"We will have the good fortune to meet one of the biggest football machines in Europe and in the world. This is a team that has given many players all over the world. We are delighted to have the opportunity to play with them", commented the coach of Ludogorets Ivaylo Petev before the first match of the Europa League playoffs against Ajax.
"Our guys are ready, I trust them 100%. We have a good climate and everyone who takes part will give their best. The most important thing is to play as a team. Yes, sometimes we make mistakes, but we know our problems and work on them so they don't happen again. A great spectacle awaits us and I hope we will show good football and a good game," continued Petev.
He stated that there are no injured players in the squad and he is happy to be able to use Claude Gonsalves, who was made aware of this yesterday based on changes to UEFA rules. "We have shown what we can do in fron ot our fans. The thing we have to work on is in away games. We make mistakes, we know them, we work on them. The important thing is to show a good face, good energy and passion for the game," said Petev.
"The Ajax team has had, has and will have a lot of individual image. We know it won't be easy. I watched a lot of their matches. A good team with class in every player. It won't be easy for us, but we will do everything possible to make it difficult for them and push our ideas into the game," he added.
Petev revealed that he had talks with Sergio Padt and Aslak Von Witry, who played against Ajax in the Dutch league. "Any info will be helpful. The important thing for us is to follow what we have as a plan and to control our emotions," said the specialist.
"There is no price in life. Yes, the game against Ajax is a bit different. The match and the opponent are different. It's not the class of teams we've played before. Tomorrow we will see how far we have come with our development as a team. The most important thing is to believe in ourselves," Petev added.
"The biggest team I've faced is France, as a coach. Immediately after that is Ajax," concluded the specialist.
Ludogorets midfileder Bernard Tekpetey also took part in the pre-conference ahead of the crucial Europa League play-off match against Ajax. The "green" player showed respect for the opponent and determined that the most important thing is for the team to be calm.
"I am proud to play against a team like Ajax. I hope we have a day and this will be our moment because we want to play in the Europa League. We must remain calm and not have too much emotion. Let's think about the game and stick to the plan and what the coach says," commented Tekpetey.
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