Stunning confession from Arda Turan! 'Bombs were thrown, we went down to the shelter'

Arda Turan, who left Eyüpspor at the beginning of the season to take charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, made statements to Sky Sports. The experienced technical man made some remarkable statements.

"I have never been someone who hides behind excuses in my life, but there have been situations that we could not foresee," Arda Turan said.

WE WENT DOWN TO THE SHELTER

Arda Turan, the coach of Shakhtar, who suffered their only league defeat this season after a night in a shelter, said:

"The bombs were dropped the night before the next game. It may sound strange, but we weren't scared, we were just worried about our loved ones. We didn't sleep that night. We never knew in what conditions we would play the match."

A BOY WHO HAD 35 SURGERIES VISITED US

"I was sad because it was a crucial match for us. And a boy called Roman, who was a big Shakhtar fan and had 35 surgeries for injuries he received when a bomb was thrown at his house, came to visit us in the dressing room."

"He said to me, 'Teacher, don't be sad. There are good days and bad days in life. You have to keep going.' This was a life lesson from an eight-year-old boy who had been operated on 35 times. Yes, soccer is important. And we have to respect our job, give 100 percent for the people who follow us. But on the other hand, it's entertainment, it's not as real as life. We need to understand the difference. It was Roman who taught me this life lesson."

WE TURNED CHALLENGES INTO MOTIVATION

Underlining that they play every match like an away game, Arda said "We are trying to use this. When you are in the middle of a war and people are making such a big sacrifice, you have to address these issues. Why do they play soccer here? Why do they leave their families in the middle of the war? There has to be a logic to it."

"I think we turned it into something positive and tried to have a lot of fun, to be cheerful all the time. We have a lot of young Brazilian players who are trying to adapt psychologically and sometimes it can be tiring. We have a lot of young players who need more rest than experienced players, so we have to change teams often. Unfortunately, with so much traveling it is not possible to play with the same team after three days. It's like inviting injury."

I WANT THE CHAMPIONSHIP VERY MUCH

Arda Turan summarized the difference between Shakhtar, champions of Ukraine 15 times since the early 2000s, and the current situation as follows:

"We lost some players, but our squad is now full of young players who are open to development. This was the club's strategy. We want to start with players with great potential instead of buying finished players.

Isaque is 18, Kaua (Elias) is 19, Lucas Ferreira is 19, Meirelles is 18. Sometimes they will play badly because they are young, but we don't take away their right to make mistakes. When you win, the happiness is a completely different feeling. Young players are a source of pride. They make me a braver manager."

"That's why I really want to win the title, it's like a dream for me now."