Yevhen Konoplyanka told why he left Shakhtar when the team was headed by Roberto De Zerbi.
Evgeny Konoplyanka“Let's start with the fact that I had a lot of injuries at Shakhtar. It made a big difference. Couldn't help to the end. It all started well, scored something there, played, everything is fine. Everything was fine with Kashtru. I came to a certain coach - everything was fine.
We did not win the next championship, so we decided to change it. And my injuries start again. Another coach arrives. I struggle with this injury, I struggle, I just can’t get out of it. She had already been there for three months. I really wanted to return, I also wanted to catch the Euro. I was in touch with Shevchenko. I say: “It doesn’t matter if I can, I’ll help.” He says: "We are waiting for you."
I tried, but didn't succeed. Such an injury came out that more time was needed. And then Srna comes up to me. He says: "This coach comes (De Zerbi - approx.), He does not count on you." I say: “It's great that he came up and said that. Just welcome." The coach has some plans of his own, he does not see me - this is normal. I will be a coach, someone will also be offended by me. There is no need to be offended here, this is football, he sees it this way.
I say: "It's great that they said to my face, and not behind my back." That the transfer window closes there, and they begin to choke me, for example. I told them: “Sorry, I can’t leave now, because I have an injury. Who will need me there? I won’t even be able to face the coach of the other team myself. Because I came and I hobble, because my leg still hurts. I can't do that." So I stayed until winter.
They say I had a bad relationship. Well, of course, if the coach has already told you through someone, but to me personally. But okay, it's also welcome that at least passed it on. I started to train anyway, to prove like any football player. But I see, I feel that some kind of negativity is still present for me. As if something happened to us before all this. Maybe they would have known each other somehow, I don't know. Maybe I knocked out some fillings for him somewhere. Kidding.
I don’t take it to heart now, I don’t hold a grudge against him. Okay, it's his choice. But there was a prejudice. It doesn't matter how I played, trained - to make everyone feel guilty. You are a coach, you can, as you want, substitute everything that will turn out so that you are wrong everywhere.
And after that you no longer think about money. To be honest, I never thought about them in order to get more. For me, the most important thing was to feel in the team," Konoplyanka said.
