Shakhtar’s new head coach Arda Turan quickly realized that it’s hot in Donetsk not only on the pitch. His brief post-match chat with club journalist Daria Savina (now — Daria Bondar) instantly spread across social media and became the subject of endless jokes. The reason was that the coach seemingly made a point of avoiding eye contact, deliberately glancing either to the side or down at his feet. The conversation itself was courteous and businesslike, but the clip went viral.
The Interview That Averted the Eyes
The scene played out after Shakhtar’s win over Beşiktaş in UEFA Europa League qualifying in Istanbul: Savina asked a few standard questions about the match, and Turan replied without lifting his eyes to the interviewer. This fragment was quickly picked up by media around the world — from Indian and New Zealand outlets to British tabloids. User comments ranged from irony to applause for the “self-control of a family man.”
Who Is Daria Savina (Bondar)
For Ukrainian football, Daria is far more than just a “touchline reporter.” She heads Shakhtar’s media group, previously worked for the channels Football 1/2/3 and Espreso, and also collaborates with brands as a media ambassador. Her public profiles put it very clearly: TV Presenter/Journalist, Head of Media Group @fcshakhtar. In addition, she is the wife of the Donetsk club’s center-back Valeriy Bondar: the couple married several years ago, as Ukrainian media have reported more than once.
A Personal Touch: Why the Camera — and the Audience — Love Daria
If you strip away the noise around “that very” interview, Savina has something that’s hard to fake — professional ease and a feel for the rhythm of the frame. She asks short, tight questions, holds comfortable pauses, and doesn’t “repaint” the guest’s emotions — as a result, the viewer hears the essence, not the presenter. In her on-camera image, Daria readily plays on the boundary between sport and lifestyle, but in her work she always takes the side of substance: insight first, then aesthetics. That’s why her segments are rewatched with pleasure — not because of a dress or a location, but for clear answers and a live rapport with players and the coaching staff.
The Viral Effect and What It Says About Football
The Turan episode became a rare example of how a ten-second clip can pull broad attention away from analysis of the game. Some saw a comic scene and a pretext for memes; others read it through the lens of professional ethics and comfort boundaries in public communication. Either way, the clip cemented in the news agenda not only the coach’s name but the journalist’s as well, boosting her media profile.
Why This Matters to Shakhtar
The club has long invested in its own media and knows how to turn everyday formats — flash interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, short clips — into stories people want to discuss. Savina is one of the key figures here: under her, the club’s communications look European in their structure, with a clear tone and a sense of proportion. Even when hype builds around a piece, Shakhtar receives the main dividend — attention to the brand and its people.
A Final Note
Paradoxically, in the clip where the coach “isn’t looking,” there are two protagonists — Turan, with his emphasized caution, and Savina, for whom everything in the frame is in its place. In the end, each stayed true to their role: he — a measured head coach; she — a journalist confidently upholding the standards of the profession. And that is, perhaps, the most accurate summary of a story that grew out of an ordinary flash interview.
