Shakhtar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu explains why his team are touring Brazil

Shakhtar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu has explained why his team are touring Brazil. With the Ukrainian Premier League paused until February due to a winter break, Shakhtar have chosen to travel abroad to prepare for their UEFA Champions League Second Round First leg tie against Bayern Munich, which comes eleven days before their next domestic […]
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sambafoot_admin
2015-01-19 18:56:00

Shakhtar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu has explained why his team are touring Brazil.

With the Ukrainian Premier League paused until February due to a winter break, Shakhtar have chosen to travel abroad to prepare for their UEFA Champions League Second Round First leg tie against Bayern Munich, which comes eleven days before their next domestic match at home to Vorskla.

With 14 Brazilian players in his first-team squad, a tour of the country would seem logical for Lucescu’s side. Despite this, the tactician believes it is the quality and variety of opposition that Shakhtar are facing that is most appealing.

“During the winter break, it is very important to play against the teams of a different level. Against the teams who show different football,” he said, as reported by Shakhtar Donetsk’s official website. 

“Through this we are preparing for the next games of the championship and the Champions League duels. For example, we have a meeting against Bayern ahead, who play a very different football. Therefore, this training is very important to us.”

So far, Shakhtar have lost 3-2 to Bahia and drawn 0-0 with Flamengo. They will next face Atlético Mineiro in two days time, before ties against Internacional and Cruzeiro.

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