I am proud of what we have achieved all together
Sunday, May 25, 2025
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Marino Pusic summed up the results of his work at the club in an exclusive interview with Shakhtar TV
– Mister, you have experienced many bright moments together with Shakhtar over the past year and a half. There were ups and downs. What will you remember about this journey with the team?
– What an incredible journey we had together! And I cannot express in words how grateful I am for this experience – as a person and as a coach. We went through so many moments, moments of glory, scary moments, bad moments, all parts of the game, all parts of this journey, but I gained really priceless experience here as a coach and as a person. And, one more time, I cannot express how grateful I am for that. We can say that working under these circumstances for almost two years, working very intensively with all people in the club, especially with my staff and players, actually showed me how unbreakable this club’s spirit is. What Shakhtar is doing in such conditions, how it is functioning and performing is really amazing. And I am very proud of that.
– During this time you have won three trophies together with Shakhtar. Looking back, what do these achievements mean to you personally?
– Well, I will tell you honestly, when I first came here, I had only one ambition: to ensure that this club, this team, is in better conditions, in better shape than before my arrival. This was my big ambition. Winning trophies along this journey is of course very important because it is something special, and they all mean a lot to me, but not just to me, to the club as well and to everybody who contributed to this success. But watching my players grow, enjoy football, seeing everybody at the club enjoying how we performed, how we behaved, how we interacted with each other in these circumstances – that was maybe the biggest joy I experienced on this journey. And I want to say that I am very, very proud of that.
– You took charge of the team during the war. When you came to the club, the Ukrainian League was already in full swing. Your family often came to Ukraine, your wife was next to you, and we also saw your children many times. Did all these factors somehow affect you mentally?
– First of all, this would be absolutely impossible without support of my family: this warmth, this love and support were actually something I very much needed and appreciated, of course. Like I said, working in such circumstances is very difficult, but we succeeded all together – as a family. And I am very grateful for that.
– If we analyse this year and a half, how exactly did the team change during this time and how did you change while working with Shakhtar during the war?
– Every coach tries to have influence through his football vision when he comes to a new club. The football vision includes not only the tactical and technical part, what is happening on the pitch, but also the way you interact, especially under these circumstances. We went through so many difficult moments due to the war, supported each other, took care of each other, this was very important for me as well. And I hope that I have helped my players and club employees with this. Winning trophies is part of the job, but it is also what makes you proud, it is something special, of course. I know how difficult it is to win awards, and when we managed to do it with a pretty young team and certain changes during that period… I just can say that I am very proud of what we have achieved all together.
– You have laid a very good foundation for the current Shakhtar, and, in fact, all the future victories of the team will also be to your credit. Will you watch the team’s matches?
– Like I said, this was the most important ambition for me – to leave something behind. And this is very important – a lot of prospects and good foundations to build on and move forward. Yes, watching these guys grow and get better and better is what I enjoy most about my job, to be honest, even more than winning trophies. And, like I said to them right now, I think this team have a bright future, with a lot of potential, with many qualities and personalities. And actually, I am now becoming a big fan of Shakhtar. You know, as soon as you become part of this family, this club, under these circumstances, you build not only professional relationships, but something much deeper. I am absolutely sure that they will succeeded in the future, and I will forever be a big fan of this club.
– You have always said, and now during our conversation you are saying, that you are immensely proud of the team. Why exactly?
– There are actually two reasons why I am proud of my players. First, I know what we have all been through together, what difficulties we had during this period, given the war, and how they dealt with it. They grow, people grow under difficult circumstances. When things are not going well, people grow. And I saw them grow. You know, when you see young players grow and develop as individuals, it is the biggest satisfaction I can get as a coach. What I am also proud of, and what was our core business, is football, their work attitude, daily efforts. I will tell you one story. The day before, we had our last training session before the final game. One of my assistants said, “This is incredible! Even today, although we thought the quality would be a little lower, there would be less intensity and emotions, it was a fantastic session again.” And these guys make it fantastic with their energy, attitude and, of course, their qualities. And that is why I am very proud of them.
– Shakhtar is a big, sincere family, where people will always come to the rescue and support you. Did you feel this during this time?
– When I came here, in the first moment of being a coach at Shakhtat, I felt it immediately: amazing commitment, amazing support, it was incredible to feel it. And it gave me a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm to keep moving in these circumstances and give everything I have to this project. I am very grateful to these people. I have to say a big thank you to all of you – the people who work very hard behind the scenes, who have given me positive emotions and always supported me during all these trips and kilometres we have travelled together. It was an amazing journey, and it would be impossible to spend two years at this level, with this energy, without the support of the employees of the club. I am very grateful to all of you for this.
