“We are not just a team; we represent the hope of a country”

“Sometimes we don’t even go home,” he says. Arda Turan. For them, a game is not only 90 minutes; Since the war began in Ukraine, the meetings for the Shakhtar have become real journeys: “We spend hours traveling by bus and train; our trips last an average of 14 to 16 hours. We not only have to take into account the load of matches, but also the fatigue caused by these trips.”

“I don’t want this to be an excuse, but we cannot accept this as something normal. There is a war in Ukrainepeople die every day and the world needs to know it. These people are demonstrating incredible strength and resilience; They have not lost the joy of living.” The Turk stated that in the face of a people who are living in these conditions, it would be unfair to complain: “They refuse to let life stop. “Football can bring you happiness for a few hours: we are not just a team, we represent the hope of a country.”

A story that changes the way you see life

Arda Turan lost 4-1 to LNZ last year. The day before, Lviv had come under heavy attack and people had spent the night in shelters. After the game, the Turk was furious about the result and at that moment he met an eight-year-old boy who changed his way of seeing life: “His name was Roman, he was a Shakhtar fan; his house had been bombed, he had lost his mother and he had been operated on 35 times. He told me: ‘Sir, don’t be sad. There are good days and bad days in life. You have to move on.'” That day he learned one of the most important lessons of his life: “We must respect our profession and do our best to make people happy, but never forget that it is a game, while real life is much more important. Roman reminded me: we have kept in touch and see each other whenever we can.”

Arda Turan: a year and a half in charge of Shakhtar

“When I arrived, I found a talented team that needed to forge a strong collective identity.” In the first season with the Turkish coach at the helm, the Ukrainian team won the league and reached the semifinals of the Conference League. This season they want to show that they can compete in the Champions League: “We have a system in which we believe, we always know what to do, we want to control the game, have possession of the ball and react immediately if we lose it.” Although he continues to emphasize that from a sporting point of view what they are doing is very difficult, although he does not want it to be misinterpreted as an excuse.

One of his reasons for coming to Shakhtar was the fact that “if you want to succeed, you have to get out of your comfort zone. I like to connect the players with the world we live in: why do we play here? What do we owe these people? When you find the answers to these questions, motivation no longer comes from outside, but becomes a force that comes from within.”

What type of coach is Arda Turan?

The ex of Atlético de Madrid In defense he has stated that he has learned a lot from Simeonewhile in attack it is inspired by Luis Enrique. As for player relations and stress management, think Terim; In the preseason, coach Ortega and for the organization of set pieces he thinks of Burgos. Because for him “a coach does not build his identity by allowing himself to be influenced by a single person: he learns from everyone and then integrates those lessons into his own system.”

His vision for his next match against Inter

For Arda Turan, Inter is one of the great brands in world football, although he avoided talking about his possible signing ten years ago as a player for the Italian team: “I respect and admire Inter, but I am enjoying the present.”

The Turkish coach did not hesitate at any time to praise Cristian Chivu’s work with Inter: “He did an incredible job last year. Returning to the path of victory is difficult, especially in Serie A, one of the toughest leagues in the world. The energy I see in the Inter field speaks to me of a very strong bond between Chivu and his players. It is one of the things I appreciate most about Cristian: at this level, he is a factor that can give a team that something extra. This Inter is a team capable of winning at any level at which it competes.” While he did not want to highlight any weakness of his rival: “It seems disrespectful to talk about it publicly. I just hope that we can identify his vulnerabilities and exploit them.”

Shakhtar Donetsk faces Inter this Wednesday in a Champions League match that represents much more than 90 minutes for the visiting team: it represents a journey and a way to dispel, for a few moments, the despair of the Ukrainian people.