Before facing Lech Poznan in the second leg of their Conference League Round of 16 tie, the Burkina Faso international striker talks about his role as a big brother and indispensable leader in a dressing room where the translators are as busy as the players on the pitch.
Flashscore: How are you getting on? Is it still as complicated as ever to leave Ukraine for Poland?
Lassina Traoré: "We arrived in Poland last night. We had a rest today, and we'll be back in training tomorrow (Wednesday). The journey is still just as complicated because we have to do everything by bus, and we have to wait a bit longer at the border, so it's a bit more complicated."
On the outward journey, it was Arda Turan who said that you had to wait 5-6 hours at the border post.
"Yesterday we waited 3 or 4 hours at the border to get to Poland. It was complicated. But we old-timers are used to it. We play games on the bus, watch films and series to pass the time. But we stay positive because we have one goal in mind: to win the games. The rest are things outside football that we manage."
Do your opponents realise that it's more complicated for you to play these European Cup games?
"I don't think they realise how difficult it is. But I tell myself that our opponents in Ukraine know. They know because they're there, they know how difficult it is to travel. And especially for us who play in the European Cup, it's even more complicated. The disadvantage is more on the stadium side in the European Cup, because we don't play at home. We always have a disadvantage with the fans, but that's the way it is."
You're playing a Polish team in Poland...
"It's true that playing a Polish team in Poland, in another city... It's something special. We'll see how they get around, we'll see what surprises the people of Krakow have in store for us. We'll wait and see because I've also heard that the fans in Krakow and Poznan don't get on. So maybe the rivalry means they'll be rooting for Shakhtar. It's like Marseille playing in Paris."
In the first leg, you won 3-1. And yet, if you look at the predictions, they said Lech Poznan would win. How did you manage to beat the odds?
"I don't know who made the predictions, but I think that if you take everything into account, it should have been Shakhtar, because we finished in the top 8 and we also have more experience in the European Cup. Even though they're a great team, last year's Polish champions, we have a lot of respect for them. We approached the match as the coach told us, we prepared, we looked at our opponents, and then we focused on their weak points."
What are you expecting for the return leg?
"Pressure, a lot of pressure, because they're going to come with a lot of desire. We have to be able to handle that and continue to play our football and try to win, because in today's football, it's pretty difficult to keep score. So we have to try to win."
'Arda Turan is a crazy coach, but I love him'
You are the last Ukrainian club still in the running in the European Cup. Is that an added responsibility?
"Yes. Almost every year, Shakhtar are always the last Ukrainian club in the European Cup, and we bring a lot of UEFA points back to Ukraine. It's always the same objective: to bring back points so that the index rises and the champion can qualify directly for the Champions League."
What does Shakhtar look like in 2026? Because you've been here for five seasons now, and the team has changed a lot.
"It's a very mixed team because there are quite a few young players, I'd even say very young, and a few experienced players who have been here for a very long time. It's a good mix. The group lives well with all the staff. It's a new staff too, so we're getting to know each other and learning to live a new life together."
And you're one of the few who speaks French? How do you fit in with the rest of the group?
"There are normally three of us. There's one who played for OGC Nice (Marlon Santos), whose language is Brazilian but he speaks a bit of French, and there's a Tunisian with me (Alaa Ghram). But normally we try to speak in English. Everyone, the Ukrainians, the Brazilians, we try to understand each other in English because English is difficult for them too.
"I try to push everyone to speak in English. The coach speaks English, but there are translators in English and Portuguese. At training, a lot of people speak because there are translators plus the coach."
And what's it like playing under Arda Turan? What is he like as a coach?
"I think he was a magnificent player. He's a bit of a crazy coach, but I love him. I love him because he has that energy that pushes the team, and he also has that communication that galvanises everything. He's a great coach who does his job."
What is the main thing he asks of you?
