We must dominate in our style
Sunday, November 9, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the UPL match against Poltava (7-1)
– I want to congratulate my team on this truly well-deserved victory and embrace all the players. It has been a challenging period: 7 encounters in 23 days across different competitions. Alongside that, there were long travels, and at times we had injury incidents, so this period was indeed intense. I’m extremely pleased with how the team responded to the previous disappointing results. I’m happy today and believe that now we have the right to focus on the positive side of all these events. Regarding the match itself, I’m completely satisfied with the level of play we showed. The only thing is that I think we could have been a bit more attentive in certain moments. At the start of the second half, we had a chance to get back on track after conceding a goal. This has happened for the second time recently when we lost an aerial challenge and, as a result, conceded. So, this was a sort of wake-up call that allowed us to return to the game stronger, while also reminding us of a very important aspect: attention to football. This incident will be analysed in detail with the team. But the most important thing is that we keep winning and it is important for us to maintain this rhythm and continue to treat football and our overall process with the same respect we have shown before. I always emphasise: when we win, we must promote the right things and dominate in our style. So today, I can only congratulate the players, and we keep moving forward.
– After today’s convincing victory, Shakhtar have built a buffer in the league table: 7 points ahead of Dynamo, 4 ahead of LNZ. How does this affect the team’s mentality? Does it boost confidence or, on the contrary, make you even more cautious? (vgolos.ua)
– Yes, of course, it’s a pleasant fact and, naturally, it currently works in our favour, but we are not in a state of euphoria. As I emphasised, in my view of football, it is always important to do the right things on the pitch, so the details of the game that actually shaped it and the final result are far more important. We still have a long journey ahead this season, even this year. There will be many travels and some physical dips are quite likely, so I’m convinced that nothing is over yet, the battle continues. It is truly a tough path that my players have to overcome each time and I’m genuinely pleased with the position we are in now, but as I emphasised, nothing has been decided yet.
– Mister, an international break is coming up. How do you plan to use this pause? How many days will the team have to rest and do you plan any friendlies? (Zdorove misto – Lviv)
– In the near future, we have four working sessions ahead of us: one session will be for recovery and three will focus mainly on physical conditioning. After that, the team will have four days off and then we will all regroup for training in Kyiv. I actually had the chance to observe this adaptation period at Barcelona because after a few days off during a challenging season, it can be difficult to return to the proper training rhythm. Therefore, we will gradually bring our players back to the right condition ahead of the next match, with most sessions focused on repetition-based training.
– What weaknesses of SC Poltava did you notice during the game that led them to concede so many goals? (InPoland)
– Overall, the game was characterised by one-on-one duels, and we tried to press in a similar manner across all areas of the pitch. We also analysed that in the match against Polissia, they attempted to build out from the back with passes but then reverted to their initial approach of playing long balls. We understood that they are a team very strong at set pieces, so we tried to minimise the number of such situations we gave them. In our game plan for this match, our “six” had to perform well in second-ball duels and undoubtedly today’s game was defined by dominance in one-on-one situations. We also tried to break their press through triangular passing patterns. Unfortunately, other details cannot be revealed, as they are confidential and part of our analysis. Returning specifically to the topic of studying the opponents, I’m completely satisfied with the work my analysts do; I’m immensely grateful to them and very pleased with the results of their analysis, which they provide for every matchup.
– You’ve already been asked about the national teams, but it’s interesting: last time, many of your internationals travelled to join the national team in a slightly low mood; now, after a 7-1 win, Shakhtar’s key players have departed for the national squad again. What are your predictions and expectations for Ukraine’s matches against Iceland and France? (ProFootball)
– Honestly, the result of the match preceding the national team games isn’t that important, it could be a loss or a win. But I can assure you, as a former player, that the most important thing in any footballer’s career is the national team. Even in the toughest moments at club level, like the match against LNZ, I tried to send the players to the national team in the best possible mood, given the circumstances. By the way, I was also at the match against Azerbaijan. As you know, Turks and Azerbaijanis are very close nations – we can even say true friends, but despite that, I sincerely supported Ukraine to boost the morale of Shakhtar players. So, as I emphasised: the club obviously plays a very important role in a player’s career, but above all, we represent the country where we were born. I’m confident that my players have enough talent to represent both the national team and Shakhtar at the club level with dignity. I also believe that the Ukrainian national team have a very talented coach, and in recent matches, the lads have shown true fighting spirit and dedication on the pitch for the flag and the country. So my heart will be with Ukraine in these games.