– Will you miss these people?
– Yes, I will miss the club, Shakhtar, and, of course, I will miss all the people, because the people make the club. And these people are amazing. That is why this club is actually amazing. Not just because of its name, but because of the people who work at the club, people behind the scenes – they make this club. And this unbreakable spirit, fantastic energy, pride, desire to move forward and keep on fighting, keep on existing, while performing at the same time – I must say, it is just wow!
– What thoughts do you have as you leave Shakhtar? What emotions do you feel now, saying goodbye to the team?
– I think, like I mentioned in my conversation with the directors and the president, this is the best moment to say goodbye. I have to say, it takes a lot to work in these circumstances for almost two years. It takes a lot. But it is difficult for everyone. And we got through it together. We succeeded together. And maybe this is really the best moment to say goodbye. As the president said, and I appreciate those words a lot: “This is not goodbye forever, but see you soon.” You never know for sure in football – anything is possible. Yes, I have two emotions. One part of me is very sad that I am leaving this family, because, one more time: in these conditions, it is not just a professional connection that you have with others, but much deeper. You feel it in everything. At the same time, I am very happy that I can leave something behind – not only titles, but also our interaction, our connection with each other. Yes, it makes me very proud.
– What would you like to say to all the players?
– I would like to say to the players, first of all: thank you for your dedication, thank you for your energy, thank you for your qualities. Thank you for growing and being open to development and learning. And thank you for all the performances we had together. All my players were fantastic. And I am very proud of them.
– All this time, all our fans were with the team, with you. Maybe you have something to say to them?
– Yes, I already said something about it in my speech to the players and staff. You know, football without fans is not football. This club is supported by so many people, such a big fan base. It is incredible. Under such difficult circumstances, when we cannot be together, when we do not have a real home to host the teams, when it is not allowed for large numbers of people to come to support their team. I felt this energy and this love in the final match of the Ukrainian Cup, when there were a little more spectators than usual. I felt this energy from the fans, which we really missed in these circumstances. But when I felt it in the final, it gave me such a good feeling, and I was very happy to see these people happy in the stands. And I would also like to say to them: thank you for everything! Thank you for all the great moments, for supporting us everywhere in the world, everywhere in Europe, for being with us wherever you could be, and supporting us wherever you could. It meant a lot to my team and to me. Thank you all!
– What an incredible journey we had together! And I cannot express in words how grateful I am for this experience – as a person and as a coach. We went through so many moments, moments of glory, scary moments, bad moments, all parts of the game, all parts of this journey, but I gained really priceless experience here as a coach and as a person. And, one more time, I cannot express how grateful I am for that. We can say that working under these circumstances for almost two years, working very intensively with all people in the club, especially with my staff and players, actually showed me how unbreakable this club’s spirit is. What Shakhtar is doing in such conditions, how it is functioning and performing is really amazing. And I am very proud of that.
– During this time you have won three trophies together with Shakhtar. Looking back, what do these achievements mean to you personally?
– Well, I will tell you honestly, when I first came here, I had only one ambition: to ensure that this club, this team, is in better conditions, in better shape than before my arrival. This was my big ambition. Winning trophies along this journey is of course very important because it is something special, and they all mean a lot to me, but not just to me, to the club as well and to everybody who contributed to this success. But watching my players grow, enjoy football, seeing everybody at the club enjoying how we performed, how we behaved, how we interacted with each other in these circumstances – that was maybe the biggest joy I experienced on this journey. And I want to say that I am very, very proud of that.
– You took charge of the team during the war. When you came to the club, the Ukrainian League was already in full swing. Your family often came to Ukraine, your wife was next to you, and we also saw your children many times. Did all these factors somehow affect you mentally?
– First of all, this would be absolutely impossible without support of my family: this warmth, this love and support were actually something I very much needed and appreciated, of course. Like I said, working in such circumstances is very difficult, but we succeeded all together – as a family. And I am very grateful for that.
– If we analyse this year and a half, how exactly did the team change during this time and how did you change while working with Shakhtar during the war?
– Every coach tries to have influence through his football vision when he comes to a new club. The football vision includes not only the tactical and technical part, what is happening on the pitch, but also the way you interact, especially under these circumstances. We went through so many difficult moments due to the war, supported each other, took care of each other, this was very important for me as well. And I hope that I have helped my players and club employees with this. Winning trophies is part of the job, but it is also what makes you proud, it is something special, of course. I know how difficult it is to win awards, and when we managed to do it with a pretty young team and certain changes during that period… I just can say that I am very proud of what we have achieved all together.