"I think he's a fan of direct play. It's today's football that he wants. Because he's played a different kind of football, he played in the days of the tiki-taka with Pep Guardiola, with Luis Enrique... So he's trying to adapt his past to the present day to bring out a football that's a little more direct and a little more consistent with today's game. I think he's a mixture of Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique."
Does that suit you?
"Yes, it suits me. I'm fine with it as long as the idea is clear, as long as we play football and have possession of the ball, that's all that matters."
Did the coach want to play the second leg of the Round of 16 in Turkey instead of playing in Poland? Did he talk to you about this?
"We were aware of the request, but there was no follow-up. We were really hoping we could play in Turkey so that Arda Turan's fans and Galatasaray's fans could come and support us. That would have helped us and given the Poznan players a bit more of a lift, too... But UEFA didn't want that because we played the whole group stage here, so we're going to continue here."
'We represent Ukraine's struggle'
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, you've been playing in a different stadium every season, even a different country, because last season you were in Germany. What's it like playing your home games without ever really being at home?
"It's complicated, but you adapt. Because Shakhtar haven't played at home for almost 12 years, not just since the Russian invasion in 2022. Shakhtar have been playing outside Donetsk since 2014, due to the war in the Donbas.
"So even in the league, we play every game away because we don't play in our home town. We play either in Lviv or Kyiv, which is not our city. Each time we find ourselves at a disadvantage with the fans, but we've got used to that too, and we try to make up for it with our talent."
There were quite a few Shakhtar fans in Hamburg. Is it the same in Poznan?
"Yes, we have enough supporters all over Poland. Even in the last match in Poznan, there were many supporters because, with the war, many people came to take refuge in Poland, Germany, or the Netherlands. So when Shakhtar play, they all gather around the Ukrainian flag to support us. At the end of the match, we try to sign autographs. Some of them come to the hotel too, so we try to take photos and chat."
So you have a social role too, being Shakhtar in the European Cup?
"Exactly. Our role is to represent Ukraine, the strength of Ukraine, the fight that Ukraine is waging, and to send out messages to say that, despite the war, whether it's sporting or economic, Ukraine will manage and continue to fight."
And yourself, if you're not Ukrainian, is this a message that touches you?
"Yes, it does. It's a message you have to carry with you all your life, because resilience is something you have to carry with you all your life, something you have to teach your children, because life isn't easy. You have to be resilient to keep fighting."
'We'll have more opportunities to see our families'
At the start of the war, you lived a lot in hotels, practically all the time together, without much family time. Is it still like that today?
"Yeah, so far we're in hotels all the time. We don't have time to see the family, it's pretty complicated. Especially if you have family outside Ukraine. But that's the way it's been since the war started. My family lives in Paris. Whenever we have days off or international breaks, I try to go and see them."
Isn't it too hard to live so far away from your loved ones?
"It's very hard, especially with the birth of my child. Seeing him grow up away from me is complicated, but that's part of being a footballer. Even if I were there with him, I'd spend less time with the programme, the matches, the trips... At the end of the day, you might only have one full day a week at home."
Looking at your stories, one gets the impression that the club tries to let you come home for 3-4 days on your days off.
"Yes, they do. They try to accommodate you because they understand. And they, too, are going through the same situation. Coach Arda and the staff came here without their families, who stayed behind in Turkey. So if we have 2-3 days off, everyone tries to get back to their families to put their minds at rest and come back to get some energy, because it's not easy."
Is the Conference League always special? You said in 2022 that you saw your family and friends at European Cup matches and that it helped to motivate you. Do you still see them in the European Cup?
"Yes, I do. Every time we go to Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, or Spain, it's always the same thing: the Conference League is a time to enjoy the family and see them. It's also a chance for them to see our games, because in Ukraine, they can't come and watch the matches.
"It's a time for them to see their child, their husband or their brother live. They're the ones who make the trip every time, whether it's to Warsaw, Krakow or Poznan. We've seen each other today, tomorrow too, on the eve of the match, and in the evening after the match, we'll have time to catch up."
