The head coach of Donetsk Shakhtar, Arda Turan, after the defeat to Zhytomyr Polissya with a score of 0:2, acknowledged that the team is not yet ready to start in the Champions League. On September 10, the miners will play their first match of the tournament against Dutch PSV. This was reported by Terrikon.
Turan stated that he is dissatisfied with the current level of the players’ readiness. At the same time, the coach hopes that the team will be able to quickly overcome the slump and return to progress.
«As for the Champions League, unfortunately, we are not fully ready yet, and I have to be honest - of course, I am not satisfied with this fact», — said Turan.
Turan named Shakhtar's problems before the Champions League
One of the reasons for the defeat to FC Polissya was the coach's mention of the conversion of chances. According to him, the players lacked a quality first touch and passing accuracy.
Turan linked part of these problems to the large number of young players in the squad. The coach emphasized that the team will need to work on their mistakes before starting the main European club tournament.
«We should take the positives from defeats, even when they are as painful as today. The game against Polissya was not that bad, however, sometimes we lacked a more realistic style of football, which is unacceptable in such tough and intense matches», — noted the coach.
«Shakhtar» will start the Champions League with a match against PSV
Another problem for Shakhtar, Turan noted, is the inability to hold European matches at their own stadium due to the war. The team has to travel a lot and regularly cross borders.
The coach emphasized that among the 36 participants in the Champions League, Shakhtar is in a special situation as they cannot host opponents on truly home turf.
The first match of the new season of the Champions League will be played by the Donetsk team on September 10 away against PSV. Before the tournament starts, the coaching staff intends to work on converting chances, passing accuracy, and the overall readiness of the team.