A large amount of work lies ahead
Sunday, February 15, 2026
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Shakhtar women’s team manager Roman Zaiev assessed the results of the first matches in the friendly tournament and spoke about the team’s fitness and the signing of Anastasiia Druzhchenko
– Shakhtar played their first matches in the friendly tournament dedicated to the memory of Viktoriia Chornovil – against Yunist and DYuSSh Podil. What were the main objectives in these games and how informative were they?
– The team needed to play a certain number of friendlies during the pre-season to get as close as possible to determining the first-choice line-up and to gather complete information on the squad depth. There are performers who provide strong competition and we gave them the opportunity to show themselves. Currently, the team feel confident and the style of play we are demonstrating gives reason to hope that we can maintain this system and prepare effectively for the resumption of the championship.
– Can we already talk about a settled first eleven or is the competition for places still ongoing?
– No! I believe it is still far from determining the starting line-up. Certainly, there are players who formed the core last season, but no one stands still: the girls are progressing and providing strong competition.
– Shakhtar women’s team strengthened their attack with the signing of Anastasiia Druzhchenko. What can you tell us about her?
– FC Shakhtar has its own identity, and when we look for players to strengthen the squad, we first pay attention to those with strong, quality attributes. Anastasiia is no exception. She’s a highly skilled player. I hope she will make a significant contribution to the team’s attacking play. I’ve known Anastasiia for a long time and have followed her career, so I’m very pleased that she chose our team. We have high ambitions, and given her professional abilities, we hope to achieve the results we are aiming for.
– There are about two weeks until the championship resumes. What is the team’s current level of fitness and which aspects of play are the main focus during preparation?
– We are in an active training process, with a large amount of work ahead to optimise our play. Our main focus is on technical, tactical and fitness components, so we devote a lot of attention to running.
– How important are friendly matches for bringing the team to optimal condition?
– We are shaping the squad and monitoring the footballers’ progress, assessing how well they meet our requirements. Naturally, the results of friendlies affect overall confidence, and the girls understand this, so they strive to approach each match with maximum focus.
– The team needed to play a certain number of friendlies during the pre-season to get as close as possible to determining the first-choice line-up and to gather complete information on the squad depth. There are performers who provide strong competition and we gave them the opportunity to show themselves. Currently, the team feel confident and the style of play we are demonstrating gives reason to hope that we can maintain this system and prepare effectively for the resumption of the championship.
– Can we already talk about a settled first eleven or is the competition for places still ongoing?
– No! I believe it is still far from determining the starting line-up. Certainly, there are players who formed the core last season, but no one stands still: the girls are progressing and providing strong competition.
– Shakhtar women’s team strengthened their attack with the signing of Anastasiia Druzhchenko. What can you tell us about her?
– FC Shakhtar has its own identity, and when we look for players to strengthen the squad, we first pay attention to those with strong, quality attributes. Anastasiia is no exception. She’s a highly skilled player. I hope she will make a significant contribution to the team’s attacking play. I’ve known Anastasiia for a long time and have followed her career, so I’m very pleased that she chose our team. We have high ambitions, and given her professional abilities, we hope to achieve the results we are aiming for.
– There are about two weeks until the championship resumes. What is the team’s current level of fitness and which aspects of play are the main focus during preparation?
– We are in an active training process, with a large amount of work ahead to optimise our play. Our main focus is on technical, tactical and fitness components, so we devote a lot of attention to running.
– How important are friendly matches for bringing the team to optimal condition?
– We are shaping the squad and monitoring the footballers’ progress, assessing how well they meet our requirements. Naturally, the results of friendlies affect overall confidence, and the girls understand this, so they strive to approach each match with maximum focus.