I respect Scottish football
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan ahead of the Conference League match against Aberdeen
– Good evening. Tomorrow we face a tough match, and that’s because Aberdeen have football in their DNA. They have a great culture and football history, which we must respect. Their squad includes many players with experience at international level. Against a club with such history and experience, we need to be very careful. We have young players who are still improving. I hope tomorrow we will play football that suits Shakhtar and we will be able to achieve a good result through the level of our play. But it won’t be easy, and we need to fight hard for it – which we will do tomorrow.
– Welcome to Aberdeen. Your team are in very good form right now. Aberdeen started the season poorly in Scotland: they come into this match sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. Do you take that into account at all? A lot of people in Scotland aren't giving Aberdeen any chance tomorrow night. (BBC Sport)
– I’m definitely not thinking about this competition in terms of Aberdeen being at the bottom of the table because first and foremost in football you always need to have respect. In Aberdeen’s case – they’ve missed a lot of chances in the matches they’ve played. And I can ask you: did they really deserve to lose the last game, where they conceded in the last minute? They’ve missed many opportunities. Sometimes in football, you simply don’t get the result, even if you played well, and right now Aberdeen are trying different systems and different players. They are in search of the right approach to do things properly. I believe that they played correctly in some matches, but didn’t execute the key moments properly, and sometimes you have to play the moments right in football you. Regarding Aberdeen, we really respect their coach, we really respect their players. And now, maybe there is a person who lost points against Malta with the national team. So moments in football are very valuable. Even when you’re playing on the street, you need to be very careful. Aberdeen are one of those clubs where you need to be extremely careful because you really feel the history and the football culture when you come here.
– One more question, if I may. As a player, you had a very good record in matches against Scottish clubs in Europe, playing for different teams – both at home and away. But a few years ago, you played for Galatasaray against St. Johnstone in Türkiye, and St. Johnstone managed to draw. Do you see similarities perhaps between that game and this game in terms of being part of a team facing a Scottish side that nobody gave a chance to and they got something? And does it show you what perhaps can happen if you're not fully on your game? (BBC Sport)
– First of all, regarding tomorrow’s match, I can say that there is one side of football that I find most fascinating. When I describe football, I always refer to this aspect: in football, one set of 90 minutes never equals another 90 minutes. They can be similar, but they will never be the same. In tennis, hits and sets can be similar; in basketball, some combinations and games can be similar, but in football, it’s always different. We have a system and a quality we rely on, but at the same time, we have players aged 18–19 who come here after a ten-hour journey, crossing two borders. They may have difficulties adapting to this level, it may be hard for them to always perform high-quality football. Tomorrow, we will not stop instilling confidence in them, even if something doesn’t go as we want. We are a team that are always progressing, still developing, and we have dreams, but we always remember that they are also human, our players, and we never take away their right to make mistakes. So tomorrow, I believe the chances are there for both sides, and in fact, I believe they are equal.
– What is the current situation with the squad? Are there any injuries? Does anyone have fitness issues? (Zorya Londonsk)
– We are without Eguinaldo and Newertton due to their injuries. As you know, Traore and Alisson previously underwent surgeries, so they are also unavailable. Losing four important attacking players, of course, is disappointing, but sometimes life gives you the opportunity to find new solutions, and we are not here to cry or complain like babies. I’m not here for that, but to find solutions. That is actually why I was appointed to this position. My staff and I will not resist this; on the contrary, we see it as an opportunity to learn and improve. As I already mentioned, Eguinaldo and Newertton are not with us now, Traore and Alisson are unavailable due to surgery. They will not help us for the rest of the first half of this season. After that period, we will see when they can return to us.
I would also like to add to the previous question: we will be ready for tomorrow’s match, as our opponents are strong one-on-one. By the stats, they are the best team in Scotland. Aberdeen are a very good team. We have tremendous respect for them. I see it like this: it won’t be easy, you cannot underestimate it. I have a lot of respect for Scottish football. They play differently, they have their own style, but we respect them very much. This is a very good question for me. Tonight, I will be thinking about my strategy. Thank you for your question.
– What do you expect from Aberdeen tomorrow night and what do you expect from the fans? (STV News)
– Sometimes they play with three defenders at the back, effectively five, and sometimes with four, as they did at home against Celtic. We are prepared for both systems. They are a team that play a lot between the lines and delivers crosses from the flanks over long distances. They sometimes use a 3–5 formation during build-up and often move into the half-spaces. They have Karlsson – important and effective on the flank – and Nisbet, who plays as a forward and has very good connection skills. We have worked through all the details, but as I have already mentioned, football is an unpredictable sport, and the players themselves have to read the situations during the match and be ready for any decisions. We trust our system and the quality of our play. We have no doubts about that. But this side of football – with long passes, set pieces and long throw-ins – you have to be ready for it, especially in this part of the world, in the north, which is the cradle of football.
