Jovicevic: "We must play at such a level that the whole of Ukraine is proud of us"

MADRID, 10 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The coach of the Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk, Igor Jovicevic, made it clear that the latest events with the Russian invasion and the attack on kyiv affect them ahead of their game this Tuesday against Real Madrid in the Champions League, but that it is also a opportunity to play "at such a level that the whole of Ukraine is proud".

"We feel closely everything that happens in the country and we feel great empathy. Many of my footballers have families in Ukraine and this affects us, but it will not destroy our morale. This is the minimum way we can show our respect, fight in the game from the first to the last minute", assured Jovicevic this Monday in a press conference collected by the club's website.

The Croatian coach recalled that everyone has "a family" in the country and that they are "concerned about this situation." "Who can think about football now, when there are much more important things, but we cannot cancel the game, we will be forced to go out on the field and show that we fight and represent the Ukrainian people," he warned.

"We must play at such a level that the whole of Ukraine is proud of us. And the least they will see is a brave Shakhtar who will fight for points. Everyone wants to see a team that plays well, creates chances and acts aggressively, but a lot of people forget what happened before the game and only we know it. And this is our power, our strength and our unity", he continued.

The former Castilla player believes they can "improve" their performance at the Santiago Bernabéu and "give their best" in a "very important" game. "The last match showed that we can play good football against the current Champions League champions and the best team in Europe. We have 90 minutes ahead of us now and anything can happen," he remarked.

"We need to be even bolder, even more aggressive in attack, and we need to fix some problems in midfield, where you need to establish good ball movement. In general, we need to be ourselves and we need to play like we play in the league and in the first game against Real Madrid, especially in the second half, when we created two or three chances at the Bernabéu and saw what we could do," added Jovicevic.

The Shakhtar coach also does not forget the logistical hustle and bustle they suffer from the war. "We play home league games in Lviv, we organize Champions League games here in Warsaw and we have to travel a lot for European Cup games," he noted.

"We are constantly on the road and constantly on the move, of course, fatigue is felt in this context. Our preparation is fundamentally different from the usual other teams for Champions League matches, but we have a strong mentality, we remain focused. and we want to show the whole world that we are a young and good team. This situation is not for life, everything has to end. It's not just about football but about life in general", he sentenced.