Lithuanian champions Kauno Žalgiris will look to book their place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League when they face Kosovo’s Drita away from home on Tuesday evening. After drawing 1-1 in the first leg in Kaunas, everything remains to play for in the return fixture. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, head coach Željko Sopić admitted the tie remains evenly balanced but believes his side are fully prepared for the challenge.
“Like I said before, at this stage of the competition it is always 50-50,” Sopić said.
“Both teams have an equal chance to go through. For us, the most important thing is to stay focused. The 1-1 result from the first match is neither good nor bad because the away goals rule no longer exists.
“We have 90 minutes and the better team will qualify. I hope our players are ready. Winning our last league game 3-0 has given us extra confidence and I’m 100 per cent sure we’re ready for tomorrow.”
The Croatian, who has only been in charge for two weeks, admitted there is still plenty of work to do as the players continue adapting to his ideas. “You have to understand that I’ve only been here for two weeks and we’re playing every three or four days. Normally that’s not enough time to properly work on everything.
“There were a lot of good things in the first leg, but also things that weren’t so good. That’s normal when a new coach arrives. The players have to adapt to new rules and a new system.
“Generally, I’m very positive about how they’ve reacted. Day by day we’ll improve and I’m convinced we can continue making progress.”
Sopic also expects Drita to take a more aggressive approach in front of their own supporters. “I’m from the Balkans, so I know this mentality,” he said with a smile.
“I expect them to come out bravely from the first minute. Maybe they’ll press us more than they did in Kaunas, but we’re prepared for that.”
Asked what he has learned about his new squad during his opening weeks in charge, Sopic emphasized that the relentless fixture schedule has limited his ability to implement his philosophy.
“When I signed for Kauno Žalgiris, I knew we would have some small problems because we simply don’t have time to train properly. After the first game we played Džiugas five days later and now we have matches every three or four days. Most of the work is recovery, preparation and video analysis rather than training on the pitch.
“Still, I’m very pleased with how the players have responded to the new ideas and principles, both with and without the ball. Everything is a process.
“You could bring José Mourinho or any other top coach here and after only one or two weeks it still wouldn’t be easy to clearly see the coach’s identity.”
The 50-year-old also admitted he has not yet finalised his starting eleven for the decisive second leg. “When I was a younger coach, I would tell you I already knew the starting eleven today,” Sopic joked.
“But with experience I’ve learned that players first need to wake up in the morning before you make final decisions. “I already have a clear idea in my head about how we want to play and who will start, but let’s complete today’s final training session, get through the night and then everything will become clear. I hope the eleven that we, as a coaching staff, choose will be fully ready for tomorrow evening.”
Kauno Žalgiris have been one of Lithuania’s busiest clubs during the summer transfer window, adding six new players to their squad.
However, Sopic pointed out that only the two Croatian arrivals joined after his appointment.
“The two Croatian players arrived after I became head coach. Everyone else was signed before I came, so I can’t really comment on those decisions because I wasn’t at the club. When you’re playing every three days, the most important thing is having competition throughout the squad. Every player has to believe they have a chance to play. When we reach that point, we’ll become 20 or 30 per cent better simply because of the increased confidence.”
He also highlighted the difficulties Lithuanian clubs face in the transfer market during the summer.
“Many of the players we’ve signed, or will sign in the future, are not yet in their best physical condition because it’s the beginning of their season. It’s not easy for Lithuanian clubs to sign players. During the winter most players are still under contract until the summer, while in July many free agents have only been training individually or in the gym.
“When they arrive here, asking them to immediately play every three days is not easy. But it is what it is and I’m happy with the players we have.”
Although he has thoroughly analysed Drita, Sopic believes matches at this level are ultimately decided by the players on the pitch rather than tactical reports.
“Today you have every possible tool and application available. You can analyse every team in the world through Wyscout. I know everything about Drita, but in the end it’s the players on the pitch who make the difference and make the decisions. I’m convinced it will be another 50-50 match. Whoever reacts better in the key moments will win.”
Finally, Sopić addressed Kauno Žalgiris’ tendency earlier this season to lose concentration during matches after conceding goals.
The Croatian made it clear that complacency will not be tolerated under his management. “I’ve never had that problem in my career,” he said.
“If you’re not good enough, you’ll come off after 15 minutes. If you don’t give everything for this club, you’ll come off after 15 minutes. We have enough players on the bench who are waiting for their opportunity and are highly motivated.
“I will never have problems with motivation or commitment in my team. Never in my career, and I won’t have them here either. I wasn’t here before, so I can’t comment on what happened in the past. But I know where this club has to go, and I know where this club will go.”