– You have spoken so fondly about Scottish football. What memories do you have? You have got the tremendous goal that you scored at Barcelona. What are some of those memories that come to mind when you are back here in Scotland? (STV News)
– I really enjoy being here. It’s an incredible footballing country, and when you enter the stadium, you really feel it. As for the fans and the stadiums, I think you are very lucky to have them. It’s a real pleasure to be part of it tomorrow.
– Welcome to Aberdeen. Your team are in very good form right now. Aberdeen started the season poorly in Scotland: they come into this match sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. Do you take that into account at all? A lot of people in Scotland aren't giving Aberdeen any chance tomorrow night. (BBC Sport)
– I’m definitely not thinking about this competition in terms of Aberdeen being at the bottom of the table because first and foremost in football you always need to have respect. In Aberdeen’s case – they’ve missed a lot of chances in the matches they’ve played. And I can ask you: did they really deserve to lose the last game, where they conceded in the last minute? They’ve missed many opportunities. Sometimes in football, you simply don’t get the result, even if you played well, and right now Aberdeen are trying different systems and different players. They are in search of the right approach to do things properly. I believe that they played correctly in some matches, but didn’t execute the key moments properly, and sometimes you have to play the moments right in football you. Regarding Aberdeen, we really respect their coach, we really respect their players. And now, maybe there is a person who lost points against Malta with the national team. So moments in football are very valuable. Even when you’re playing on the street, you need to be very careful. Aberdeen are one of those clubs where you need to be extremely careful because you really feel the history and the football culture when you come here.
– One more question, if I may. As a player, you had a very good record in matches against Scottish clubs in Europe, playing for different teams – both at home and away. But a few years ago, you played for Galatasaray against St. Johnstone in Türkiye, and St. Johnstone managed to draw. Do you see similarities perhaps between that game and this game in terms of being part of a team facing a Scottish side that nobody gave a chance to and they got something? And does it show you what perhaps can happen if you're not fully on your game? (BBC Sport)
– First of all, regarding tomorrow’s match, I can say that there is one side of football that I find most fascinating. When I describe football, I always refer to this aspect: in football, one set of 90 minutes never equals another 90 minutes. They can be similar, but they will never be the same. In tennis, hits and sets can be similar; in basketball, some combinations and games can be similar, but in football, it’s always different. We have a system and a quality we rely on, but at the same time, we have players aged 18–19 who come here after a ten-hour journey, crossing two borders. They may have difficulties adapting to this level, it may be hard for them to always perform high-quality football. Tomorrow, we will not stop instilling confidence in them, even if something doesn’t go as we want. We are a team that are always progressing, still developing, and we have dreams, but we always remember that they are also human, our players, and we never take away their right to make mistakes. So tomorrow, I believe the chances are there for both sides, and in fact, I believe they are equal.
– What is the current situation with the squad? Are there any injuries? Does anyone have fitness issues? (Zorya Londonsk)
– We are without Eguinaldo and Newertton due to their injuries. As you know, Traore and Alisson previously underwent surgeries, so they are also unavailable. Losing four important attacking players, of course, is disappointing, but sometimes life gives you the opportunity to find new solutions, and we are not here to cry or complain like babies. I’m not here for that, but to find solutions. That is actually why I was appointed to this position. My staff and I will not resist this; on the contrary, we see it as an opportunity to learn and improve. As I already mentioned, Eguinaldo and Newertton are not with us now, Traore and Alisson are unavailable due to surgery. They will not help us for the rest of the first half of this season. After that period, we will see when they can return to us.
I would also like to add to the previous question: we will be ready for tomorrow’s match, as our opponents are strong one-on-one. By the stats, they are the best team in Scotland. Aberdeen are a very good team. We have tremendous respect for them. I see it like this: it won’t be easy, you cannot underestimate it. I have a lot of respect for Scottish football. They play differently, they have their own style, but we respect them very much. This is a very good question for me. Tonight, I will be thinking about my strategy. Thank you for your question.
– What do you expect from Aberdeen tomorrow night and what do you expect from the fans? (STV News)
– Sometimes they play with three defenders at the back, effectively five, and sometimes with four, as they did at home against Celtic. We are prepared for both systems. They are a team that play a lot between the lines and delivers crosses from the flanks over long distances. They sometimes use a 3–5 formation during build-up and often move into the half-spaces. They have Karlsson – important and effective on the flank – and Nisbet, who plays as a forward and has very good connection skills. We have worked through all the details, but as I have already mentioned, football is an unpredictable sport, and the players themselves have to read the situations during the match and be ready for any decisions. We trust our system and the quality of our play. We have no doubts about that. But this side of football – with long passes, set pieces and long throw-ins – you have to be ready for it, especially in this part of the world, in the north, which is the cradle of football.
– You have spoken so fondly about Scottish football. What memories do you have? You have got the tremendous goal that you scored at Barcelona. What are some of those memories that come to mind when you are back here in Scotland? (STV News)
– I really enjoy being here. It’s an incredible footballing country, and when you enter the stadium, you really feel it. As for the fans and the stadiums, I think you are very lucky to have them. It’s a real pleasure to be part of it tomorrow.