We’re proud of our performance, but we don’t accept this result
Thursday, October 22, 2026
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Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan’s press conference after the UEFA Champions League match against Inter
– Good evening everyone. If a team have beaten you, then they were better than you in certain aspects of the game, so I want to congratulate Mr Christian and Inter. As for the performance, I believe we showed enough quality to earn points and win here. It was a bitter experience for us. We need to learn how to play against such strong teams in these big stadiums. When there were 11 players on each side, we controlled the ball well and played the final passes at the right moments. After the sending-off, our opponents switched to a 5-3-1 formation, which gave us space out wide. However, we were unable to switch the ball quickly enough or set the right tempo. Perhaps the game would have unfolded differently if we had managed to do that. It was a bitter experience for us. We were unable to react properly and struggled to deal with our opponents’ transitions. We will learn from this match. We’re proud of our performance, but we don’t accept this result. After a performance at this level, the result should have been better, and that is something we need to learn.
– You substituted Pedrinho in the first half. How is he feeling after the injury?
– I’m not a doctor. I’ve said that before. I can’t comment on this as the medical staff will examine Pedrinho and inform us of the results.
– It seemed to be an evenly matched game. Were you impressed by the level of football your team produced today? Or were you not surprised because you knew they were capable of playing at this level?
– I knew our players were capable of playing at this level, but they didn’t know it themselves. They didn’t expect to be able to perform so well. Bruninho is only 18, and Isaque is 19. Most of our lads are around 20 years old. Barella and Çalhanoğlu are their idols, and they had to face them on the pitch. Then there were Dimarco and Mkhitaryan too. It’s not easy to play against them, but our footballers need to gain a better understanding of what they are capable of. If they stick to the system, if they play the right kind of football, they can perform at this level and will gradually learn to do so. I believe they all have a bright future ahead of them.
– Your team also had chances to score from corners, and could even have scored twice. Could you tell us how you prepared for these situations?
– I always tell my players that, when using man-to-man defence at set pieces, everything depends on a player’s determination and willingness to defend. If Xavi, Iniesta or Jordi Alba could keep any opponent at bay for so long, then others are capable of defending just as well. We need to learn from the best in football. I also have considerable experience working on set pieces with the coaches at Atlético. I try to pass on to my players what I have learned. Yes, Inter are incredibly good at set pieces, but they are human too. You can jump higher than them and score a header.
– You substituted Pedrinho in the first half. How is he feeling after the injury?
– I’m not a doctor. I’ve said that before. I can’t comment on this as the medical staff will examine Pedrinho and inform us of the results.
– It seemed to be an evenly matched game. Were you impressed by the level of football your team produced today? Or were you not surprised because you knew they were capable of playing at this level?
– I knew our players were capable of playing at this level, but they didn’t know it themselves. They didn’t expect to be able to perform so well. Bruninho is only 18, and Isaque is 19. Most of our lads are around 20 years old. Barella and Çalhanoğlu are their idols, and they had to face them on the pitch. Then there were Dimarco and Mkhitaryan too. It’s not easy to play against them, but our footballers need to gain a better understanding of what they are capable of. If they stick to the system, if they play the right kind of football, they can perform at this level and will gradually learn to do so. I believe they all have a bright future ahead of them.
– Your team also had chances to score from corners, and could even have scored twice. Could you tell us how you prepared for these situations?
– I always tell my players that, when using man-to-man defence at set pieces, everything depends on a player’s determination and willingness to defend. If Xavi, Iniesta or Jordi Alba could keep any opponent at bay for so long, then others are capable of defending just as well. We need to learn from the best in football. I also have considerable experience working on set pieces with the coaches at Atlético. I try to pass on to my players what I have learned. Yes, Inter are incredibly good at set pieces, but they are human too. You can jump higher than them and score a header.