The club continues to fight on two fronts – UPL and Europa League
Mentor Shakhtar Igor Jovicevich commented on the draw for the 1/8 finals of the Europa League, where Feyenoord will become the rival of the Ukrainian club. The Croatian specialist focused on the budget of the teams and the cost of the players.
“Feyenoord is a top team. They look great this year – they were the first in the group, and now they are the leaders of the championship. There are no easy opponents. Respect Feyenoord. It will be a very difficult match. We can say that they are the favorites in this fight, but we will fight to the end and believe that a miracle can happen again. And with this inspiration we go to Warsaw, and then to Rotterdam.”
“Just look at the budget of the teams and the cost of the players themselves. This plays a very important role in football, but when the match starts, the favorites will not always win. Looks like this on paper [что Фейенорд – фаворит]and we have to admit it. But football is such a game that a lot can happen in 95 minutes. I say again, that day should show that you are better. And this is our philosophy – to go from match to match, and believe that the impossible will become possible.
“Feyenoord was perceived as a very good opponent. None of those teams would be easy contenders. We will prepare for it very seriously. Of course, there is the first match with Minay. The championship is a priority for us.”
“There are personnel losses. Three players with cards – Bondar, Mikhailichenko and Konoplya. They are very important to us. It will be very difficult, but we will prepare. We need to recover from this fight [с Ренном]. 120 minutes was too fast, powerful and exhausting for us after a three month break. This is an atypical situation for a team that has not played for a long time. This is one of those factors where you have to pay tribute to the team and recover. There is a way to Budapest, we must believe in the future.”
Shakhtar defeated Rennes on aggregate in the 1/16 finals of the Europa League. The main and extra time of the fight in France ended in victory for the hosts, and the Pitmen managed to snatch a ticket to the next round in the penalty shootout (1:2, 5:4 on penalties).
Igor Jovićević’s team will play with Feyenoord in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League. The first match will be at home for the Pitmen and will take place in Warsaw on March 9th. The second leg will take place on March 16 in the Netherlands.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
