Mladen Bartulovich: "We are all interested in further strengthening the team"

The head coach of "Kharkiv" Mladen Bartulovich gave a comment after the final friendly match at the training camp in Austria, where he shared his impressions of the game, evaluated the players' level of preparation, and talked about integrating newcomers:

— Let's start with today's match. There were many positive moments against "Schalke." Let's talk about them first.

— A very quality opponent, a great atmosphere. For us, before the start of the championship, this was a very good friendly match. It was important to feel what it's like to play in front of fans. There were enough good moments in this match, but a quality opponent immediately punishes mistakes. We made a mistake - and conceded a goal. Of course, after that, it became a bit harder for the guys. Then fresh players came in for the opponent, while we practically played with the same lineup for the full 90 minutes. In any case, it was a very useful friendly match for us because it showed us where we need to move and what to strive for.

— Mladen, you know, after these matches, there's a lot of talk about the winless streak. But the football club "Kharkiv" could have chosen much weaker opponents. You chose strong opponents and experience, right?

— Of course. Before the training camp, we deliberately chose quality opponents. We have a very young team, and we need to gain experience in such matches. I believe that all our players gained a huge amount of experience during this training camp.

— There's a little less than two weeks left before the start of the championship. How ready is the team for the new season right now?

— I think we are very well prepared physically. We still have time to work on some gameplay moments before the first round against "Veres." I believe we will be 100% ready to win every match.

— Three newcomers spent the entire training camp with the team. How integrated are they - not only physically but also mentally?

— With each match, they fit better into our playing model. I've already said: they are quality players and will definitely help us, they will prove it in the championship.

— There's a lot of talk about newcomers. Should we expect more reinforcements before the start of the season?

— Of course, the club is working in this direction. We are all interested in further strengthening the team.

— The team is now returning to Ukraine and will have a few days off. What is the plan for the final stage of preparation?

— The guys will have a few days off. And starting from Sunday, we will begin preparing for the match against "Veres" and switch to a standard weekly cycle.