The Shakhtar Donetsk head coach shared his expectations for the upcoming Champions League match.
Shakhtar have a huge problem in the middle of the defense due to the absence of several players, but this will not be a problem in the game with Porto, because there is someone to replace them. The head coach of the Donetsk club, Patrick van Leeuwen, announced this at the pre-match press conference.
In addition, the specialist believes that the choice of Hamburg, Germany, as the home arena for the European Cups is correct. The Pitmen management expects a sold-out majority of Champions League matches.
“I think the club decided to play here based on the possibilities. We should take into account that last year the European Cup matches were played in Warsaw, and this season Legia Warsaw also qualified for the European Cup , therefore we will have two teams, who will play in Europe, and this may reduce the interest of people to attend the matches. After that, the club found out that there is interest in international games in Hamburg. So if we will focus on ticket sales, this is a good decision. We will meet very good teams here. We are happy with the transfer, the quality of the stadium and everything else.
Some of the defenders have been out for a few weeks and I think the other players have done a good job in their positions this season. We will miss them, but we have enough quality players to keep improving. Dmitry Reznik came with the team, so everything is fine with him.
As coaches, we always keep a close eye on teams that are interesting to watch to learn about their characteristics and style of football. Over the past seasons, Porto has always been one of the teams I look forward to because they have a similar vision to me about football and developing players so they can break into the first team. Also, during all these years in football we have friends who work in Porto, so it’s always nice to meet them.
How can Shakhtar help Ukraine through football? For us, this is the only way to help: to inform people around the world about the situation in Ukraine, giving our players the opportunity to participate in international competitions. So, there are two goals – to play football and spread information about current events in Ukraine,” Shakhtar’s official website quoted van Leeuwen as saying.
We remind you that the Champions League match Shakhtar – Porto will be played today, September 19, at the Volksparkstadion arena in Hamburg, Germany. The match will start at 22.00 Kyiv time.
Earlier, Shakhtar’s application for the opening match of the Champions League against Porto became known.
Source: korrespondent
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.