“The goal is to become champions of Ukraine. Only this is in my head “

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Luis Castro, following the defeat to Roma (1: 2) in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16, summed up the team’s performance in European competitions, answered questions about plans, reinforcements and experience for young players.

– How would you rate the Shakhtar European Cup season?

– Last year we were able to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League, now we have finished the road to the round of 16. We had a very difficult Champions League group stage: we had to show ourselves very dignified in matches against such strong opponents in order to advance further. We finished in the Europa League. We had a pretty good time at Maccabi. It was also quite a difficult stage for us, but we got through it. In Rome, in the first half, Roma dominated, in the second – 30 minutes we showed ourselves quite well, then Roma took over. Today in Kiev the first half was left behind: we managed to create an advantage, unfortunately we couldn’t score, which was very important for us, the second half was quite balanced. We understand that we can always do better. This season of the European Cup can be described as satisfactory.

– Would the result change if the fans attended the game? What are the team’s plans for the rest of the season and your personal plans? What do you plan to do next with the team?

– We have the same goal from the first official fight: we want to win another title, to become champions of Ukraine. This is our plan for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for us, we learned last night that the fans would not be able to attend the stadium. At first it seemed strange to them, but then we delved into the study of all the details, and it is clear that now in Ukraine the contagion rate of the coronavirus has grown a lot. COVID now rules the world, COVID rules in Ukraine, so we must respect this and, of course, health first. Although, of course, it would be much better if the fans were present in the stands.

– Will we see you in the next European campaign at Shakhtar? Is the continuation of your contract up to the club, up to you, or should it be a joint decision?

– You will be able to see me in the next European Cup campaign, maybe at Shakhtar, maybe at some other club, but at the moment I’m not worried about that at all. It is very important for me, as I replied to your colleague, to achieve our main goal – to become champions of Ukraine. Only this is in my head.

– First of all, I would like to thank you for your work at Shakhtar this season. What positions do Shakhtar need to strengthen to move to teams like Roma?

– To thank. You know we can’t carry out an evaluation like this during the season, it would be unfair to the guys who work every day. They spend every day with us, us, with them, and now they don’t deserve those kinds of conversations. It is clear that all the internal meetings that take place in my office stay there, we do not take them out. Yes, in fact, Shakhtar have not changed their squad since last season. And it’s okay if there are some small changes for next season. We have a lot of young players: the boys are growing, they are adding every day, and we must pay attention to their growth, put them in the team on time. I don’t know, I can forget someone now, but this is Trubin, Dodo, Vitao, Kornienko, Cooper, Marcos Antonio, Sudakov, Tete, Solomon, Fernando, and Vyunnik … You must be very careful with your growth. It is clear that they are helped by more experienced players who play for the Ukrainian team and who know the national championship very well. It is very important to correctly assess the situation and evaluate its development. I understand your question and interest, it makes perfect sense, but, as I said, you don’t need to change anything during the season. We will talk about this towards the end of the year or next. There are still many games ahead. This very delicate issue must be treated with great care, taking into account only those players who are currently at the disposal of our club. Yes, I also forgot about Mudrik, I beg your pardon.

– Next season, will you and Shakhtar want rivals at the level of Real Madrid and Inter or Maccabi in European competitions? What do you think is more important: the experience of many young players or the result?

– Since I came to Shakhtar, we have played 22 European Cup matches. They were really difficult, but we were able to beat Atalanta, draw with City, in Zagreb with Dynamo, beat Real, eliminate a draw from Inter … But I really like big and difficult challenges. Right now you can tell me: listen, but you are four points behind the Dynamo … Yes, I am, but this is a challenge for us. Most of the time, this is my position: difficult, but not impossible. It is always possible. An experience for young guys? Yes, it is very important. High-level parties have a significant impact on their individual and collective development, and this cannot be avoided. I love difficult bands. When the tie meets tough opponents, I like it. The best thing is to always play with teams of the highest level.