Jovicevic: We will fight like the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting for our freedom

Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Igor Jovicevic ahead of the UCL match vs Real Madrid.

– Igor, you have repeatedly said that Ukraine is not a foreign country for you, but the second home. How do you feel about what is happening in Ukraine today? How hard is it to concentrate on tomorrow’s match considering such events?
– We will win. They cannot destroy us, our spirit, our unity. They can only temporarily spoil our mood, but not destroy. Together we are strong. We, sportsmen, see it as our general responsibility, we take everything happening in the country hard and feel a great empathy. Families of many players are in Ukraine and it affects us, but it won’t destroy our moral spirit. We will fight like the Armed Forces of Ukraine fighting for our freedom. This is the minimum we can do to show our respect – fight in tomorrow’s game from the first minute to the last.

– Spanish press liked Anatolii Trubin’s play at the Santiago Bernabeu. What can you say about his future and his play?
– Each team trying to play on the highest level have a top goalkeeper. If we take the previous season, it would have been difficult for Real Madrid to win the Champions League without Thibaut Courtois. This is a top level. Anatolii Trubin is as important for us for achieving of the highest goals set by Shakhtar today. And the play he has demonstrated at the Santiago Bernabeu is his signature on the European level. But it is not the first time. Maybe Bernabeu saw him in this light only once, but we see such play by Trubin very often. His position and status in the national team also confirm his talent. I am sure that he will make an excellent career. He is very important not only in the occupied position. Of course, there are matches when the young guy makes less, but generally he is a top player. The same as Courtois.

– Taking into account today’s situation, how appropriate is it to hold Shakhtar vs Dynamo match in Lviv?
– Now there are mixed emotions, you know. First of all, people are important. Each of us has a family in Ukraine, we worry because of this situation, although the game will not be cancelled. We don’t know what week we will have, what situation is going to be. We know that Oleksandriia do not play today, of course. Who will think about the football, when there are much more important things. But tomorrow we won’t be able to cancel the match, we will have to enter the field and show that we are fighting for each other and represent the Ukrainian people. Ukrainians should see that we fight and make every effort on the field. This is our responsibility. We analysed the game tactically: we think that we can step it up comparing with the previous meet at the Santiago Bernabeu and show the best we can.

– 11 Ukrainian players were in the starting XI in Madrid. How will Shakhtar’s squad look tomorrow?
– Everybody will be a Ukrainian. Taylor, me, Lassina Traore, Djurasek – everybody. And there will be another 40 million of Ukrainians. And another 10 million abroad.

– Now your team have difficulties with logistics and relocation. How do you manage?
– We are focused on the progress. We found ourselves in a specific situation and this motivates us to improve our play and demonstrate that we have good young team. We are building our foundation for the future living in these hard times for Ukraine. We play the league home matches in Lviv, Champions League game we host here and we have to travel a lot for the Eurocup matches. We are always on the road moving continuously. Of course, we feel tired against such background. We almost have no days off due to frequent travels. Our preparation is completely different from usual preparation process for the Champions League matches of other teams. But we have a strong mentality, we continue to be concentrated and wish to show the world that we are a young and great team. This situation is not for the entire life, it has to end. I don't want just to talk about it in the interview and then go to hold a training session, I want to give you a signal to help us to end this war! We must end this war together! You see what’s happening now, it is horrible. This is not only about football, football can show everything that has happened, because football drives emotions. Now we are talking not about football, but about life. You want to be free, to sleep calmly, so do I without explosions of bombs. Help us, it is important! It is life!

– After the morning attack on Ukraine, what words do you tell to the players to motivate them for such an important match?
– There are situations when you don’t have to talk much. We see these events similarly. You just look at the guys’ eyes and support them this way. We are all together and understand the situation happened. But we are stronger together. Everybody has a family and worries, but we must overcome this obstacle. We do not surrender. We are going to be together at the training session in the evening, because we must be similarly focused on tomorrow’s match. We have to play it and play on such a level to make entire Ukraine proud of us. This is the minimum that they are going to see tomorrow: brave Shakhtar fighting for the points. So, unfortunately, you all – fans, journalists, people – will forget everything we have in our souls. This is football. Everybody wants to see the team playing good, creating chances, acting aggressively. But many people forget things that have happened before the match. Only we know it. And this is our strength, our power, our unity.

– What will help Shakhtar to get a positive result?
– A great day is waiting for us tomorrow, very important match. The previous match showed that we can play good football with the current winner of the Champions League, the best team in Europe. 90 minutes of the second leg are ahead and everything can happen. We have to see the best level tomorrow after some corrections since the precious game. We have to be even braver, more aggressive in attack. We must eliminate some problems in the field centre insuring there good movement of the ball. Because we know that Real Madrid are very dangerous in advancing the ball. Generally, we have to be ourselves. We have to play like we do in the championship, like we did in the first game with Real Madrid, especially in the second half when we created two-three chances at the Bernabeu seeing what we can do. We must be competent tomorrow and I hope that it will be a good game for us.