– You have laid a very good foundation for the current Shakhtar, and, in fact, all the future victories of the team will also be to your credit. Will you watch the team’s matches?
– Like I said, this was the most important ambition for me – to leave something behind. And this is very important – a lot of prospects and good foundations to build on and move forward. Yes, watching these guys grow and get better and better is what I enjoy most about my job, to be honest, even more than winning trophies. And, like I said to them right now, I think this team have a bright future, with a lot of potential, with many qualities and personalities. And actually, I am now becoming a big fan of Shakhtar. You know, as soon as you become part of this family, this club, under these circumstances, you build not only professional relationships, but something much deeper. I am absolutely sure that they will succeeded in the future, and I will forever be a big fan of this club.
– You have always said, and now during our conversation you are saying, that you are immensely proud of the team. Why exactly?
– There are actually two reasons why I am proud of my players. First, I know what we have all been through together, what difficulties we had during this period, given the war, and how they dealt with it. They grow, people grow under difficult circumstances. When things are not going well, people grow. And I saw them grow. You know, when you see young players grow and develop as individuals, it is the biggest satisfaction I can get as a coach. What I am also proud of, and what was our core business, is football, their work attitude, daily efforts. I will tell you one story. The day before, we had our last training session before the final game. One of my assistants said, “This is incredible! Even today, although we thought the quality would be a little lower, there would be less intensity and emotions, it was a fantastic session again.” And these guys make it fantastic with their energy, attitude and, of course, their qualities. And that is why I am very proud of them.
– Shakhtar is a big, sincere family, where people will always come to the rescue and support you. Did you feel this during this time?
– When I came here, in the first moment of being a coach at Shakhtat, I felt it immediately: amazing commitment, amazing support, it was incredible to feel it. And it gave me a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm to keep moving in these circumstances and give everything I have to this project. I am very grateful to these people. I have to say a big thank you to all of you – the people who work very hard behind the scenes, who have given me positive emotions and always supported me during all these trips and kilometres we have travelled together. It was an amazing journey, and it would be impossible to spend two years at this level, with this energy, without the support of the employees of the club. I am very grateful to all of you for this.
– Will you miss these people?
– Yes, I will miss the club, Shakhtar, and, of course, I will miss all the people, because the people make the club. And these people are amazing. That is why this club is actually amazing. Not just because of its name, but because of the people who work at the club, people behind the scenes – they make this club. And this unbreakable spirit, fantastic energy, pride, desire to move forward and keep on fighting, keep on existing, while performing at the same time – I must say, it is just wow!
– What thoughts do you have as you leave Shakhtar? What emotions do you feel now, saying goodbye to the team?
– I think, like I mentioned in my conversation with the directors and the president, this is the best moment to say goodbye. I have to say, it takes a lot to work in these circumstances for almost two years. It takes a lot. But it is difficult for everyone. And we got through it together. We succeeded together. And maybe this is really the best moment to say goodbye. As the president said, and I appreciate those words a lot: “This is not goodbye forever, but see you soon.” You never know for sure in football – anything is possible. Yes, I have two emotions. One part of me is very sad that I am leaving this family, because, one more time: in these conditions, it is not just a professional connection that you have with others, but much deeper. You feel it in everything. At the same time, I am very happy that I can leave something behind – not only titles, but also our interaction, our connection with each other. Yes, it makes me very proud.
– What would you like to say to all the players?
– I would like to say to the players, first of all: thank you for your dedication, thank you for your energy, thank you for your qualities. Thank you for growing and being open to development and learning. And thank you for all the performances we had together. All my players were fantastic. And I am very proud of them.
– All this time, all our fans were with the team, with you. Maybe you have something to say to them?
– Yes, I already said something about it in my speech to the players and staff. You know, football without fans is not football. This club is supported by so many people, such a big fan base. It is incredible. Under such difficult circumstances, when we cannot be together, when we do not have a real home to host the teams, when it is not allowed for large numbers of people to come to support their team. I felt this energy and this love in the final match of the Ukrainian Cup, when there were a little more spectators than usual. I felt this energy from the fans, which we really missed in these circumstances. But when I felt it in the final, it gave me such a good feeling, and I was very happy to see these people happy in the stands. And I would also like to say to them: thank you for everything! Thank you for all the great moments, for supporting us everywhere in the world, everywhere in Europe, for being with us wherever you could be, and supporting us wherever you could. It meant a lot to my team and to me. Thank you all!