Donetsk "Shakhtar" will play its first match against Finnish "Ilves" in the 1st round of the Europa League qualification on Thursday, July 10. Ukrainian coach Oleksandr Baranov shared how Shakhtar is perceived in Finland.
Photo: veikkausliiga.com— In Finland, isn't Shakhtar considered stronger on paper?
— Here they understand what Shakhtar represents and respect the Ukrainian team. However, "Ilves" is preparing for a tough confrontation, and no one will draw any conclusions before the first match.
— In terms of historical authority, where does "Ilves" rank in Finland?
— It is a very respected team in the country, or rather, a club. There is also the hockey "Ilves," which also holds its weight in Finland. But if we talk specifically about football, then there are about 6,000 people involved in the club, which includes both men’s and women’s football.
"Ilves" plays at a cozy, albeit not new, stadium. There, in 2017, during the qualifying tournament for the 2018 World Cup, the national teams of Finland and Ukraine met, and I was present at that match.
Currently, "Ilves" is in third place in the league table, trailing the leaders by one point. The team is trying to play, if we can say, Spanish-style football...
Oleksandr Silchenko
