Ilya Krupsky: "We could have scored"

Defender of "Kharkiv" Ilya Krupsky analyzed the emotional match with "Shakhtar" hot on the heels:

— Ilya, today you demonstrated a game that you can be proud of in a match against the current champion of Ukraine. How do you rate the match?

— Yes, of course, it was a good game. Nothing to be afraid of, the team lost. Let's not say that someone lost the match. We could have scored, created many moments, even more than "Shakhtar". But that's class: the opponent creates one moment and scores it. I want to thank all the fans who came to the stadium, and the guys who gave themselves to the game. It was really a good game. We need to continue like this, and I am sure that victories will come.

— Today Mladen Bartulovich made some changes to the starting lineup and tactical scheme. How did you feel in this system?

— I think it's normal because we have good competition. Everyone should have their chances and work for one thing - for the result. We want to fight, we want to get into European competitions. Everyone sets such goals for themselves. There may be rotation in every game, so everyone needs to be ready and help the team. Today it was evident that all players were charged and felt absolutely confident. We don't have a situation where someone divides someone. If you show weakness, no one will punish you because everyone should support each other. The guys today were great, gave 200 percent. Somewhere we lacked a bit of skill to score that goal. But it's okay, we will draw conclusions, rest, and prepare for the next game.

— You had an episode after the match where you got injured. How do you feel now?

— I'm fine, thank God. I hope everything is fine. I finished the second half, and now I will go home, rest a bit, spend time with my family, and I think everything will be fine.

— There were some extra emotions after the final whistle. What happened?

— You need to understand a bit: if you come as a foreign player, you have to respect the country you came to. There is a war going on in Ukraine, so you need to appreciate where you are and respect the people who live here. You need to respect those people who are here and continue to work and live in these conditions.