Vitor Pereira: I want to see football that I love

04-08-15 19:39:01

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Fenerbahce’s head coach has answered questions from media before the game with Shakhtar.

- You played against a Razvan Lucescu team, that game ended 0-0. Are you ready to face his father now?
- I think it was just a very nice coincidence. I would like to remind you that it won’t be a game between two coaches; it will be a match between two teams! We will do everything we can in order to win.

- Fred tested positive for doping. He played in the first match. How do you feel about that?
- I'm a head coach, and that's not my issue. I do not care, whether Fred took to the pitch or he didn’t. I defend my team. And my main task is to train them. We know that Shakhtar are very strong. We have been working together for only four weeks now. We have a project of the team, there are new players. It will be hard to play against Shakhtar because Mr. Lucescu has been coaching this team for many years now. And even if there some squad changes, the system remains. This is a very experienced team. They are strong, but we are prepared for the game. So I am focused specifically on the match, not on the opposition players. We have watched and corrected the mistakes that we made in the first leg. We are confident in ourselves and our abilities. Let's see who will win tomorrow.

- Are you going to field Topal and Van Persie tomorrow?
- You can write your own version of the squad on a piece of paper, and I'll see! (Laughs.) That’s what makes football exciting; mystery and intrigue remain until the very end. Therefore, let’s wait until tomorrow.

- Today you are joking a lot. What will happen tomorrow, if your team fail to advance further?
- I have so many reasons to enjoy life. I'm healthy, a lot of work for tomorrow's match has been done, so it certainly makes me happy. Tomorrow we will see the result of my work. But there is one thing I'm certain about: in spite of the outcome of the match, I believe in players of my team. Tomorrow I want to see a brave team that play with heart and soul. In life there may be different situations, in football there may be different results too. But I continue to believe in my team. I want to see football that I love - a game between two strong teams, dramatic moments. I think we will show the results of our training.