This win makes us very happy
Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Press conference with Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan after the UEFA Champions League match against AEK (3-1)
– At times during the match, we let our emotions get the better of us as we are a young team and were unable to do certain things at the level we usually do. We were shaken a little after conceding, but later returned to our normal version. We began to show a reaction and win more duels on the pitch. AEK have two centre-forwards and two wingers ready to go on transition, but this also creates certain weaknesses in their defence, so we paid particular attention to this aspect. Overall, I believe we handled the difficult moments better in this match. This victory is important and makes us very happy because it allows us to keep dreaming of the Champions League and continue on our own path. That is why I’m happy, and I want to congratulate my players from the bottom of my heart.
– Alisson was a really dangerous player. Towards half-time, you started getting the ball to him quicker, and it became clear just how much of a threat he posed. He was dangerous throughout the first half. When the ball reached Alisson quickly, he became a real threat. Would you agree with that?
– Koita is a very dangerous attacking player, but he has certain problems with tracking back, which is why we decided before the match that our tactical plan could involve exploiting the right flank. We wanted to create numerical superiority there and overload that area throughout the game. However, the problem was that when we moved the ball to that flank, we used a lot of stations to switch play. Perhaps we could have done without them at times, for example, by playing the ball directly from our left centre-back to our right-back or straight to Alisson. We could probably have done better in that respect. What I really noticed in the first half was that we lacked reaction on the pitch. Our system is based on passing and reaction, but we were a long way from the level we should have been showing in that regard in the first half. I believe that at certain moments we were somewhat carried away by our emotions and the atmosphere in the stadium. I agree with the observation about Alisson. At the moment, he plays a little too far from the areas where he can score, keeping his distance from goal, when he could be making more frequent runs into the box. But when I close my eyes and imagine his future as a footballer, I see truly wonderful prospects. I’m convinced that he has a great future ahead of him.
– Congratulations, Mister! You previously spoke about how important it was to play this fame despite all the circumstances brought by the war in this fight that you are carrying out with the club. But this game was significant for you for another reason too: 12 years ago, it was at this very stadium, on this very pitch, that you secured your place in the Champions League final. And today, you recorded your first Champions League victory as a head coach. How do you feel when you reflect on all of this?
– Honestly, sometimes I’m overwhelmed by emotions too when I think about all of this. But I believe that today, the main protagonists in this story are the players. For example, when Mendoza scored, I thought about the fact that it was already our team’s third goal. At the same time, I remembered that I had also scored Atlético’s third goal in that match back then. I also thought about how, just three months ago, Mendoza was playing for Kryvbas, and now he is here, scoring goals in the Champions League at some of the biggest stadiums in the world. There will always be different tactics and playing systems in football. For example, teams used to employ sweepers who played behind the main defensive line, and most teams played in a 4-4-2 formation.
Nowadays, most teams use a 4-3-3 formation. But some things remain unchanged: football is a game of emotions, and we must always play the way we did in the streets as children, taking on opponents one-on-one. That is why I believe that carrying such emotions is incredibly important. And I’m also very happy to be here right now, in this role, at this stadium.
– Mister, congratulations on a fantastic victory! Before today, Ukrainian clubs had played a total of 35 matches in England: they had lost 28 times and drawn 7. Shakhtar have therefore become the first Ukrainian club in history to win a match in England. First of all, congratulations on this achievement! How do you feel as a young Turkish coach who is very proud of his work in Ukraine and feels a special connection with the Ukrainian people?
– I am glad that we have managed to change those statistics. It does not matter whether we play at home or away. Today, I’m especially happy that we have managed to put smiles on the faces of children who may be under threat from drone and bomb attacks at this very moment. I believe that this is worth every success in the world. And that is what makes me happy the most.
– Tomorrow, you face another long journey back to Ukraine. Does a victory like this make the journey a little easier? And a second question: you have already touched on this, but many people in Ukraine were following the match today. How special does it feel to have given them this victory?
