Jovicevic: It's a pity, but it's a very important point for us

Added at:
another languages: uk ru

Press conference of Shakhtar head coach Igor Jovicevic after the match with Real Madrid (1-1).

– Igor, congratulations on a decent game. You said before the match that the team would fight for the whole of Ukraine, and it was obvious. Players say they would have been happy with a draw before the game, but now everyone is very upset. What are your emotions?
– I'm a little older and have been longer in football. The players are upset and sad, but if you are sad that you did not beat Real Madrid, it means that you are on a good path. The project that we started three months ago did not even look like a project, and now we are fighting on an equal footing with the best club in the world – it is the merit of the players only. I enjoyed every second of the match, looking at the team, looking at the young men. The way they fight is what I talked about: in such a difficult time, they fight for all Ukrainian people. In terms of results, this is football and we have to accept that as an integral part of football. However, as for the game, as Carlo Ancelotti told me personally, we deserved to win today. And, especially, considering the opportunity Traore had – it's a pity we didn’t realize it. You aim for 2-0 and finish the match. Individuality, bravery, courage, determination against such an opponent being shown during the most part of the match please me as a coach. There is a saying: From zero to hero. We started from scratch and became heroes. They're really heroes. To me, they are heroes. It’s one point, but over time you will see that it is a huge point. I have a feeling right now that we lost two points, and that's true. When you get scored in the final seconds, it's frustrating. But the truth is also what you said: who would have thought about this point before the match? You think about winning as a sports player, but you always know whom you're playing against. So, generally, in building the attack, both with the ball, and without the ball, we drew conclusions from the last match, from the mandrake that was at the Bernabeu and we made adjustments. It was much easier to play because we felt the stadium, the support of the fans, which carried us and added adrenaline. We were a lot more compact, pretty solid defensively, except for the last episode, which is more of an accident than some combined action. It's a pity, but it's a very important point for us, given that Celtic lost to Leipzig. Now they will have to go to Madrid to fight Real Madrid, and we have a big enough chance to exit the group if we play the same way. It is our best game, absolutely the best game in three months from the beginning of the new project. It's just our bright future.

– What makes you most proud about today's game of your team?
– Their personal play, their attitude to the match, the level of game the team showed. It is our best game. We started the project with Shakhtar almost from scratch, without the Brazilians, and now we have a powerful team that can compete on an equal footing with the strongest club in the world. When we were in a locker room, we felt upset because we lost two points conceding a goal in the last minute. I'm delighted with the level of our attack. True, I can't be happy with this draw, but the project goes on and we continue to play in the Champions League, build the team and fight on.

– Thank you for the result. This seems to be a case that the coach's fighting spirit is passed on to the team. At half-time Carlo Ancelotti made changes to improve the game and so you did. It turns out that after the break you beat Ancelotti himself. What did you say to the players at half-time that they found some extra motivation and strength in themselves?
– We directed the game, let's put it that way. The first half was successful: I saw that everyone was in the game, no one fell out. I enjoyed every second and saw that there were prospects for a positive outcome. They insisted on continuing the same way so that the rhythm and tempo would not be lost. And we met the beginning of the second half with a goal, a good goal by Zubkov. It gave us confidence, even more adrenaline, the fans began to support us even more, the vigor that I asked them for before the match appeared. I asked them to put vigor and drive to the game, because you should not have a mandrake when playing against Madrid. In the first match, we had a little nervousness and they punished us with two goals for it. Today it was the other way around. I think we deserved to win – not by chance, but by the game. I'm grateful to the guys for today's game. They made many, many people proud in Ukraine and in the stadium. Over time, we will see how important this point is. Now everyone is sad sitting in the locker room. It feels like we've lost two points. But it's football – sometimes you score in the last seconds, sometimes you got scored. It's a great pity, but we need to move on. If we play this way for a long time, we will be competitive with strong teams. The project has a big future. And, I say, today's game is an absolute thrill. I think everybody can be proud of what they showed on the football field.

– Have the recent events in Ukraine united the team?
– We played compactly, attacked and played well in defence. Zubkov, Mudryk, Traore helped us build the team's attacks. We play without the Brazilians, build a project with Ukrainian players and have great potential in the future. Now we have a chance to exit the group. Ukrainian Clasico awaits for us: the matches of Shakhtar and Dynamo are like the matches of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

– After the match, you talked with Carlo Ancelotti on the field. What did he tell you?
– Right, we had a talk. My opinion is that he is the best coach in the world. I'd like to get to his level. He told me we deserved to win today. I would like to stay today with this moment when one of the best professionals says that we deserved to win and he likes the way we played. This is motivation for all the players, for the whole club, for all the people who work here. Because it's a reason for absolute pride.

– Is there any information about Trubin's health? Will he be able to play against Dynamo?
– His head is bandaged, it hurts a little. But he came out of the locker room on his feet. He's a great person and a top goalkeeper. He is made of material that can withstand such blows. Hopefully, everything will be okay.

another languages: uk ru

Sport News RSS - Sport News - Terrikon

20 April

22:33
Bayern on Brink of Bundesliga Title After Bayer Drop Points Again
21:42
Oscar Piastri Beats Verstappen to Take Formula 1 Championship Lead
21:05
Serie A Title Race Heats Up as Inter Fall to Bologna
20:42
Alexander-Arnold's Fairytale Return Puts Liverpool on Title's Doorstep
18:45
Arsenal Crush Ipswich to Stay in Premier League Title Race
18:27
Manchester United Slip Again as In-Form Wolves Make History
18:10
Chelsea Fight Back to Stun Fulham in Dramatic Late Show
15:25
Official: Barcelona Hit by Major Injury Blow as Top Scorer Sidelined
10:24
Las Palmas Stun Atlético Madrid with Last-Gasp Winner
09:14
Mason Greenwood Brace Powers Olympique Marseille Back Into Second Place
08:55
Shomurodov Fires AS Roma to Victory Over Hellas Verona
08:15
Anatoliy Trubin Shines in Clean Sheet as Benfica Catch Up with Sporting CP

19 April

22:16
Champions League Race Heats Up as Aston Villa Hit Four Past Newcastle
21:55
Union Berlin and Stuttgart Share Eight Goals in One Historic Half
21:42
McTominay Keeps Napoli in the Title Race with Crucial Winner
21:30
Verstappen Takes Pole in Saudi Arabia as Norris Crashes Out
20:11
Brentford's Six-Goal Thriller Propels Them Closer to Brighton
19:52
Barcelona Concede Another Hat-Trick — But Injury Time Heroics Seal Thrilling Win
19:08
Everton Fall to Ruthless Manchester City
18:39
Bayern Munich Hit Four Past Heidenheim as Olise Overtakes Wirtz in Assist Race
17:45
Valencia Remain Unbeaten in Seven as Corberán's Revival Continues
09:00
Viktor Gyökeres On Fire: Sporting Star Hits Another Hat-Trick

18 April

19:45
Bayern Munich Hit by Seventh Injury Blow as Leon Goretzka Sidelined
18:42
Xabi Alonso Dismisses Real Madrid Speculation Amid Bundesliga Title Race
17:00
Inter Milan Striker Marcus Thuram Sidelined with Muscle Injury