Ex-footballer of Shakhtar Donetsk Oleksandr Sopko talks about the draw of his former team with Scottish Celtic (1:1) in yesterday's match of the 5th round of the Champions League group stage and the Pitmen's entry into the spring part of European competition.
It should be noted that the Donetsk team will no longer fall below the third place in their group, which gives them the right to continue playing in the playoffs of the Europa League, and in the event of a victory over RB Leipzgiom in the final round of the Champions League group stage, Shakhtar will advance to 1 /8 finals of this tournament.
“There is a result - the team moved to the Eurospring. For Shakhtar, which is building a new team, in fact, it is being created anew - this is a very big success, which no one could have predicted back in September. Moreover, the chances of getting into the playoffs of the top tournament are not lost. But the fact of the European Spring itself is a serious achievement for the team, which is still in search, has not revealed itself, as I think, even half.
You can see the potential, there are a lot of capable, talented players who should improve. And for which games of this level are needed, because it is in such matches that a football player grows, and the European spring will be just an additional springboard for many players and for the team as a whole. And for Igor Jovicevich as a coach," Sopko said.