Viktor SKRIPNIK: “There is no time for sadness”

Zorya’s Head Coach Victor skripnik answered questions at a press conference before the Europa League game against Greek AEK.

– Thanks to our busy schedule, there is no time for sadness. After we didn’t do very well at UPL in the last game, we didn’t have to strongly motivate the guys for the next game, because they understand the importance of the next fight themselves. All players are ready to play and show good game and positive results. There are two teams that have 0 points in the ranking. I would like to finally transform these negative results into positive ones. AEK is the team that plays more than one tactical system, they change the formations during the game, we are preparing for such a game. They lost those games that they had before, like us, but there were very good moments, especially the home game against Leicester, after 0: 2, they scored the ball and were ready to keep scoring. A strong team, and we are ready to accept a team of this level and oppose it. We want to win this game not only to rehabilitate ourselves, but also to give us confidence, to contribute points to Ukraine; we want to prepare for this. The guys are ready, everyone is eager to fight, as there is an opportunity to choose the composition. We look forward to the fight to show what we are capable of and achieve a positive result.

– In past games there were quite sharp moments, but sadly, there was no realization. What to do and how to deal with it?

– We need to gain experience, go through these moments by ourselves and make decisions quickly. It’s a shame for those guys who miss these European Cup matches, because you gain experience in these matches. In the game with Braga we made about 20 shots towards the goal, and in the next game with Ingulets only 1-2 chances. At those times, it is not necessary once at a time. It is good that every three days of play we do not have time to “bury ourselves”, you only try to eliminate the mistakes made. A worthy opponent: we are preparing to show our best side and show and play our strength to the best of our ability, without unnecessary emotions, but in a focused way. I would like to score first and take the lead, not catch up and rehab. We want, and tomorrow we will discard this wish on the soccer field.

– You probably did a detailed analysis of your opponent. Do you have some kind of trump card that your opponent wouldn’t have expected?

– There are Ukrainian boys in AEK who play in the first team. Our players know them well from the national championship, they have met more than once. The speed of thought that is inherent in European football, my team also owns this, but those moments must be able to implement. The negligence that can be tolerated in the UPL, in the Europa League, categorically should not be. My requirement for the team is to give 100% and not start the fight like I did with Braga. Emotions must be eliminated and played with a calm head. Calm and aggression should work together tomorrow, so you can always make a quick and thoughtful decision. The fact that we know how to play, we show it, the efficiency that is inherent in us, we hope to show it tomorrow. A lot also depends on the line-up the opponent proposes, we have 2-3 line-up variants, we look forward to tomorrow’s match.

– In the championship, the team plays football with a lot of will and strength, but in the last game you drew with Ingulets, how do you assess the morale of the players?

– It is good when there is no time to worry about a negative result. Every 3-4 days we have games, every game is a challenge, so we don’t look back, we just look forward with a fresh head. We have enough players to create competition, the guys feel it. The rotation is possible tomorrow, after the game against Ingulets, in which we also change five players from the squad. I would like to improve my results.

– Have you already decided on the likely lineup for the game or will you make a decision tomorrow?

– There is always a “backbone” of the squad, but of course there are variations in position, we have two more training sessions, today and tomorrow, after which a specific decision will be made.