We want to secure a victory
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan ahead of the UEFA Conference League clash with Breiðablik
– We suffered a defeat against Legia in our previous Conference League match and now we want to show a reaction after that game. Tomorrow we will take to the field to demonstrate our best level. Some of our players represent the future of Shakhtar, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s clash to see the level of play and the team. We will aim to step it up and act confidently on the pitch. We want to secure a victory, as the Conference League is also one of our main objectives. We will try to bring this excitement onto the field tomorrow.
– 12 points were enough to reach the top eight last season in the Conference League. Are you aiming for three wins, or is it enough for the team just to reach the play-offs, regardless of position? (terrikon.com)
– Of course, our dream is to reach the top eight, but anything is possible in football. If we have to play an additional round, that is, the play-offs, I believe we can advance to the next stage. But, of course, the main goal is to finish the tournament in the top eight.
– If you look at Transfermarkt, you can see that Breiðablik’s level roughly corresponds to that of Finnish Ilves, whom you have played against. Do you agree with this? (terrikon.com)
– All teams have their own principles and styles of play. If you look at Ilves, they are currently fighting for the title in their national league, the Finnish league, and only after their last match did they lose first spot, now sitting in second. Of course, I don’t want to draw direct parallels, but as someone from the world of football, I can say that there is a certain similarity between these two teams, and it’s not a bad one at all.
– As a Türkiye national team player, you have experience facing Iceland. What can you say about the specifics of Icelandic football in general and about tomorrow’s opponents in particular? (Shakhtar TV)
– Actually, this is exactly what I told the players during our analytical meeting. I mentioned that some of our players had faced Iceland while playing for Ukraine, and I said: you know how difficult it is to play against them. Of course, Breiðablik and the Iceland national team don’t have identical characteristics. They share some traits, but Breiðablik focus more on passing and ball control compared to the national team. In contrast, Iceland I played against was very tough: they were strong in duels and excellent at throw-ins, corners, set pieces. Breiðablik are strong in other aspects of the game, but they certainly possess the genius of their football. We will be prepared for this, and this was precisely the point I made to my players during the meeting.
– We saw very motivated Shakhtar players in the match against Dynamo. Will there be the same level of focus tomorrow, given that in some encounters the team seem not to play at 100 per cent? (Kavunovyi Futbol project)
– I have always been a straightforward person, and of course, it will be difficult to have the same motivation tomorrow that we had against Dynamo, as it’s a completely different game. I hope we maintain that same level of motivation, but my players must show respect for football tomorrow. After a defeat, any team can show a reaction, but great teams are able to do so even after big victories. So the match against Dynamo was okay, but tomorrow we need to demonstrate the same level of concentration and play – and that will be a true test for my players in terms of their football behaviour. In football, you can win or lose, but what matters is how you play, and that will be the real test for my footballers tomorrow.
– 12 points were enough to reach the top eight last season in the Conference League. Are you aiming for three wins, or is it enough for the team just to reach the play-offs, regardless of position? (terrikon.com)
– Of course, our dream is to reach the top eight, but anything is possible in football. If we have to play an additional round, that is, the play-offs, I believe we can advance to the next stage. But, of course, the main goal is to finish the tournament in the top eight.
– If you look at Transfermarkt, you can see that Breiðablik’s level roughly corresponds to that of Finnish Ilves, whom you have played against. Do you agree with this? (terrikon.com)
– All teams have their own principles and styles of play. If you look at Ilves, they are currently fighting for the title in their national league, the Finnish league, and only after their last match did they lose first spot, now sitting in second. Of course, I don’t want to draw direct parallels, but as someone from the world of football, I can say that there is a certain similarity between these two teams, and it’s not a bad one at all.
– As a Türkiye national team player, you have experience facing Iceland. What can you say about the specifics of Icelandic football in general and about tomorrow’s opponents in particular? (Shakhtar TV)
– Actually, this is exactly what I told the players during our analytical meeting. I mentioned that some of our players had faced Iceland while playing for Ukraine, and I said: you know how difficult it is to play against them. Of course, Breiðablik and the Iceland national team don’t have identical characteristics. They share some traits, but Breiðablik focus more on passing and ball control compared to the national team. In contrast, Iceland I played against was very tough: they were strong in duels and excellent at throw-ins, corners, set pieces. Breiðablik are strong in other aspects of the game, but they certainly possess the genius of their football. We will be prepared for this, and this was precisely the point I made to my players during the meeting.
– We saw very motivated Shakhtar players in the match against Dynamo. Will there be the same level of focus tomorrow, given that in some encounters the team seem not to play at 100 per cent? (Kavunovyi Futbol project)
– I have always been a straightforward person, and of course, it will be difficult to have the same motivation tomorrow that we had against Dynamo, as it’s a completely different game. I hope we maintain that same level of motivation, but my players must show respect for football tomorrow. After a defeat, any team can show a reaction, but great teams are able to do so even after big victories. So the match against Dynamo was okay, but tomorrow we need to demonstrate the same level of concentration and play – and that will be a true test for my players in terms of their football behaviour. In football, you can win or lose, but what matters is how you play, and that will be the real test for my footballers tomorrow.