Renowned Ukrainian coach Oleg Fedorchuk commented on the first leg of the Europa League 1/16, in which Shakhtar beat Rennes.
Oleg Fedorchuk- Oleg, how did you find the match, did you expect such a result?
- Any citizen of Ukraine, who supports his country and team, expects success. But, of course, we had concerns. Firstly, Shakhtar are a young team, just rebuilding. Secondly, we have an unusually long break in the league, and it always plays into the hands of their rivals in European competitions.
"Rennes is an ambitious team, which can fight for the places in Ligue 1. Therefore, Shakhtar did well. They beat a serious contender.
- What surprised and pleased you in Shakhtar's game?
- First of all I will highlight the coaching job done by Jovicevic. In this match Shakhtar showed their functional preparation and tactical drawing. Our team looked more interesting than Rennes.
In addition, I want to point out that Shakhtar dealt very well with the loss of Mudryk. The left flank, not only Kryskev, but also Mykhailychenko were very strong. The credit for the goal went even more to Mykhailichenko than to Kryskiv. By the end of the game Bogdan had a very good tone.
I'm actually shocked: how could Dynamo miss out on such a player?(Mykhailychenko is a Dynamo pupil, he was in the structure of Kyiv club from 2011 to 2019 - Ed.). By this kind of game Mykhailychenko is a national team player.
I was also pleased with the behaviour of the young Donetsk players. When there was a breach and a conflict, the French wanted to show that they were more powerful and above their level, the Shakhtar players behaved with dignity. The war has lifted the spirits of all Ukrainians, the players are no exception.
- Who was Shakhtar's best player in this match?
- Stepanenko was the most effective player. In this match he played just "wow". Stepanenko just cemented the defence, kept the thread of the game and could even score with his head. It was one of his best games last year. Bravo!
And, of course, Trubin. There was a killer moment when Bondarenko made a mistake, the Rennes player went one-on-one, but Trubin saved the team. It was a key moment. I think if the French were to quickly get back into the game, there would have been few chances.
- Were there any Shakhtar players who featured prominently in the match?
- Traore immediately comes to mind. He looked poor in the UPL, and against Rennes he also underperformed. Sican came on in the second half and looked better. I also expected more from Bondarenko and Sudakov. There were some good moments for Sudakov, but they were only fragments. When the first part of the season ended, I thought he was on Mudryk's level in terms of value for Shakhtar. But yesterday he was less visible.
- Let's break down Shakhtar's conceded goal. Who was at fault in that episode?
- At this point, Bondarenko and Sudakov just switched off. They stood in the area of the spot-kick without taking anyone, the attacking team had an advantage +1 and they easily scored. Bondar and Sudakov are clearly not up to the task defensively.
- How will events develop in the return match, and who will be the favourite in this game?
- I still think that Rennes is the favourite due to the fact that they are on the roll. A big role in the first game was played by a quick and ridiculous goal. The centre-back there made a rude mistake because the pass didn't go through and he decided to concede for some reason.
Also, I think the Rennes players underestimated their opponents a lot. In the second game there will be no more underestimation, everything will be serious.
- With a game like the one against Rennes, will Shakhtar be favourites to advance in the second round of the UPL?
- Shakhtar currently look definitely stronger than Dynamo and Dnipro 1, but let's not rush. We need at least two or three games to get the full picture. I think Shakhtar today are even stronger than with Mudryk.
- Since you have already recalled Mudryk, why do you think he cannot prove himself at Chelsea yet?
- Let's not praise Mudryk, who has played just 29 games for Shakhtar. He looks the same at Chelsea as he did at Shakhtar. If his price was 20 million, he'd look great. When you pay a thousand dollars for a restaurant and it's the same as McDonald's, disappointment sets in. And if you paid ten dollars, you'd be charmed.
- But Chelsea saw the product they were buying.
- There's some kind of mass psychosis there. They bought Enzo Fernandes for 127 million, who only played 17 league games for Benfica. And Mudryk played only 29 in his life, I do not take his time at Arsenal and Desna.
- So it turns out that Mudryk is not at Chelsea's level?
- He can do it, maybe, as a rotation player. But when a person is paid so much, then they expect him to dominate, and he just plays the way he knows how. Mudryk is a rookie, spending only his third season in his life, so you shouldn't expect supernatural results from him. "Chelsea bought him to grow into a player they didn't want to lose. There are only 100 talented players per 100 top teams, so everyone wants to snatch an extra one.
- Let's return to Shakhtar. You mentioned Trubin's great game in this match, but Shakhtar also signed Riznyk. How do you think Jovicevic will distribute time between them?
- "Shakhtar really liked making money, so it is likely that in the summer they will sell Turbin. I think his price tag is around EUR 30-50 million.
It's rare to see goalkeepers playing in shifts. I think Trubin will remain number one until two big mistakes, and then they will give Riznyk a chance.
- Against Rennes, Jaroslav Rakitskiy was on as a sub. Do you think Shakhtar really need him, given that Matvienko hasn't gone anywhere?
- Judging by the game with Rennes, I do not see him as a regular player, so I do not know what will happen next. When Shakhtar will face difficulties, they will need players like Rakitskiy. The more so, the club owes him, Shakhtar earned on him, so it is logical that the club treat their former players with respect.
"Dynamo, for example, helped Shevchenko and Rebrov finish, even though they did not help the Kyiv side much in the twilight of their careers. I do not remember their brilliant games after their return. Now Yarmolenko is preparing to return to Dynamo.
Andriy Piskun
