A good lesson for the future
Friday, May 1, 2026
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Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the first leg of the UEFA Conference League against Crystal Palace
– First of all, I would like to thank my players because today we played in front of 30,000 fans, whereas earlier, when we started in the European qualifiers, we were playing in front of 2–3 thousand. It is my players who have achieved this, so they have my thanks. As for the match, I want to say that we worked a lot on long balls and on defending the 4+1 structure against them. Unfortunately, both of number 6 players went for the same aerial ball, and we conceded due to a breach of the simplest principle of football, failing to get compact enough. At the same time, I’m quite satisfied with the level of our performance. We had our solutions, but we should have switched the play without going through extra passing phases. We did this slowly, and Crystal Palace are used to playing against such teams – even against sides of a much higher level, such as Manchester City, Manchester United or Arsenal. They know how to act in these situations. So, the first solution was to switch the flank and the tempo, but we did it slowly. Also, the actions of our centre-backs during the opponents’ press, as well as the runs of other players in behind, where mobility was key, should have been important. Unfortunately, when we remained static, we made life easier for the opponents with five players in defence. Despite this, we had many chances to score. We brought our game to a good level, but they scored at the moment when we could have scored. As I have already said, I’m satisfied with the progress and the level we have brought our play to, but I’m dissatisfied with the details. We will work on this and keep fighting. This is a good lesson for us for the future. For today, congratulations to Crystal Palace. But we have a chance in our hands to make history. We will not give up; it is not in my character and not in the character of Shakhtar. We will not give up and, as I said yesterday, we will play our football and see what happens next week.
– Shakhtar conceded the fastest goal in the history of the Conference League. How did it affect the team and what were you lacking?
– Everything is decided by details. Crystal Palace execute throw-ins effectively. I have always told my players: the first ball after a throw-in cannot not lead to a goal. You need to pay attention to the fight for the second ball. In the penalty area, you need to switch from zonal marking to man-to-man marking. In this aspect, we made mistakes. Long balls, second balls – we discussed all of this, it was not something new for us. What encourages us is that we understand exactly where we made mistakes. I also know where my own mistakes are as a coach. This gives us hope for the future. We must acknowledge that they have strong players who have reached a high level and play for their national teams. As for us, we are a team of young footballers who are still developing and have a bright future. If we are more attentive to such details, we will perform better in the future. This also applies to me in the duel with a coach who has reached a high level. I’m a young coach who is still developing and learning. Unfortunately, today the opponents outplayed us.
– Today we saw the president again. What does this mean for the team?
– I can say from the bottom of my heart that we have a fantastic president. He is an extraordinary person – for the players, for the country, for people in general. He performs his role at the highest level. We do not know what will happen in the future: I may stay here for 20 years or 3 days – this is football, this is the professional world. But what Rinat Akhmetov has done for this country, his role as a person who is a pillar for the Shakhtar family, his willingness to make sacrifices – this is very important. I know well what he does for the country, for the military. We all know about his vision, and I would like to thank him for his support today. His words in the dressing room moved us deeply. I hope that life will repay him with all the beauty that is in his heart.
– Can we once again focus on Shakhtar’s mistakes in this match? What should the team correct before the second leg?
– I should have prepared my players better. As I have already said, Crystal Palace do not feel as comfortable when they play like this against Manchester City or Arsenal. They have experienced players and a coach; they know how to act in these moments at this level. We were carried away by the emotions of the game. We made too many final passes, trying to finish attacks more quickly. I told the players before the match that we would have more possession, but this should not mislead us. But we could have won today. I knew that we could win this match. That is why we will win in the future. Today our players lost. It looked the same after Panathinaikos. But everyone can see that they will win in the future. The essence lies in controlling the ball and the game. I have always been an admirer of Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola. I believe in the football their teams play and I continue to follow this philosophy. I aim to control the game through possession. The weaknesses of this style are facing physically strong teams in duels for second balls, as well as in transition phases. We will work on these aspects. And also on concentration.
– Will Shakhtar have enough strength for the second leg, given the incredible schedule and difficult logistics?
