As Latvian champions FC RFS prepare to host Dutch giants Ajax from Amsterdam in a Europa League phase match, manager Viktors Morozs and Jānis Ikaunieks shared their thoughts at a press conference ahead of the game.
In his opening statement, Morozs congratulated all football fans for the unique opportunity to play against such a legendary club. “This is not an ordinary game, and we are eagerly looking forward to it. We will do everything we can to prepare. I believe we have prepared well, and we will see what happens tomorrow. We are excited to showcase our abilities in this match,” he said.
When asked about how he prepared the team for this unprecedented situation, as no other Latvian club has experienced such a moment [playing an official game in January in Latvia], Morozs noted, “A lot had to be changed. There really was no prior experience to draw from. This presents a new, interesting challenge that we want to see more of in the coming years. We consulted with coaches in Latvia who have faced similar situations and made some adjustments.”
While he had to change many things, working with the players and getting them ready was not overly difficult because they had not endured a long vacation as usual, meaning they did not return with a lack of fitness. The coaching staff did not have to start from scratch, although he admitted the limited availability of strong test matches made preparation tougher. Also, Morozs admitted that Amsterdam Ajax is the strongest team that RFS will host at the Daugava Stadium in this Europa League campaign, saying that ‘‘Ajax is better than Galatasaray and better than Anderlecht.”.
When asked of Jānis Ikaunieks about the transition back to playing after only a short break during the time when players would, traditionally, be on their vacation, Jānis said it surprisingly went well for him. “I experienced no fatigue, which is often present after a longer offseason break. And I think my teammates and I are well-prepared for the match against Ajax.”
Reporters in athe dance also inquired about the situations concerning Daniels Balodis and Luka Silagadze, both of whom are registered in the Europa League squad but were announced to have left the team. Morozs explained, “After the game against APOEL, we realized we would need to play matches in January, and some players have contracts expiring in December. We re-signed certain players, but Balodis made the personal choice to leave. Silagadze, on the other hand, is back with the team until the end of January and will be available for both Europa League games.”
There were some laughs among RFS staff when a Dutch journalist asked Morozs if all RFS players are professionals and if football is their only job. While some clubs in the Latvian top tier are, indeed, semi-professional, RFS have a fully professional squad.
Morozs also reminisced about Ajax’s history, recalling how, at 15 years old, he watched the Ajax team under Louis van Gaal. He mentioned that he could remember 16 players from the legendary 1994/95 Ajax squad that won the UEFA Champions League.
Finally, Ikaunieks was asked whose merit it was that tomorrow’s game is sold out—RFS or Ajax. He professionally replied, “It’s a combination of both. We earned the opportunity to bring Ajax here.”
RFS currently have two points in the UEFA Europa League, thanks to draws at home against Galatasaray and Anderlecht. As they host Ajax tomorrow, it is expected to be a sell-out with most tickets for tomorrow’s game, reportedly, already gone.