A football icon didn’t know where to look as he avoided making eye-contact with a stunning reporter, who took one of his players as her lover, during an awkward interview
One of the most awkward football post-match interviews of all-time took place between a headhotted manager and a stunning reporter who dated one of his stars.
Shakhtar Donetsk boss Arda Turan, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Friday (January 30), didn’t know where to look when he was speaking to Daria Bondar Savina. The Ukrainian club’s reporter was conducting an interview following their first leg 4-2 away win against Besiktas in the Europa League, a tie that they went on to win and ultimately cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job at the Turkish giants.
The former Barcelona and Turkey midfielder was asked questions by the 24-year-old, but he struggled to look at her and fidgeted throughout the two-minute interview as he put his hands in his pockets.
Daria, wearing a short black dress and flaunting her long legs, received answers in great detail, we imagine, from Turan as he gave extended replies to her questions.
It’s been interpreted that Turan’s avoidance of eye contact is a sign of his loyalty to his wife Ashlihan Dogan Turan, who he married in 2018 and has two children with.
Turan has also been seen mimicking putting his arm around female fans when taking photos – holding his arm outstretched behind them so as not to touch them.
While Daria is actually married to one of Shakthar’s players, Valeriy Bondar, 26. The defender came through the club’s academy and has six caps for Ukraine.
Daria previously told Fostylen that her relationship with Bondar doesn’t affect how she reports, especially when conducting interviews with him.
She said: “Absolutely not difficult, I feel no discomfort at all. Maybe because I can abstract and at work, I don’t perceive Valeriy as my husband, as strange as it may sound.
“Do we know everything about each other? More yes than no.
“But sometimes it seems to me that our joint work tandem allows us to get to know each other even better.
“We are more than just husband and wife. It’s an indescribable feeling to be each other’s best friends, colleagues, and lovers.”