Quality of play should come first

– We understood that the match against the champions was the final one of the season, and in a way, it was meant to summarise all our work throughout the year. The team were fully focused and we proceeded from the assumption that the quality of play should come first, regardless of the result. The squad had to deal with pressure, and perhaps not everything went as planned. Of course, conceding an early goal and the overall result affected the team’s emotional state. However, we quickly calmed the girls down and concluded that nothing critical had happened. First and foremost, we need to reach a new level through quality football so that we can face such opponents with more confidence in future. There were moments when the team showed themselves quite well, but the number of mistakes we made didn’t allow us to deliver the level of play we had hoped for. When you’re playing without the ball, you’re always aware that the initiative is with the opponents and the physical loads start to take their toll. It’s exactly in these kinds of matches, when you have to defend a lot, the fatigue can be decisive towards the end.

– The match against Vorskla was Shakhtar’s final one of the season. What are the team’s future plans?
– The team continue to train and will focus over the next two weeks on recovery, both physical and mental. After that, the players will have a month-long break, with preparations for the new season beginning in July.