--- title: "\"It is impossible to withstand such a schedule\": Arda Turan explains how the war exhausts Shakhtar" description: "Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan explained in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that trips to European matches take 14–16 hours and deprive players of recovery time, especially young footballers." date: 2026-10-20T13:58:26.426Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/arda-turan-war-exhausts-shakhtar tags: [shakhtar, arda-turan, champions-league, football, war-impact, la-gazzetta-dello-sport] author: "Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "It is impossible to withstand such a schedule": Arda Turan explains how the war exhausts Shakhtar ![Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan gives an interview against the stadium backdrop](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/20/arda-turan-voyna-istoshchaet-shakter/arda-turan-voyna-istoshchaet-shakter-1.webp) ## Key Points - According to Arda Turan, Shakhtar's trips to European cup matches last an average of 14–16 hours and reduce recovery time. - The coach noted that young players with less experience are the most vulnerable to injuries under such a schedule. - Turan thanked the club for complex logistical plans that minimize the war's impact on preparation. - In his first season under his leadership, Shakhtar won the championship and reached the Conference League semi-finals; the goal is now competition in the Champions League. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Выдержать такой график невозможно": Туран рассказал, как война истощает "Шахтер"](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/vitrimati-takiy-grafik-nemozhlivo-turan-rozpoviv-1792504340.html) - Direct quotes from Arda Turan's interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport: travel duration of 14–16 hours, vulnerability of young players, gratitude to the club for logistics, championship and Conference League semi-final in the first season, goals in the Champions League. ## FAQ ### How long do Shakhtar's trips to European cup matches last, according to Arda Turan? According to the coach's estimate, on average from 14 to 16 hours, with the team spending this time in buses and trains, and sometimes players even failing to return home. ### Whom does Turan consider most vulnerable under such a schedule? Young players with less experience, who, according to him, handle constant loads worse and are more prone to injuries. ### What results did Shakhtar achieve in the first season under Turan's leadership? The team won the championship and reached the semi-finals of the Conference League; now the manager states the goal of competing at the Champions League level.