– What can I say? I have already spoken about this. People, after night-time shelling, take their children to school, then go to work. They continue to live, go to cafes. So can we look for excuses in football? Yes, it is difficult. Very difficult to perform at a professional level and play in European competitions. But we do not hide behind such excuses. If you look at the game, we could have won today. Now we have a 15-hour train journey ahead of us. On Sunday, we play a derby. Then another 15 hours by train and a flight to London. I’m not even talking about transfers or passport control. What can I say to my players, who are 18–19 years old? Can I tell them that we are tired or look for excuses? No, we must fight. If people can continue their lives, then we can play football.
– You mentioned Rinat Akhmetov in one of your previous answers. Did you manage to see him after the match? If so, how did the conversation go?
– Our president came into the dressing room. He greeted each player individually. He also understands that it was our players who brought 30,000 fans here, whereas previously we were supported by only 2,000. So he realises that we have a great future ahead. He said that we will be together both in victories and in defeats. And in this way, he showed that he is a pillar for this family.
– Shakhtar conceded the fastest goal in the history of the Conference League. How did it affect the team and what were you lacking?
– Everything is decided by details. Crystal Palace execute throw-ins effectively. I have always told my players: the first ball after a throw-in cannot not lead to a goal. You need to pay attention to the fight for the second ball. In the penalty area, you need to switch from zonal marking to man-to-man marking. In this aspect, we made mistakes. Long balls, second balls – we discussed all of this, it was not something new for us. What encourages us is that we understand exactly where we made mistakes. I also know where my own mistakes are as a coach. This gives us hope for the future. We must acknowledge that they have strong players who have reached a high level and play for their national teams. As for us, we are a team of young footballers who are still developing and have a bright future. If we are more attentive to such details, we will perform better in the future. This also applies to me in the duel with a coach who has reached a high level. I’m a young coach who is still developing and learning. Unfortunately, today the opponents outplayed us.
– Today we saw the president again. What does this mean for the team?
– I can say from the bottom of my heart that we have a fantastic president. He is an extraordinary person – for the players, for the country, for people in general. He performs his role at the highest level. We do not know what will happen in the future: I may stay here for 20 years or 3 days – this is football, this is the professional world. But what Rinat Akhmetov has done for this country, his role as a person who is a pillar for the Shakhtar family, his willingness to make sacrifices – this is very important. I know well what he does for the country, for the military. We all know about his vision, and I would like to thank him for his support today. His words in the dressing room moved us deeply. I hope that life will repay him with all the beauty that is in his heart.
– Can we once again focus on Shakhtar’s mistakes in this match? What should the team correct before the second leg?
– I should have prepared my players better. As I have already said, Crystal Palace do not feel as comfortable when they play like this against Manchester City or Arsenal. They have experienced players and a coach; they know how to act in these moments at this level. We were carried away by the emotions of the game. We made too many final passes, trying to finish attacks more quickly. I told the players before the match that we would have more possession, but this should not mislead us. But we could have won today. I knew that we could win this match. That is why we will win in the future. Today our players lost. It looked the same after Panathinaikos. But everyone can see that they will win in the future. The essence lies in controlling the ball and the game. I have always been an admirer of Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola. I believe in the football their teams play and I continue to follow this philosophy. I aim to control the game through possession. The weaknesses of this style are facing physically strong teams in duels for second balls, as well as in transition phases. We will work on these aspects. And also on concentration.
– Will Shakhtar have enough strength for the second leg, given the incredible schedule and difficult logistics?
– What can I say? I have already spoken about this. People, after night-time shelling, take their children to school, then go to work. They continue to live, go to cafes. So can we look for excuses in football? Yes, it is difficult. Very difficult to perform at a professional level and play in European competitions. But we do not hide behind such excuses. If you look at the game, we could have won today. Now we have a 15-hour train journey ahead of us. On Sunday, we play a derby. Then another 15 hours by train and a flight to London. I’m not even talking about transfers or passport control. What can I say to my players, who are 18–19 years old? Can I tell them that we are tired or look for excuses? No, we must fight. If people can continue their lives, then we can play football.
– You mentioned Rinat Akhmetov in one of your previous answers. Did you manage to see him after the match? If so, how did the conversation go?
– Our president came into the dressing room. He greeted each player individually. He also understands that it was our players who brought 30,000 fans here, whereas previously we were supported by only 2,000. So he realises that we have a great future ahead. He said that we will be together both in victories and in defeats. And in this way, he showed that he is a pillar for this family.