Arda Turan is being criticised: 'I don't understand his intentions'

In the second week of the UEFA Conference League, Shakhtar Donetsk, coached by Arda Turan, hosted Legia Warsaw at home. Legia Warsaw won the match 2-1 with a goal in extra time, extending Arda Turan and his players' winless streak to three matches.

Shakhtar Donetsk opened the scoring early in the 16th minute with a goal from Augustyniak. The Polish side equalised through Meirelles' goal in the 61st minute, but Augustyniak had the final say, reappearing in the 90+4th minute. Myron Markevych, the legendary coach of Ukrainian football, criticised Arda Turan following Shakhtar's 2-1 defeat to the Polish side.

According to Sport UA's report; Markevych said, "I don't want to personalise it, but I'm surprised by what some players are doing at Shakhtar. Why is this necessary? No one at Shakhtar, not even the Brazilians, wants to control the game. They need to do that! Then why did they sign them? Legia played defensively and needed players who weren't just passing short balls around the pitch but weren't afraid to control the game. It was terrible that they couldn't create a single goal-scoring opportunity throughout the match. In the last 15 minutes, something completely unbelievable happened on the pitch. No one is taking responsibility, no one is showing off, everyone is just playing. Shakhtar are playing an outdated game."

When asked why Arda Turan fielded a squad heavy with substitutes, the experienced coach responded:

"I don't understand Turan's intentions. I don't understand why Dmytro Riznyk didn't play in goal. I'm sure Dmytro wouldn't have conceded those two goals. It's difficult for me to say. Turan needs to decide on his starting 11 and play accordingly. One team plays one match, the other plays the next. I don't understand! What is there to worry about with such transfers in our league? Shakhtar should beat everyone instantly, yet they concede four goals. That means there is a problem. The man who scored the goal was Luca Meirelles. He was pretty good. At least he tried. Konoplya was active and made an assist. There's no one else to mention. Shakhtar were sluggish, as if they were playing to enjoy a nice dinner. You don't play like that in European competitions. That's not right!"

‘Shakhtar had to step up their game when they scored, but instead they made obvious mistakes. However, this is more of a problem for the technical team. Losing is possible, but it raises many questions. Stagnant football.’