According to Corriere dello Sport, Shakhtar Donetsk defender Marlon Santos spoke about returning to the Champions League, his time in Serie A, and the team's situation amid the war in Ukraine. Marlon stated that the Champions League means everything to him, and he hopes to deliver exciting performances with the team for the fans.

Marlon Santos previously played for Sassuolo and Monza. He said: "I have incredible memories of my time at Sassuolo because I was introduced to a truly wonderful style of football there. I got along very well with the club; it was very disciplined, and working with De Zerbi was also great. I will always cherish these memories. I also have fond memories of Monza."

Speaking of De Zerbi, Marlon said: "It was incredible; he and his coaching staff taught me so much." Marlon's two children were born in Modena, so he has deep affection for Italy. He said: "Playing in Italy has always been a dream for me."

When asked about being teammates with Messi, Neymar, and Suárez, and being coached by Luis Enrique, Marlon said: "It was an honor to play with them. They were always kind to me, especially Neymar. It was truly incredible to experience that at Barcelona with such an exceptional team. Luis Enrique is now the best coach in the world, but even back then, his philosophy and communication style were clearly evident. Being coached by him benefited me greatly."

Marlon said: "The most important thing I learned is humility. The greater you are, the more humble you must be."

Speaking about the Champions League, Marlon said: "It means everything to me. I dreamed of it as a child, so I am very happy to be playing in the Champions League again in a Shakhtar jersey. We want to bring dreams and joy to the fans and will do our best." Shakhtar will face PSV Eindhoven on Thursday, 10th.

Regarding the changes since returning to Shakhtar, Marlon said: "Everything has changed because of the war. However, everyone has done very well, maintaining the existing structure, quality of work, and the ability to handle matters properly despite immense difficulties. We foreign players are saddened by what the Ukrainian people are going through and hope everything will end soon." Regarding the team's safety, he said: "Yes, the club makes us feel protected."

When asked about their Champions League ambitions, Marlon said: "We don't know how far we can go, but we know where we started. We have humility and ambition. To fully display our characteristics, we also need patience and a strong mentality."

Due to the war, Shakhtar will play their home games at Stamford Bridge in London. Marlon said: "It's not easy; it's a long journey for us, but we will try to look at the bright side and enjoy this opportunity provided by the club. We also need to take care of our bodies and cope with all this traveling."

Regarding rumors of potentially joining Napoli or Roma two years ago, Marlon jokingly said he had a "very bad memory." He then added: "If there was anything, it was just interest conveyed through some agents. Those are two very big clubs, but nothing substantial happened."

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