Jovicevic: This Shakhtar's match is a historical event
Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Igor Jovicevic after the match against Metalist 1925.
– Did you feel Traore’s absence in attack?
– Of course, the team needs such player. We hope that he will join us in Lviv already in a week. I think we can have views on him from the third round, if the conversation that we had will be implemented. Hence, we will play first two rounds without him and he will join the team starting from the third one, I think. We will see, as you all know, he did not play for a long time as well, that we have a couple of players who will get into shape throughout the championship. This is today's reality. Similarly to the situation when a set of circumstances makes us gather the new team, there are also footballers that was injured for a long time, like Traore, Kryvtsov, and some players who had no playing experience, for example, Zubkov who did not train even with Ferencvarosi for almost a month. So we kind of have the newcomers, have reinforcement, but at the same time they have no rapport and they are not ready. So we will prepare and improve our form. We have a wide potential margin and I hope that we will step it up throughout the season and will be competitive in relation to any UPL or Champions League team. It is only a matter of time.
– Do you agree that today Shakhtar allowed the opponent too much near own goal?
– We made Metalist 1925 defending on their half of the field, although they like the ball as much as we do. They have a lot of Shakhtar graduates, the coach is from Shakhtar and this is a specific pass culture. Last year they also demonstrated a good football and match against Shakhtar at the Olimpiyskiy was one of the best. We witnessed that match. That is a pass culture and Kryventsov himself likes it. We forced them to defend during the whole time today. Really, when you spend all the time in positional attack in 50-60 meters from own goal, a rare counter-attack may pass. They are also professionals, a good team that can use space and make a quick attack when you are late with reaction on dispossession. Plus a trump of each team when playing in defence is corner kicks, set pieces. That is what we had today. They really were close to a goal, but, in general, I think that there is a feeling that we made more action with the ball, offered more: we moved the ball, moved the opponent, manipulated the opponent, used space and had enough chances to win the game. But it did not happen. Guys did everything they could in such a hot weather and we can take a credit for it like for the first match. Of course, there is a point, but we wanted to win. But most importantly, there were no external factors that could ruin this historical event, the first match after 9 months. We are happy that everything is okay and we can calmly return home.
– How much training sessions did Taylor and Petryak have and why you entrusted position in the starting lineup to the newcomers?
– I respect your question, but this is a coach decision. We think that they strengthen the team. Both Taylor and Ivan Petryak have had the training camp with their clubs and already played in the championship of their leagues, so they are ready to strengthen our team. And today we counted on their energy, their ambition, we wanted to see what they can do in current situation. I know abilities of the boys who took these positions at the training camp. And if we consider Ivan Petryak and Taylor as a reinforcement, then, I think, they deserved a right to play today. It is not according to the training camp where they earned to be there. When you are purchasing a player to strengthen the team, you want him to play at once and not after the season end. You want to see what he can do know. Then you can analyze it with other player in this position and competitiveness will put everything into places.
– Does coming of wingers Petryak and Zubkov means that Mudryk playing in this position may leave the team?
– This is the question mostly to the club management deciding such thing. There is high demand on Mudryk. He is a young footballer, very talented one, with large progress margin. He is not a final product, but, herewith, has a high value. He can increase this value by getting experience, playing with space after some time in the conditions when the play is good or not. Personally he grows with every match. Of course, we need two players for each position taking into account the Champions League and busy schedule until November 29. In some clubs four wingers are not enough, you need one more substitute. And it may be a good option for the coach to choose tactics for specific opponent: you can play at counter-attacks or positional defence. And such performers deserve to join our team. We are waiting for Zubkov who currently trains individually after the injury. We have some positions, some segments where there is a large progress margin. And this gives us hope that soon everything is going to be alright.
– What does the championship mean for you personally and for the team in general from professional and emotional points of view?
– It means that we are alive. FC Shakhtar is alive and Ukrainian football is alive. And President Zelensky’s speech gives us hope and inspiration to move forward. If he fights for all Ukraine, then we also can make a small contribution for all people who like football. Of course, it is not the same without the fans in the stands... You can see these emotions for yourself: empty, very sad. But we work anyway. We need to outlast this intermediate period together with all the Ukrainian citizens and bring quality to the football as far as possible. We will do our best, because this is a minimum how we can show respect to the entire country and people fighting for us.
– Is there any preliminary work regarding taking on loan or purchasing centre forward who would be able to help the team?
– As I said, first match has an informative nature. This is the championship opening. Training camp and league are not the same. You can see what you need at the moment in stressful situation when you play to win, to get points. Yes, there are ball circulation, structure, rotation; we create space between the lines, make wing attacks. We had chances today and we only lacked a goal to be able say now that I am very pleased with the team because of victory. I am happy with the team although we took only one point. I am pleased more or less with play on the field. Although they had their chances, we had the advantage, initiative; we were protagonists of the match. We leaved in the opponent's half of the field all the time seeking for goal that did not happen. So I would like to thank the team for their efforts. They did everything they could. We will seek for our points in the next matches.
– What did you feel today entering the field of the NSC Olimpiyskiy after such a long pause? And what meaning has football for you today?
– First of all, we missed tournaments. We played no championship for 9 months. You know, this is a great responsibility to enter this stadium and play in the UPL after 9 months. We are demonstrating the world that we are alive, that we are here, that we also fight from our side, that life does not end here and each citizen has own sphere, aspect, business and helps the country as much as possible. Football gives powerful emotions to all the fans, all soldiers who are fighting right now. So there was a lot of adrenaline from the moment of arrival in Kyiv and today during the opening and when I woke up in the morning from sound of sirens. This is adrenaline, this is fear pushing you forward. There is no drive without fear, no courage. You cannot get crazy drive and courage without adrenaline. Today, the team wanted to find approval in the first match. I am upset that we did not win, but happy and proud because of championship start.
– You once said that football without fans is like a garden without flowers. Who do you think could become that “gardener” among Shakhtar players gathering fans in the stands when the war will end and people will come back?
– We will see during the time. But again, the team has a potential margin where the individuals can grow. We have a large concentration of talents. Here we have Bondarenko, Sudakov, Mudryk, Bondar. Almost all players are from the Ukrainian national teams. You can say that 70-80% are national players. Farina and Kozik, central defenders, play in U19 team. We have enough qualified footballers dreaming about playing for Shakhtar already in this year and in future. This is not Brazilian Shakhtar. This is change of generations. And they have to take responsibility and demonstrate that they deserved to be here every match. We dreamed for a lot of time, but had no opportunity. Now it is the time to put your temper in your hands, if not harsher, and bring it forward together with me. So they have to be hungry, have ambitions, fight for every match and show that we are as good as we were before. Will it take a lot of time? Maybe it will. Although, Shakhtar will be as strong as they were before.
