Taras Stepanenko: "I asked the judge why he was whistling"

Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko shared his impressions after the first leg of the Europa League play-offs against Marseille.

- I think we played well, sometimes even dominated and created quite a few chances. However, we conceded due to our own mistakes and had to play back twice. We need to eliminate these mistakes and work to be more focused in the next match and play where the opponent allows. Opponents like Marseille have the qualities that allow them to create dangerous chances through individual actions.

Was the goal disallowed against Marseille? I asked the referee why he was blowing his whistle because I noticed that he had made a mistake. The referee replied that the players had stopped, although in fact no one had stopped and the game continued. It seems to me that he blew the whistle thinking that the goalkeeper had taken the ball in his hands, but he let go of it. According to the current rules, the referee should have allowed the episode to be played out and then reviewed the VAR.

The return leg will take place in a week. The most important thing is to win. "Marseille is a team with great support. We felt the performance of their fans during the match, and Marseille will have a full stadium. The team is used to such an atmosphere, so we will play our football without worrying about anything," Stepanenko told Shakhtar's official website.