Roman Petrenko - about the peculiarities of the unchanged policy of "miners".

The thunder of victory, fanfare, Victoria, - here again the story repeated itself. This poetic pamphlet can describe the current week for Shakhtar. The conquered Cup of the country and the almost won championship became an absolutely deserved result of the season. What's wrong with that, you ask?. In principle, the fact that the "miners" at the moment - the strongest club in the country, no one doubted. Even before the winter break, the team of Paulo Fonseca was quoted as a clear favorite of the championship, that's only in the Champions League, it was disappointed. Roma seemed almost the most "delicious" option, but Roman confusion has stopped hitherto cheerful procession of the Donetsk club.

However, the coach of Shakhtar all the time assured that the main goal of his team is the domestic championship. On the one hand, it looked odd, because the miners had long ago positioned themselves as a club with high European ambitions. On the other - and maybe it's just the internal principles? !!.

Excel Dynamo became a sort of obsession Shakhtar at the very beginning of the 21st century, when the Donetsk club gradually came to its heyday. Robust attempts to throw Kiev from the national throne in the era of Ukrainian coaches did not lead to success. Neither Valery Yaremchenko nor Viktor Prokopenko was able to become pioneers in pursuit of the crown, but Italian Nevio Scala did it surprisingly quickly.

Meanwhile, the era of the Italian quickly came to an end, and in Shakhtar again began a two-year period of coach Ukrainians. Champion titles during this time did not increase, and the management understood its main mistake. The stagnation was interrupted by the invitation of the Romanian Mircea Lucescu, who immediately understood how, against whom and by what methods it is necessary to act. And flowed in the direction of Donetsk in the mass order of the legionnaires, so much so that such brave guys as Andrew Sparrow and Alexei Belik soon had to leave his native club.

Lucescu calculated everything perfectly. In defense (after several failed transfers in the form of Tolga Seikhan, Leonardo, Muamer Vugdalich, Ivan and Nenad Lalatovich), you can detach Ukrainians in view of the limit, while all attacking vacancies (with mini exceptions) should be taken, if possible, by Latin American football players. The method is old as the world. The Brazilians in their football qualities are much stronger than our compatriots, and in general anyone, and now the main thing was not to make mistakes in the personalities.

Piece of marriage, of course, happened. On Willian, Fernandinho, Alex Teixeira and Douglas Costa found his Bruno Renan (remember that?). Of course, it is necessary to remove the hat not only before the selection of the Miner, but also before the coaching staff. Lucescu found an approach to the difficult characters of the magicians of the ball, and they stamped internal trophies and won the UEFA Cup. However, despite this, the Romanian mentor was much more principled than the European successes, and the battles with the irreconcilable inner opponent. It even reached the point of throwing hats on the ground and numerous provocations, with the subsequent escalation of rivalry into actual warfare.

But the epoch of Lucescu was once to be completed, and now the Shakhtar's leadership was no longer risked. No coaches of your own - only a foreigner! And this one was found. Portuguese Paulo Fonseca realized himself well in Braga, and finally got a chance to work in a more status club. Unlimited (as for Ukraine) financial opportunities, already formed and tailored for the internal titles of the predecessor, the composition was an excellent stimulus and help for the Portuguese specialist. He tried to experiment, replacing the center of defense Rakitsky - Kucher for a couple of Krivtsov - Ordz, but it ended with an inglorious departure from the Champions League from the modest Swiss Young Boys ... Now, Fonseca realized everything clearly. For victories over the Dynamo and the rest it is necessary ... not to touch the mechanism, carefully built Lucescu. The Portuguese did this. He even went further: in some moments, no-no, and included the style of the behavior of his predecessor. The result - the title and the Cup of Ukraine of last season. The same picture is happening now.

But these inner victories can become Pyrrhic. Every year, the leaders of the Miner are not getting any younger, and the team is almost 100% dependent on the Brazilian usurpation in the form of Tyson, Marlos, Fred and Ismaili. I would have added Fakundo Ferreira, who was getting frustrated precisely at Fonseca, and the autumn Bernard was the motor of the team in the Champions League. However, he and Fred, with a high probability of leaving the Donetsk club very soon ... ... What can not be said about the mentor. Despite all the idle talk about moving Fonseca to one of the top five championships, it's hard to believe in it. Well, tell me, why should he change something? !!. Titles that spoil self-esteem are pouring down like a cornucopia, there are no problems with finances, only guarantees that there will be leaders at hand - there are no. The representative of Fonseca Mark Abreu also echoed his client: "If there is so much talk about Paulo, then he is a qualified specialist. He has his own approach to football players, assistants and fans. Napoli? At the moment, Paulo coached the Miner. He is happy with this team. Will he stay at this club? About the new place of work Fonseca the public will find out later ".

Whatever anyone says, but the countless weddings of the Portuguese in not the last European clubs (Arsenal, Everton, the same Napoli) resemble a banal price hammering. Naturally, the coach, winning everything and everything, tries to knock out a contract for himself more imposing, and his agents do everything possible for this. In addition, everyone understands perfectly well that, given the internal super-tasks, the Miner can painfully perceive changes on the coaching bridge. Where is the guarantee that a new, even a super skilled specialist, will produce a result on the mountain?.

The same is true for personnel policy. Any mention of the possible departure of someone from a cohort of leaders causes in Shakhtar a state close to a shock. At the same time, the club does everything possible to keep even the most basic performers. Alan Patrick, who has already signed a new labor agreement with the Donts to 2022. Shakhtar does not hurry to let go and frankly little Dentinho. Or take the same Wellington Nem. After renting in Brazil, the midfielder urgently needed Fonseca, although he has at hand not the last Ukrainians Ivan Petryak and Alexander Zubkov. Are they so weaker? !!. No! The point here is in the notorious general line. The current policy is effective and does not need further experiments. However, there is another side of the coin. At the slightest changes connected with the external unattractiveness of our championship (I'm talking about a possible next recruitment), the mechanism can give an unexpected failure. Dependence on the current "scheme" is complete, which makes the future difficult to predict ....

Author: Roman Petrenko.