Donetsk’s «Shakhtar» bows out of Europa League
Donetsk’s «Shakhtar» has finished their performances in the current Europa League campaign. The miners failed to advance past French side «Marseille» in the playoff round for a spot in the round of 16. After a draw in Hamburg, the Ukrainian champions suffered a 3-1 defeat at the Stade Orange Velodrome. We spoke about the key moments of the match with the former forward of Donetsk’s «Metallurg» and Odessa’s «Chornomorets» — Alexander Kosyrny.
Expectations and challenges for «Shakhtar» against «Marseille»
«What were your expectations before the second leg between «Shakhtar» and «Marseille»?»
«Everyone remembers how the first game went in Hamburg. It was obvious that both teams had a chance to progress to the next round. A big downside for our team was the long offseason and lack of official matches. We played in Porto in mid-December, then had a month off and a month of training in Turkey. Our hope was just luck. The French club, on the other hand, only rested for a few days over Christmas and that was it. «Marseille» was in shape, their season was in full swing. That was a big advantage for them.»
The impact of coaching changes on «Marseille»
«At the same time, we are aware of the difficulties «Marseille» faced. They were on a seven-game winless streak, there was a change in head coach. Gennaro Gattuso was fired and Jean-Louis Gasset took over. Do you think this could have helped «Marseille»?»
«We all know how demanding Marseille fans are. They are willing to go to any lengths for their team. Yes, a winless streak looks unusual for Marseille. They are a very strong team with many titles. A change in coach usually has a positive influence on the team in the short term. Unfortunately, Shakhtar was not lucky in this regard. A new coach usually allows players to make changes in psychology. This effect lasts a couple of matches. And then everything can go back to square one if there is no quality training process.»
