The head coach of Shakhtar, Ihor Jovyevich, shared his thoughts on the opponent in the playoffs of the Europa League, the French Rennes.
Ihor Jovyevich (photo: shakhtar.com)— How did you react to the results of the draw, where "Shakhtar" got the French "Rennes"?
— They got a good opponent who showed himself in the Europa League group. Too much in two matches with Dynamo Kyiv, which he beat twice. They are currently in third place in the strong French league, so we can talk about a very qualified opponent for whom we have the utmost respect. However, we must pay attention to the fact that we are Shakhtar. We will fight to the end and believe in our strength. There is still time to prepare. At the moment, we are focused on the UPL, where we want to earn maximum points in the four remaining rounds. And before the matches with Rennes, we will have enough time to prepare well. From watching the draw, I got the impression that Rennes representatives, when they saw Shakhtar, did not remain indifferent either. We have shown what we are capable of, and I am sure that they also feel respect for our team.
— As you have already said, "Rennes" is known to Ukrainian fans for matches with "Dynamo". Have you seen an opponent in these games?
— Of course, you follow so closely not the teams you don't play against, but mostly Ukrainian clubs and cheer for them when they play in the European Cups. And in these matches, we mostly focused on how Dynamo plays, not Rennes. However, there is one player of the French team that I know very well - Lovro Mayer. When I was the coach of "Dynamo" (Zagreb), I worked with him. Now he is the star of Rennes: the whole game goes through him and he is a key player. So it will also be a challenge for him and for me. It will be interesting to play against Lovro, because he is a great football player, which he has shown this season in France. He is a key player in the entire championship and is currently the subject of interest from European clubs.
— "Shakhtar" will play the first match on its own field. Does it matter where to start? — at home or away?
— Each of us — the coaches, the team — wants to play in free Kyiv, in Lviv, in Ukraine, where fans could come and support us. However, today the situation is such that we have to think about a home match in Warsaw. We have to be focused on the game, we can't change anything here. Winter training is upon us, so there will be time to prepare for this first round of the playoffs. I think we are in for a very difficult match. But, I will repeat again, we are Shakhtar and we will fight until the end.