It gives you an extra soul when you're a player...
"Exactly. It gives you more energy to fight. Knowing that the family is here, we want to keep going because if we qualify for the next round, we'll have more opportunities to see each other again. At every match, you have to give everything to be there at the next one."
And you're not thinking of your family moving to Ukraine?
"It's complicated with my child. We travel a lot, so we'd often find ourselves outside Ukraine while they were there. It's better for them to be sheltered, to have peace of mind and to know that as soon as you have a day off, you can join them."
Are you still able to keep up with your growing child?
"I manage to keep up. My wife helps me a lot. As soon as I have a few days off, at Christmas or whatever, I try to be there and make the most of it. We're trying to manage, and it's going well."
'The aim is at least the Conference League semi-finals'
You didn't play against Poznan in the first leg. But you were able to see your nearest and dearest. Does that make up for not playing?
"That's right, that's the positive side. The coach prepared his match, and it went well, so there's no problem whether I play or not. The next match I played 80 minutes. For Thursday, it will depend on the configuration. We have other strikers with other profiles. If the coach needs me, he'll bring me on. Obviously, every player wants to play, but the important thing is that the team wins. If the coach sees that he doesn't need me for this match, there's no problem."
You were injured this winter before the African Cup of Nations. You came back at the end of February and scored a hat-trick in 26 minutes! Do you feel fully back?
"Yes, I do. After the injury, my goal was to play in the African Cup of Nations. I wasn't 100%, but I went to the CAN to play a few games. I continued my preparations during the winter break and I was feeling good. I was 100%. I was on the bench, and the coach realised he needed me, so he brought me in, and it went well. I'm playing one match after another, and I'm in good shape. That's good."
What's it like to score a hat-trick when you haven't played in a while?
"It's always good for a striker. It gives you confidence and energy. It also shows that I'm always there for my teammates and ready to push. I'm in good shape and everything's open for the second half of the season. The aim is to help the club win the league and reach at least the semi-finals of the Conference League."
How do you feel about the competition from the Brazilians? A lot of them have arrived in the striker position.
"I don't see it as competition as such, but more as an opportunity to learn. These youngsters have come over from Brazil, and we need to help them adapt and discover European football. I don't see it as competition but as an opportunity for these little brothers to continue writing my history with this club. The most important thing is to win trophies, as we've almost always done since I've been here, whether with the Brazilians or not."
'You end up dealing with war, not getting used to it'
The return of the Brazilians shows that Shakhtar is becoming Shakhtar again, whereas they all left at the start of the war.
"That's it. The club is becoming attractive again after a slightly more complicated period. Some of them stayed, including me, so I was in contact with the Brazilians who had left. I tried to convince them to come back by saying everything was going well, and they trusted me. They came back, and that encouraged the new youngsters to sign too, seeing their compatriots here."
What did you say to them to convince them about the war?
"We were here together before the war, and they left when the war started. I told them the truth, I tried to explain how things were, but we're in Lviv, close to Poland, so there aren't too many problems. It's mainly the travelling that's complicated. They decided to come back. Others didn't come back, but as soon as some of them did, younger people came back."
How are things on a day-to-day basis? There have been frequent power cuts recently.
"It's complicated. Especially on match days when the sirens go off. You have to stop the match and wait for them to go off before you can start again. As for the electricity, it's harder for the people, but for us in the hotel, it's not so bad."
Do you manage to get used to it?
"You end up getting used to it, not accustomed to it. It's not easy anywhere in the world at the moment, whether it's Ukraine or Africa. We have to adapt to every situation."
Are you still afraid?
"No, I'm not scared. Things are going well. After the first year of the war, I was no longer afraid. Between the news and reality, there's a bit of a difference. Social networks amplify things a lot, and it's scarier than when you're in the thick of it. The fighting is going on in the East, and we're in the West."
