We need to be in good form by the start of the season
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
|
Shakhtar U21 head coach Oleksii Bielik spoke about the team's training camp and the friendly against Bratslav
– Shakhtar U21 continue their preparations for the new season. How would you assess this stage of the team's work and how pleased are you with the footballers' commitment?
– I'm very pleased with this stage of our preparations because it's been productive, and we're completing everything we've planned. The footballers have been working hard in training with a great attitude and have already put in a significant amount of work, both with and without the ball. We're training twice a day and will continue in the same way.
– As part of your preparations, the team played their first pre-season friendly against Bratslav. How useful was the match?
– I wouldn't say the match was particularly informative because I can't say we played either very well or very poorly. At this stage of pre-season, when the team are working under heavy physical loads, I'm pleased with both the performance and what the lads showed on the pitch. Of course, not everything came off, but overall it was a decent performance. There's still plenty for us to work on and improve.
– You previously worked with many of these players at Shakhtar U19. Does that make things easier for the coaching staff and the lads?
– When you have a smaller squad, you can give more individual attention to each player. However, there are also drawbacks when it comes to organising the training process. For example, if you need to work in larger groups, such as during tactical sessions, the lack of numbers becomes noticeable. So there are both advantages and disadvantages to working with a smaller squad, just as there are with a larger one. I think we're managing everything well.
– What should be the main outcome of this training camp by the time the team approach their first competitive matches?
– As I've already said, we've completed a significant amount of running work, both with and without the ball. The next step is to gradually reduce that workload while increasing the intensity. At the end of the week, we'll play two more friendlies, where we'll try to give as many players as possible some time. Our international players will also be rejoining the squad soon. They'll initially follow individual programmes to catch up with the rest of the team in terms of fitness. We need to be in good form by the start of the season.
– I'm very pleased with this stage of our preparations because it's been productive, and we're completing everything we've planned. The footballers have been working hard in training with a great attitude and have already put in a significant amount of work, both with and without the ball. We're training twice a day and will continue in the same way.
– As part of your preparations, the team played their first pre-season friendly against Bratslav. How useful was the match?
– I wouldn't say the match was particularly informative because I can't say we played either very well or very poorly. At this stage of pre-season, when the team are working under heavy physical loads, I'm pleased with both the performance and what the lads showed on the pitch. Of course, not everything came off, but overall it was a decent performance. There's still plenty for us to work on and improve.
– You previously worked with many of these players at Shakhtar U19. Does that make things easier for the coaching staff and the lads?
– When you have a smaller squad, you can give more individual attention to each player. However, there are also drawbacks when it comes to organising the training process. For example, if you need to work in larger groups, such as during tactical sessions, the lack of numbers becomes noticeable. So there are both advantages and disadvantages to working with a smaller squad, just as there are with a larger one. I think we're managing everything well.
– What should be the main outcome of this training camp by the time the team approach their first competitive matches?
– As I've already said, we've completed a significant amount of running work, both with and without the ball. The next step is to gradually reduce that workload while increasing the intensity. At the end of the week, we'll play two more friendlies, where we'll try to give as many players as possible some time. Our international players will also be rejoining the squad soon. They'll initially follow individual programmes to catch up with the rest of the team in terms of fitness. We need to be in good form by the start of the season.