Bartulović: «Friendly against Schalke showed us where we need to go»

FC Kharkiv head coach Mladen Bartulović gave his assessment after his side's 0-2 defeat to German side Schalke in their final preseason friendly in Austria. The manager stressed the value of testing the squad against a quality opponent ahead of the new campaign. «It was a very high-quality friendly with a great atmosphere. For us, just before the start of the championship, this was an extremely useful test. It was important to feel what it's like to play in front of a crowd. We had some good moments, but a quality opponent punishes your mistakes — we made one and conceded. After that, it became a bit tougher for the boys. Schalke brought on fresh players while we basically used the same lineup for the full 90 minutes. Still, this friendly was very beneficial — it showed us exactly where we need to improve and what to aim for,» Bartulović said. The coach added that they deliberately chose strong opponents during the training camp because the team is very young and needs such experience. He praised the physical preparation and noted there is still time to work on tactical details before the first league match against Veres. «Our new signings are fitting into the system better with each game. They are quality players and will prove that in the championship. The club is still working on possible reinforcements — we are all interested in strengthening the squad,» he stated. The squad will now have a few days off before starting preparations for the Veres clash on August 1, the opening round of the 2026/27 Ukrainian Premier League. During the Austrian camp, Kharkiv also faced Qarabag (6-2), Young Boys (0-2), RB Salzburg (0-4), Wolfsberger (3-3), Jablonec (0-1), Hradec Králové (3-3), and Fagiano Okayama (1-2).