Are you able to reassure your loved ones?
"It was hard at first. As soon as they heard any news, even if it was far from Kyiv or Lviv, they would tell me to leave the country. I tried to convince them. Now they know that if things really aren't going well, I'll tell them."
You've been injured quite a lot over the last few seasons. How have you dealt with that mentally?
"It's been tough. It's due to the accumulation of travel, matches and lack of rest, so we have to be very careful. That's what's caused so many injuries. And like any good injured player, you always have to come back, fight, work hard and have faith. I hope my injuries are behind me."
'Ukraine has become my second home'
In 2022, you said you stayed at Shakhtar out of gratitude for your cruciate injury. Why are you still here three years later?
"That was the initial decision. Then I had a contract to honour. We won titles. I had opportunities to leave, but we couldn't reach an agreement, so I stayed to finish my contract. I'm still happy to be here."
You've been here for five years now, and that's a long time. Do you feel attached to the country now?
"It's become my second home. I've experienced everything here. I'm learning every day here. I'm getting used to the culture, and I can eat Ukrainian food. I'm very happy here. When we have days off, I love walking through the streets of Kyiv; it's simply magnificent."
We saw you singing the national anthem in a video on social networks.
"I've been hearing it for five years now. By listening to it at the start of every match, I've come to love it. I started to look for the meaning of the phrases and I became attached to it. It's a way of respecting and honouring the country that welcomed you and made everything available to you."
Do you speak Ukrainian?
"I'm not fluent, but I know a few words, especially football-related ones. The alphabet is totally different, so it's complicated."
When you walk out onto the pitch with the flag on your shoulders, do you feel almost Ukrainian?
"Yes, I feel Ukrainian like my team-mates with whom I've lived through everything here, even before the war. I'm trying to support them as best I can during this difficult period."
You're one of the leaders, one of the oldest now that the group has changed enormously. What's your role in the group?
"I'm one of the three or four veterans. The coach asks us to support the others by setting an example. I have to perform well first of all, and then I also have an obligation to help the younger players or those who are in difficulty."
There are a lot of youngsters from the training centre, do you manage to integrate them?
"Yes, we do our best to give them confidence and help them get out on the pitch. It's my duty to help and integrate everyone. There's a lot of pressure in the first team, and when you come to training, you can feel that pressure preventing you from expressing yourself. I try to relax them, to joke around a bit so that they're not afraid and show what they can do."
And the foreign players ask you for advice on the war?
"Exactly. They ask whether a particular town is dangerous, how many hours we have to travel, how we travel... I try to reassure them and give them the exact programme."
'Every day we celebrate the birthday of a member of staff or a player'
Is there more solidarity in the group than elsewhere, given the context?
"Yes, there's a lot more solidarity; we understand each other better, and we help each other out more because we're together almost all the time. We do a lot of things together away from our families. Outside football, we become real friends. We celebrate everything together: births, birthdays... We celebrate the birthday of a member of staff or a player nearly every day. At any moment you wake up, and it's so-and-so's birthday in the group, because there are so many of us travelling, we fill 2-3 buses."
You're at the end of your contract at the end of the season. How do you see the future?
"That will depend. I'm not thinking about it too much, I'm thinking about performing first. We'll see at the end of May. I'm not discussing an extension yet. I need to discuss it with my family first. It would be easier for me to go back to a country that's not at war: going back to the Netherlands, Belgium or France would be the easiest. But it would be hard to leave this group, which is like a family. I'm trying not to think about it too much, because I can't even imagine the day when it's going to happen..."
One last question: Ukraine's play-off against Sweden in ten days' time. How do you see that going?
"It'll be complicated, especially as they've lost our central defender, Mykola Matviyenko. But I really hope they qualify, it would do the country so much good to be at the World Cup. If they go through, they'll have to play Poland or Albania. I hope they go to the United States, why not go and support them there."