The head coach of Shakhtar Donetsk Igor Jovicevich commented on his team's victory over the German RB Leipzig (4:1) in yesterday's away match of the 1st round of the Champions League group stage.
Igor Jovichevich“I believe in the team from the first day we started working. Maybe no one expected such a bright victory, because we knew perfectly well who we were playing against. Leipzig is a reputable club that is in the top 3 in the German Bundesliga on a budget. The club is very powerful, which may be temporarily going through a small crisis. And we used it.
But they fully deserved such a result, because they played with their hearts. When you play with your heart for the country, for Ukraine, it turns out the way it is today. I am completely proud of the team and I can say that I am now the happiest coach in the world. This is an unforgettable debut. All the guys gave themselves completely, absolutely everything - both the staff and everyone gave their energy to the team along with the fans who came to support us at the stadium, and we felt them all the time. This synergy is our strength.
When a footballer has talent and starts playing with his heart, and today we played for the country, for Ukraine in the debut match, this is a very big plus for our team from a mental point of view. And at such a moment you forget about everything, you join the match and just fly across the field. And they weren't tired. Perhaps tomorrow they will, but today they had such adrenaline that they themselves are simply shocked by how they played.
Honestly, I am happy and happy for them, because we have shown that we can. They showed the level that they must keep, and this bar should not be lowered below. Because now we will be required to continue playing in such a way that is not always possible, because these are young players. But I am grateful to them, I love them very much, and we will continue to work further and move modestly from match to match. This is very important," Jovićević said at the post-match press conference.
