We can expect a tough and interesting match tomorrow
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Shakhtar defender Valerii Bondar took part in a press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League game against Inter
– I think we can expect a tough and interesting match tomorrow because Inter are a very strong team with a great deal of experience in the Champions League. But we have our own ambitions, our own goals and our own dream, as Mister used to say. And we want to make that dream a reality. Secondly, I would also like to say that we will have extra motivation tomorrow because the war is ongoing in our country, and we understand that we can make our people a little happier for 90 minutes. We feel their support and understand the responsibility we will carry tomorrow.
– You have been working under Arda Turan for over a year. What can you say about him as a coach? And have you learned more about Turkish football? Do you follow it?
– Mister is sitting right next to me, so… Of course, I’m joking. I’d like to say that he is a young coach with a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a manager. He often shares his experience as a player with us, telling us about situations he faced on the pitch. We are happy to have a coach like Arda. Even when you feel like sleeping, he will always push you and drive you forward. As for your second question, of course, we watch interesting Turkish league matches when they are on because some of our players play for Trabzonspor. I follow Galatasaray with interest as they are a really exciting team with some excellent players. When they play in the Champions League, it is very interesting to see what they can produce on the European stage.
– Arda Turan expects defenders to play an active role in building attacks. How difficult will it be to stick to this philosophy against Inter?
– If we talk about the main responsibility of defenders, tomorrow we need to be very solid defensively. As Mister says in every tactical meeting, we have to do the things we always do. That means defenders must be able to score goals and help the team in attack, while forwards, in turn, must be able to defend and help the team out of possession. I believe these are the things that make us a team and deliver results that we can ultimately be satisfied with.
– After two rounds of the Champions League, Shakhtar have four points, while Inter have none. Does this give your team extra motivation ahead of such a difficult encounter?
– I think everyone understands that Inter will take to the pitch tomorrow with double or even triple motivation because they have no points. But tomorrow, we will do everything we can to make our fans happy and bring a little happiness to our people, even if only for a short time. Of course, we understand that Inter will put in a very strong performance tomorrow and that it will be a tough match because they will want to show a reaction in front of their own fans.
– Inter have lost four consecutive Champions League matches, setting an unwanted club record in European competition. Could this psychological pressure work in Shakhtar’s favour?
– No, because every match is different. And as I said, Inter will take to the pitch tomorrow with triple motivation, looking to make amends in front of their own fans. But we will give 200% to impose our own game on Inter and do everything we can to make people proud of us.
– You have been working under Arda Turan for over a year. What can you say about him as a coach? And have you learned more about Turkish football? Do you follow it?
– Mister is sitting right next to me, so… Of course, I’m joking. I’d like to say that he is a young coach with a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a manager. He often shares his experience as a player with us, telling us about situations he faced on the pitch. We are happy to have a coach like Arda. Even when you feel like sleeping, he will always push you and drive you forward. As for your second question, of course, we watch interesting Turkish league matches when they are on because some of our players play for Trabzonspor. I follow Galatasaray with interest as they are a really exciting team with some excellent players. When they play in the Champions League, it is very interesting to see what they can produce on the European stage.
– Arda Turan expects defenders to play an active role in building attacks. How difficult will it be to stick to this philosophy against Inter?
– If we talk about the main responsibility of defenders, tomorrow we need to be very solid defensively. As Mister says in every tactical meeting, we have to do the things we always do. That means defenders must be able to score goals and help the team in attack, while forwards, in turn, must be able to defend and help the team out of possession. I believe these are the things that make us a team and deliver results that we can ultimately be satisfied with.
– After two rounds of the Champions League, Shakhtar have four points, while Inter have none. Does this give your team extra motivation ahead of such a difficult encounter?
– I think everyone understands that Inter will take to the pitch tomorrow with double or even triple motivation because they have no points. But tomorrow, we will do everything we can to make our fans happy and bring a little happiness to our people, even if only for a short time. Of course, we understand that Inter will put in a very strong performance tomorrow and that it will be a tough match because they will want to show a reaction in front of their own fans.
– Inter have lost four consecutive Champions League matches, setting an unwanted club record in European competition. Could this psychological pressure work in Shakhtar’s favour?
– No, because every match is different. And as I said, Inter will take to the pitch tomorrow with triple motivation, looking to make amends in front of their own fans. But we will give 200% to impose our own game on Inter and do everything we can to make people proud of us.