– After today’s convincing victory, Shakhtar have built a buffer in the league table: 7 points ahead of Dynamo, 4 ahead of LNZ. How does this affect the team’s mentality? Does it boost confidence or, on the contrary, make you even more cautious? (vgolos.ua)
– Yes, of course, it’s a pleasant fact and, naturally, it currently works in our favour, but we are not in a state of euphoria. As I emphasised, in my view of football, it is always important to do the right things on the pitch, so the details of the game that actually shaped it and the final result are far more important. We still have a long journey ahead this season, even this year. There will be many travels and some physical dips are quite likely, so I’m convinced that nothing is over yet, the battle continues. It is truly a tough path that my players have to overcome each time and I’m genuinely pleased with the position we are in now, but as I emphasised, nothing has been decided yet.
– Mister, an international break is coming up. How do you plan to use this pause? How many days will the team have to rest and do you plan any friendlies? (Zdorove misto – Lviv)
– In the near future, we have four working sessions ahead of us: one session will be for recovery and three will focus mainly on physical conditioning. After that, the team will have four days off and then we will all regroup for training in Kyiv. I actually had the chance to observe this adaptation period at Barcelona because after a few days off during a challenging season, it can be difficult to return to the proper training rhythm. Therefore, we will gradually bring our players back to the right condition ahead of the next match, with most sessions focused on repetition-based training.
– What weaknesses of SC Poltava did you notice during the game that led them to concede so many goals? (InPoland)
– Overall, the game was characterised by one-on-one duels, and we tried to press in a similar manner across all areas of the pitch. We also analysed that in the match against Polissia, they attempted to build out from the back with passes but then reverted to their initial approach of playing long balls. We understood that they are a team very strong at set pieces, so we tried to minimise the number of such situations we gave them. In our game plan for this match, our “six” had to perform well in second-ball duels and undoubtedly today’s game was defined by dominance in one-on-one situations. We also tried to break their press through triangular passing patterns. Unfortunately, other details cannot be revealed, as they are confidential and part of our analysis. Returning specifically to the topic of studying the opponents, I’m completely satisfied with the work my analysts do; I’m immensely grateful to them and very pleased with the results of their analysis, which they provide for every matchup.
– You’ve already been asked about the national teams, but it’s interesting: last time, many of your internationals travelled to join the national team in a slightly low mood; now, after a 7-1 win, Shakhtar’s key players have departed for the national squad again. What are your predictions and expectations for Ukraine’s matches against Iceland and France? (ProFootball)
– Honestly, the result of the match preceding the national team games isn’t that important, it could be a loss or a win. But I can assure you, as a former player, that the most important thing in any footballer’s career is the national team. Even in the toughest moments at club level, like the match against LNZ, I tried to send the players to the national team in the best possible mood, given the circumstances. By the way, I was also at the match against Azerbaijan. As you know, Turks and Azerbaijanis are very close nations – we can even say true friends, but despite that, I sincerely supported Ukraine to boost the morale of Shakhtar players. So, as I emphasised: the club obviously plays a very important role in a player’s career, but above all, we represent the country where we were born. I’m confident that my players have enough talent to represent both the national team and Shakhtar at the club level with dignity. I also believe that the Ukrainian national team have a very talented coach, and in recent matches, the lads have shown true fighting spirit and dedication on the pitch for the flag and the country. So my heart will be with Ukraine in these games.