Tymoschuk hungry for success

By Dan Brennan

FC Shakhtar Donetsk captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk is a local hero amid an increasingly cosmopolitan starting eleven. Surrounded by Croatians, Brazilians, Romanians and Nigerians to name but a few of his team-mates' nationalities, the Ukrainian international remains the key man in Shakhtar's bid for UEFA Cup glory.

Reliable performer 
This season Tymoschuk has been as reliable as ever, adapting well to whatever position he has played, be it as a striker or, more recently, in midfield. uefa.com caught up with him ahead of their Round of 16 meeting with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

uefa.com: Did the victory over FC Schalke 04 leave you confident ahead of this match?

Tymoschuk: It's not important who we are playing, the preparations are always the same. Our objective is always to play our own game, and impose our style of play on the opposition, whoever they are. At this stage, there are no easy teams left, so you cannot underestimate anyone. It really depends on how well you perform on the night. It is down to us to show what we can do.

uefa.com: Is Shakhtar's success a sign Ukrainian football is on the up?

Tymoschuk: Definitely. With every year, the standard in the Ukrainian league is growing, as more and more clubs are starting to challenge. The situation where you have just two teams - Shakhtar and FC Dynamo Kyiv - way ahead and competing for the title between themselves is disappearing.

uefa.com: How are your new South American recruits settling into the Shakhtar camp?

Tymoschuk: Jadson, Elano and Ivan should find it easy to adapt. This is a very friendly club, which makes all newcomers feel welcome, and anyway we already have three Brazilians here to help them settle in. I think, football-wise, making the transition from South America to Europe can take time, but good players generally manage to do that.

uefa.com: Are you impressed by the ambition of your chairman Rinat Akhmetov?

Tymoschuk: Mr Akhmetov is a 'maximalist' by nature, and he is very ambitious for Shakhtar. He has invested millions in ensuring that the club can have a state-of-the-art stadium and training complex, and he is desperate to see us go to the next level and achieve success in Europe. He has a genuine love for this club. He always attends training sessions when he can and gets real pleasure from watching the players and interacting with them. This is not just an expensive hobby for him - he lives and breathes Shakhtar. And the players feel this.

uefa.com: How disappointing was it not to qualify for the next stage of the UEFA Champions League this season?

Tymoschuk: We were in a very strong group. But we showed that we can hold our own against some of the top teams in Europe. FC Barcelona and AC Milan were unquestionably among the favourites for the Champions League. We did not look out of place and we still have a chance of winning the UEFA Cup.

uefa.com: You have said you would like to test yourself in one of the top leagues in future - which country would you prefer to play in?

Tymoschuk: The idea of playing in one of the top leagues would please me a great deal. Having said that Shakhtar now are a very strong club with their own ambitions, so any move to another country would have to be to a leading club in a major league - a club that was definitely at a higher level than Shakhtar. In terms of style, English football would be my preferred choice. But tactically, Italian football is most interesting.