Latvian defending Champions FC RFS secured their place in the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers last night, defeating FCI Levadia 1-0 in the return leg and sealing a 2-0 aggregate victory. One of the key figures on the pitch was RFS wing-back Roberts Savaļnieks, who admitted in an interview with Sporta Studija after the match that the encounter demanded immense effort and was far from easy.
“Of course, we weren’t expecting an easy match. This is the highest-level competition, and all the teams here are national champions. It was very tough, but once again, we managed to keep a clean sheet, which is hugely important for the team,” said Savaļnieks.
He played a crucial role in setting up the only goal of the game, which ultimately decided the tie. “It was a really good pass. Their defender couldn’t quite reach the ball, and then everything depended on me. I managed to deliver a precise cross, and Stefan finished it perfectly,” Savaļnieks recalled.
After the match, the team’s newly arrived goalkeeper – Marko Maric – who joined just over a week ago also earned plenty of praise. “We saw him in the first couple of training sessions and immediately realized he’s a top-level keeper. Today, he made a few fantastic saves, especially at the end when I thought it was a certain goal. Huge thanks to him—that’s also why we fought so hard to keep a clean sheet,” Savaļnieks highlighted.
Asked what ultimately decided the two-legged tie, Savaļnieks pointed to the team’s collective effort.
“We won it through teamwork. Not everything went smoothly; there were some mistakes and maybe a bit of nervousness because the first round is always so important. But overall, we played very well defensively, everyone worked together, and that’s why we advanced.”
Savaļnieks did finish the match visibly struggling with an injury, but he reassured fans afterward: “I thought we still had some substitutions left, but there were no more stoppages to make the change. It was tough to play until the end, but there was no other option—you can’t leave your team with one man less. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious—just a slight strain.”
