Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Arda Turan, in an interview with the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, as cited by Sport RBC.UA, described in detail how military circumstances affect the team's daily preparation. According to the manager, the key problem has been the lengthy travel to European cup matches, which he estimates takes an average of 14 to 16 hours and effectively eats up the time allotted for recovery and training. Turan emphasized that the team spends hours in buses and trains, barely finding "windows" for full training sessions, and in some cases, players do not even have time to return home.
Logistics as a factor of fatigue
The manager of the "Miners" explained that with such a calendar, the coaching staff has to take into account not only the physical load arising directly during matches, but also the additional fatigue caused by constant travel. According to him, maintaining optimal physical condition for the players in such conditions is extremely difficult: the reduction of time for rest and training directly affects the quality of preparation and readiness for upcoming matches. Turan stated bluntly that "from a scientific point of view, it is almost impossible to maintain such a calendar."
Young players under special control
The specialist dwelt separately on the category of the most vulnerable players. In his assessment, these are young players who have less experience and cope worse with constant physical exertion. Turan noted that it is precisely the youngsters with less seniority who are more prone to injuries under such a regime of travel and matches, forcing the staff to approach the distribution of workload and recovery within the "young team" with extreme care.
Club support and logistical plans
At the same time, the manager thanked the club management for their efforts to minimize the consequences of the war for the team. According to him, Shakhtar sometimes develops complex logistical plans that allow the players to prepare for matches and recover from them as well as possible. Turan emphasized that it is precisely this organizational work of the club that helps mitigate the impact of long journeys on the players' condition.
From the championship to the Champions League
Despite the listed difficulties, the coach positively evaluated the team's development. He said that upon arriving at the club, he saw talented players who needed to form a strong collective identity. In his first season under his leadership, Shakhtar won the championship and reached the semi-finals of the Conference League. Now, according to Turan, the team aims to prove that it is capable of competing even at the Champions League level, where results often depend on the smallest details.
Playing philosophy without excuses
Concluding the conversation, the manager described the team's playing model: Shakhtar believes in its system, aims to control the ball, and reacts quickly after losing it. At the same time, Turan emphasized that he does not want the difficult conditions caused by the war and logistics to be perceived as an excuse for the team's potential results. Thus, the coach outlined a dual task — objectively taking into account the impact of external factors on preparation while maintaining high demands for play and results on the European stage.
