Shakhtar's European Fixture: Coach Arda Turan Proposes Turkish Stadium for Home Leg

Arda Turan's Comments on the Opponent and Fixtures

According to Главком: Shakhtar Donetsk's head coach, Arda Turan, has reacted to the Europa Conference League draw, which paired his team with Poland's Lech Poznań. Turan acknowledged the Polish side's quality but admitted his staff have not yet conducted a detailed analysis.

“To be honest, we haven't had the chance to analyze them in great detail yet, as we weren't sure about our opponent-there were potentially four different ones. Their pitch is not of the highest quality, but that certainly won't serve as an excuse for us,” the coach stated.

This season, Shakhtar has been hosting opponents at the Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Turan has suggested moving their home leg to the Gürsel Aksel Stadium in Izmir, Turkey.

“It's a very beautiful stadium in a beautiful city, with a club steeped in tradition. So, if it's technically possible, I'm sure it would be a very good opportunity for us to avoid playing a Polish team twice on their home soil,” Turan added.

Shakhtar's Form and the Ukrainian Premier League

Shakhtar recently secured a narrow victory over Veres Rivne in domestic competition, with the only goal of the match scored by Valeriy Bondar. In the context of the Ukrainian Premier League's all-time scoring charts, it's noteworthy that:

• Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Seleznyov have each scored 117 goals;
• The record holder for goals in Ukrainian championships remains Maksym Shatskikh with 124 goals.

Competing in Europe offers Shakhtar a platform to showcase their quality and adaptability, particularly regarding logistical challenges like choosing match venues. Turan's proposal to play in Izmir reflects a strategic approach to the competition, aiming to negate any potential disadvantage. The team's recent win against Veres indicates they are in good form, which could bode well for their upcoming European campaign.