– Of course, travelling is easier after a win. To be honest, there is a big difference between setting off on such a long journey after a defeat and doing so after a victory. But, as I have already said, there is something more important to us. I want to sum everything up in one sentence. We want football to give children as much hope as possible and help bring peace closer. There is no other meaning for us to be in the Champions League right now. That's all we can do for Ukrainian football.
– Alisson was a really dangerous player. Towards half-time, you started getting the ball to him quicker, and it became clear just how much of a threat he posed. He was dangerous throughout the first half. When the ball reached Alisson quickly, he became a real threat. Would you agree with that?
– Koita is a very dangerous attacking player, but he has certain problems with tracking back, which is why we decided before the match that our tactical plan could involve exploiting the right flank. We wanted to create numerical superiority there and overload that area throughout the game. However, the problem was that when we moved the ball to that flank, we used a lot of stations to switch play. Perhaps we could have done without them at times, for example, by playing the ball directly from our left centre-back to our right-back or straight to Alisson. We could probably have done better in that respect. What I really noticed in the first half was that we lacked reaction on the pitch. Our system is based on passing and reaction, but we were a long way from the level we should have been showing in that regard in the first half. I believe that at certain moments we were somewhat carried away by our emotions and the atmosphere in the stadium. I agree with the observation about Alisson. At the moment, he plays a little too far from the areas where he can score, keeping his distance from goal, when he could be making more frequent runs into the box. But when I close my eyes and imagine his future as a footballer, I see truly wonderful prospects. I’m convinced that he has a great future ahead of him.
– Congratulations, Mister! You previously spoke about how important it was to play this fame despite all the circumstances brought by the war in this fight that you are carrying out with the club. But this game was significant for you for another reason too: 12 years ago, it was at this very stadium, on this very pitch, that you secured your place in the Champions League final. And today, you recorded your first Champions League victory as a head coach. How do you feel when you reflect on all of this?
– Honestly, sometimes I’m overwhelmed by emotions too when I think about all of this. But I believe that today, the main protagonists in this story are the players. For example, when Mendoza scored, I thought about the fact that it was already our team’s third goal. At the same time, I remembered that I had also scored Atlético’s third goal in that match back then. I also thought about how, just three months ago, Mendoza was playing for Kryvbas, and now he is here, scoring goals in the Champions League at some of the biggest stadiums in the world. There will always be different tactics and playing systems in football. For example, teams used to employ sweepers who played behind the main defensive line, and most teams played in a 4-4-2 formation.
Nowadays, most teams use a 4-3-3 formation. But some things remain unchanged: football is a game of emotions, and we must always play the way we did in the streets as children, taking on opponents one-on-one. That is why I believe that carrying such emotions is incredibly important. And I’m also very happy to be here right now, in this role, at this stadium.
– Mister, congratulations on a fantastic victory! Before today, Ukrainian clubs had played a total of 35 matches in England: they had lost 28 times and drawn 7. Shakhtar have therefore become the first Ukrainian club in history to win a match in England. First of all, congratulations on this achievement! How do you feel as a young Turkish coach who is very proud of his work in Ukraine and feels a special connection with the Ukrainian people?
– I am glad that we have managed to change those statistics. It does not matter whether we play at home or away. Today, I’m especially happy that we have managed to put smiles on the faces of children who may be under threat from drone and bomb attacks at this very moment. I believe that this is worth every success in the world. And that is what makes me happy the most.
– Tomorrow, you face another long journey back to Ukraine. Does a victory like this make the journey a little easier? And a second question: you have already touched on this, but many people in Ukraine were following the match today. How special does it feel to have given them this victory?
– Of course, travelling is easier after a win. To be honest, there is a big difference between setting off on such a long journey after a defeat and doing so after a victory. But, as I have already said, there is something more important to us. I want to sum everything up in one sentence. We want football to give children as much hope as possible and help bring peace closer. There is no other meaning for us to be in the Champions League right now. That's all we can do for Ukrainian football.