Shakhtar Donetsk director Darijo Srna has no intention of allowing coach Marino Pusic to leave the Ukrainian top club. The Shakhtar coach, who previously served as an assistant coach at Feyenoord, has been mentioned as a candidate to succeed Brian Priske at Feyenoord.
Marino Pusic’s tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk has become a topic of debate in both Ukraine and the Netherlands, as the 53-year-old coach finds himself at a crossroads in his managerial career.
Having left Feyenoord in October 2023, where he played a crucial role as Arne Slot’s assistant, Pusic took on the challenge of leading the Ukrainian giants as head coach. His appointment was seen as a promising step for both him and Shakhtar, a club accustomed to success and known for developing top talents. However, recent performances have raised questions about his future, and his name has now surfaced as a potential candidate to replace Brian Priske at Feyenoord. For now, Pascal Bosschaart is serving as Feyenoord’s interim coach, but speculation continues to grow about who will take the permanent role in Rotterdam.
Despite the rumors linking him with a return to the Netherlands, Pusic remains under contract with Shakhtar Donetsk until mid-2026. His start in Ukraine was met with optimism, but as the season has progressed, Shakhtar has struggled to keep pace with their biggest domestic rivals. Currently sitting third in the league, they find themselves trailing leaders Dynamo Kyiv by ten points a situation that has fueled speculation about Pusic’s job security. Ukrainian media outlets had already begun reporting on a possible exit for the Bosnian-Croat, particularly as Shakhtar, a club with a winning tradition, cannot afford to fall behind in the title race.
However, Shakhtar’s sporting director Darijo Srna has moved quickly to shut down these rumors, making it clear that Pusic has the full backing of the club’s leadership. Srna, a former Shakhtar legend turned executive, addressed the situation head-on, dismissing the speculation and reaffirming the club’s confidence in their head coach. He acknowledged the pressure that comes with being in charge of a top club but insisted that Pusic is not responsible for all of the team’s setbacks.
“It is normal and understandable in football that when we lose fifteen points in six months, the fans and the media start talking about replacing the coach,” Srna said in an interview published on Shakhtar’s official website. “And unfortunately, a coach often has to pay the price for the results. But regardless of what is being written, Marino is still here and has my support as well as the full backing of the club’s management.”
Srna’s words serve as both a public show of support for Pusic and a call for collective responsibility within the club. While results have not gone according to plan, Srna made it clear that the blame cannot be placed solely on the coach. “We cannot blame all the lost points on the coach that would be unfair. We must now take responsibility together,” he added. “Marino has always had our full confidence. What journalists write about us looking for a new head coach is nothing but rumors. In many matches, Marino Pusic and his coaching staff have shown that he has the qualities to be a Shakhtar coach.”
Shakhtar Donetsk, a club that has dominated Ukrainian football for much of the past two decades, is in a period of transition. The ongoing war in Ukraine has forced the team to adapt to an unprecedented situation, playing their home matches away from Donetsk and dealing with logistical challenges that few other clubs face. These circumstances have inevitably affected the team’s performances, making it difficult to establish the same level of consistency they enjoyed in previous years. For Pusic, these conditions add another layer of complexity to his job.
Despite these challenges, there are signs that Shakhtar still believes in his vision. His ability to work with young players, a key element of the club’s philosophy, has been evident throughout his coaching career. At Feyenoord, he played a vital role in helping develop a dynamic and tactically disciplined team under Arne Slot. That experience made him an attractive choice for Shakhtar, and while results have not been ideal so far, the club seems willing to give him more time to implement his ideas.
The rumors linking Pusic with Feyenoord are not surprising given his previous ties to the club. His work in Rotterdam did not go unnoticed, and with the Dutch giants now searching for a new head coach, his name naturally emerged as a potential option. However, his commitment to Shakhtar remains firm for now, and unless there is a significant change in circumstances, he appears set to continue leading the Ukrainian side.
Shakhtar’s upcoming fixtures will be crucial in determining Pusic’s fate. If the team can close the gap at the top of the table and show improvement in their performances, the speculation surrounding his job may fade. However, if their struggles persist, the pressure will only intensify, and Srna’s public backing may not be enough to guarantee his position in the long term.
For now, Pusic remains focused on the task at hand reviving Shakhtar’s title hopes and proving that he is the right man to lead them forward. Whether he ultimately stays in Ukraine for the duration of his contract or eventually returns to Feyenoord, his coaching career appears to be at a pivotal moment. The coming weeks and months will be decisive in shaping his future.
