Fonseca dons mask of Zorro

keiv — An overjoyed Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca fulfilled his promise to dress up as fictional character Zorro after leading his side into the Champions League knockout stages with a 2-1 win over Premier League club Manchester City on Wednesday.

Last month, Fonseca vowed that he would don the iconic masked vigilante’s outfit if the Ukranian side progressed to the last 16 and stuck to his word, wearing a black cape, mask and hat during the post-match presser after the win.

“This is the most joyful press conference of my career,” Fonseca told reporters.

“I feel great joy. I think not only Shakhtar’s supporters but all Ukrainians have to be proud of our team. Twelve points in such a group is fantastic.”

In freezing temperatures against a Shakhtar team that only needed a draw to be sure of qualifying, City struggled to cope with rapid counterattacks by the Ukrainian side’s Brazilian forwards. Defeat means City, which had already qualified as Group F winner, failed to become only the seventh club in Champions League history to win every game in the group stage.

It was City’s first competitive loss since being beaten by Arsenal in an FA Cup semifinal in April. City had been unbeaten in 28 games since then, 22 of them this season. Feyenoord beat thirdplace Napoli 2-1 in Wednesday’s other game in Group F.

The draw for the last 16 takes place in Switzerland on Monday, and Shakhtar could face group winners Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Besiktas, Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur in the knockout stages. — Reuters/AP