From lifting the UEFA Cup as captain to managing transfers in the midst of war as sporting director, Darijo Srna has never stopped giving everything for Shakhtar Donetsk. In this exclusive interview, the Croatian legend discusses his transition from the pitch to the office, the challenge of keeping a football club alive and competitive during wartime, and the philosophy behind Shakhtar’s famed Brazilian talent pipeline. Srna also shares his thoughts on Arda Turan’s promising coaching career, the secret behind Croatia’s seemingly endless production of world-class players, and why—even with his family in London and journeys lasting up to 20 hours—he wouldn’t have it any other way.
After giving so much to Shakhtar as a player and captain, was the transition to sporting director difficult?
“I didn’t have too many problems making that change because I continued working at my club. For me, it’s more than a club—it’s my football family. Of course, sometimes you miss the adrenaline of the pitch and the fans, but you have to know when it’s time to stop, and it’s very important to choose the right moment. I think I found the perfect one. After retiring, I became assistant coach to Luís Castro, and after a year, I became sporting director. I took the necessary steps. I’m still young and still learning. But I must mention: I became sporting director during the war, and believe me, it’s not easy. You’re not just a sporting director. Sometimes you’re a father, mother, sister, brother, uncle—everything. During the war, it’s hard to focus on the work.”
Was it difficult to recruit players and convince them to come to Shakhtar?
“At first, yes. We signed Castilho from Venezuela and Gio (Giorgi Gocholeishvili) from Georgia. We didn’t immediately focus on Brazilian players because it was a very tough time. But little by little, as we adapted to the reality of war, we started signing Brazilians again: Pedrinho, Kevin, Marlon, Alisson, Isaque, and others. Meanwhile, we also sold many players.”
Does winning trophies and competing in Europe remain Shakhtar’s main challenge?
“Even after losing 14 players, we played in the Champions League and did very well. We drew with Real Madrid in the last seconds. We beat RB Leipzig, and with (Marino) Pusic, we beat Barcelona. We represent Ukrainian football in European competition, and that’s very important for us.”
What changed with the arrival of Arda Turan? Was it difficult to bring him in as coach?
“I knew Arda Turan from my playing days, but we didn’t have a personal connection. Like with players, we always keep a list of potential coaches, and we look for young, ambitious, hungry ones. It’s hard to bring a ‘finished’ coach to Shakhtar. If you look at our coaching history, (Paulo) Fonseca didn’t have much experience when he arrived, (Roberto) De Zerbi had some, and Pusic and (Igor) Jovicevic had experience but weren’t finished products either. They all grew enormously with us. Arda is the same. We started following his work in the Turkish First Division, and he did an incredible job. He got promoted from the Second Division and came within three or four points of qualifying for Europe. That was a historic result. We’re not afraid of young, ambitious coaches.”
And what changed in the dressing room?
“First of all, he accepted to come immediately. In times of war, that’s very important. The same happened with Jovicevic and Pusic before him—they both said yes straight away. They understood the situation.”
