. We have two young assistant coaches: Mert Somay, who works as an analyst, and Sinan Sarıkurt, who is responsible for tactics. And last but not least, our professor and athletic performance coach, Utku Alemdaroglu. He is a crazy guy. He is sometimes tough in trainings. But he is very excited. We will see what happens in five days.
– Do you see any symbolism in the fact that you are the first Turkish coach in Shakhtar's history?
– Basically, the relation between Türkiye and Ukraine has always been good. So, I wonder why it has taken so long for us to come to Ukraine. Maybe our level is improving now. Shakhtar have always been good, but our level is growing at the moment. I think I can change that habit now between Türkiye and Ukraine.
– Regarding Türkiye and Turkish players: there are rumours about the potential transfers of Turkish footballers. What can you say about it?
– The thing is there are many potential players in Türkiye, but we have now 32 excellent footballers at Shakhtar, including the goalkeepers, at the start of the training camp. So, I think that we have a certain level. But we'll see during training. I believe that, like Mr Palkin and Darijo, we have a good memory and culture in the club. If we need anything, we sit down together with our staff, Darijo, Mr Palkin and the president. So, if we need something, we talk. But now, I see a very good and very talented squad there.
– But maybe now you have thoughts about which position would you like to strengthen?
– I think we don't need anything at the moment, but when we start training, if I see something, we can make additions. This squad needs to work more on the defensive side of the game too. When your defence is solid, it can turn a bad game into good one. You get the energy from defence. So, what we need is to run more, be more effective and stay strong in defence. For now, we don’t need strengthening, but we will see during training sessions. I trust my players more than they think I do.
– The team will have a busy schedule: first the pre-season training camp, and then Shakhtar will start their summer European campaign in mid-July. What are your goals with Shakhtar for this summer European campaign?
– Yes, season starts very early for us, but European games are very important for us. What is also crucial is the health and physical quality of the players. We are currently talking with the athletic performance department. We are preparing to get the footballers healthy for the games. Carlo will concentrate on that part. We will also work on improving tactically. But what matters is that I know we are starting early – Europe is important for us.
– Today you shared some thoughts on the Ukrainian Premier League. Could you give us your analysis of our championship?
– There are many tactical details, but what I see in the Ukrainian Premier League is that teams have strong blocks. Sometimes it is very hard to break through their block. We need solutions and we need good positioning there. When you have less spectators, small stadiums, finding ways to overcome those blocks can be challenging. But we have our solutions. For that part, we will focus on simple things. We don't have a problem with offence or goal scoring. We just need to do it better. But our first priority to defend well and be more prepared. We will need to level up the team in this aspect. Usually, when teams play against Shakhtar, they drop into the second zone and stay in deep defence. We will be ready for transition attacks. We will be narrow where the ball is.
– We have talked about the Ukrainian Premier League, but what do you know about Ukraine and have you ever visited our country?
– I was in Ukraine with the youth national teams. And also with the senior national team. In fact, Matviienko even sent me the photo of the game they won. That's why he will have to do some extra training. I know that Dynamo Kyiv are important opponents. I respect them a lot. But my goal is to make sure they never become champions of Ukraine again. When we face each other, we can learn from one another and show mutual respect. And what we need in our country, and again I say our country, Ukraine, is to make people happy, regardless of winning or losing. Of course. I want to win 100%. I want to do my best. However, we must not forget the essence of life.
– What do you think, will you enjoy Ukraine?
– If we play well, that will be enough for me. We have Darijo there, I hope that after good games and wins, he will offer me a cigar and everything will be good.
– What are your goals and ambitions together with Shakhtar for a long term? What is the most important thing for you in this role?
– For sure, my first goal is to be the Ukrainian champions again. So, that is our main target. In the short term, it is to play games in Europe that have “final” in their name – like quarter-finals, semi-finals or final, I don’t know. We have to push for it. We will play in the third zone, control the game, have the ball. I believe that my style and ideas come through the players more when we have the ball. When you have the ball, you can build the game with your strategy. In the long term, everything is possible: winning the Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals of the Champions League, finding a path to the Super Cup – why not?
– Every coach has their own vision of the dream team. And even if it’s not like that, it’s better not to say so. Can you imagine the perfect version of Shakhtar?
– I have a big dream. I was at the Arsenal vs PSG semi-final match in Champions League. Now I dream that Shakhtar could be one of those teams in the semi-finals one day. We have to believe in that. That is my dream. I know how to play at that level. I won at that level, I lost at that level. And I will teach my players how to play at that level. First and foremost, all of us will be ready to suffer on the pitch every day.
– We began our interview with your memories – shirts, trophies. So when and where will you have Shakhtar shirt?
– 10 months, after the first trophy. We will win.
– We have to find a place now for the future.
– Yes, for the future. Maybe, maybe we can do it. I think this is an amazing place. I hope my wife approves it. This is very important for me. But 10 or 12 months after, when we will win the championship. I believe in it. But what matters even more is that we will play better. We will play like Shakhtar. Maybe we can lose the championship – of course, I don't want that, 100%. But first of all, we will play very good football. This is very important for Shakhtar's history, for the future. You know, if we do this, we will be able to win a European trophy in the coming years.
– Mister, thank you for this interview. Also, I’m so happy to see you here. All our staff welcomes again. Enjoy Istanbul and see you in Slovenia.
– It was a pleasure for us. So, see you in Slovenia. We are ready to work.
– Thank you.
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