Speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, Riga FC head coach Adrian Guľa insisted his side must remain humble despite earning a good result in the Faroe Islands, while Brazilian forward Reginaldo Ramires could make his 100th appearance for the club when Riga host KI KlaksvIk on Thursday evening with a place in the UEFA Conference League league phase on the line – and the Brazilian couldn’t resist throwing a little banter to their main Virslīga opponents RFS’ way along the way.
Reginaldo is set to reach a significant milestone if he features at Skonto Stadium, becoming only the fourth foreign player [Baba Musah, El Bachir Ngom and Felipe Brisola – author adds] to make 100 appearances for Riga FC. The Brazilian admitted it would be a special occasion, although he emphasized the focus remains on helping the club.
“It’s a very good emotion for me. Individually, it’s like a dream to reach 100 games with this big club. I really enjoy this moment because I think no one from Brazil has played 100 games here in this shirt. It’s always good to make history, and tomorrow is another day to make history – not individually, but for the club.”
In fact the striker will become the second Brazilian to achieve this as Felipe Brisola played over 100 games in Riga shirt from 2018 till 2021 season. Asked whether Thursday’s match would be the biggest of his career, Reginaldo compared it to last season’s Conference League play-off qualifying tie against Sparta Prague.
“The game against Sparta here last year was also very important for me. Now we have this opportunity tomorrow. The next game is always the most important one, but tomorrow is another chance for me to reach a new level in my career.”
One of the main topics throughout the press conference was KI Klaksvik’s threat from set pieces. Reginaldo explained that successfully defending those situations is more about mentality and determination than physical stature.
“No, it’s always about being fully focused because set pieces are not about whether you’re tall or not. It’s about focus and determination. You have to feel like a killer inside the box, both in the opponent’s box and in our own.”
Having experienced Klaksvik’s artificial surface in the first leg, he expects a different contest on natural grass in Riga.
“Yes, it was a difficult game on the artificial pitch. It’s not like here at Skonto on natural grass. I think it’s another type of football, another way of playing. At the beginning of the season, you’re more prepared to play on artificial pitches because we also use them here. But then you adapt to playing on natural grass, on a bigger and better pitch like we have here. It’s different, and I think the game here will be different.”
The Brazilian also produced a light-hearted moment in the press conference when asked whether Klaksvik reminded him of any Latvian side. Saying with a smile that “they’re a bit like RFS – they just wait for the free-kicks.”
Guľa echoed the importance of the occasion but repeatedly warned against complacency, insisting the tie remains completely open despite the first-leg result.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s game. It’s fantastic because I think we’ve earned the opportunity to play these kinds of matches, especially a game like this. During our European campaign, we’ve shown that we’re ready to face every opponent that comes here to Skonto, and we’ve also improved in away games, which was a bit of a problem for us last year.
“Right now, we’re in a situation where everything is open, and that’s fantastic. We’re playing at home, we’re fully focused and physically ready, but we’re also staying very humble. That’s our way. We’re ready to play, we’re ready to fight and we’re ready to give our maximum, but we remain humble because this is a play-off and tomorrow we’ll face a very good team.”
The Slovak coach revealed that his staff had carried out an extensive analysis of Klaksvík, studying not only the first leg but also their European matches against Lech Poznan, Bissen and Žalgiris. While the Faroese champions generally adopt a more defensive structure away from home, Guľa noted that they are still capable of pressing aggressively.
“In away games, they use more of a 5-4-1 structure without the ball, but with the ball they still try to attack with the three players in front. They also use long throw-ins and are good from set pieces, so for this reason we need to keep our shape throughout the whole game.”
“They also try to press and can press higher. They did it against Žalgiris and also against the Luxembourg team. We know their general structure, but of course, it’s a little bit different away from home.”
Another key topic was defending set pieces after Riga conceded twice from dead-ball situations in Sunday’s dramatic 3-3 derby draw against RFS. Guľa admitted those moments had become a major focus in preparation for Thursday.
“Of course, we need to react. We need to explain it to the guys. Especially that free-kick – it was very smart and very good, so respect to Žiga Lipušček. These situations don’t happen to us very often during games, so it was a painful experience, but I hope it will be a useful experience for tomorrow’s match. This can also happen against Klaksvík, so we need to be 100% better.”
He emphasized that successfully defending the initial delivery alone would not be enough.
“We need to play from the start until the end of the action and keep our structure. That’s important – not only when the ball comes in and you have time to prepare, but also when fighting for the second ball.”
Guľa also confirmed that summer signing Samuel Pedro is available after making an impressive Virslīga debut against RFS, explaining why the Portuguese winger was immediately included in the UEFA squad.
“Samuel is available. He played one or two minutes away and then played very well against RFS. He showed why he’s here, and he also showed why I put him on the UEFA list after just one training session. I felt straight away that he’s a player who can help us.”
Guľa was also caught by surprise when informed about the new chairs installed on the benches at Skonto Stadium. Asked whether the change made him superstitious ahead of such an important match, the Slovak laughed off any concerns and instead welcomed the upgrade, using it to highlight the club’s gradual development and the importance of continuing to improve its overall environment.
“You are faster than me because I had video analysis and didn’t know about this! But of course, it’s nice. This is what we’ve spoken about in recent weeks – step by step, improving the club and improving everything that is important for football. Of course, the players and winning are important, but so are the facilities and the environment. It’s important to build everything step by step.
“For this reason, I hope reaching the league phase would also be very important for the club, because we can learn more and more about what we can improve here in Latvia. Not everything you can improve costs money. Sometimes you just need experience, and if you’re smart, you can bring those things back to Latvia.”
Guľa then turned his attention to the supporters, telling the role they could play in Thursday’s decisive encounter.
“I’m so, so happy with the fans and the culture they’ve created. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is tomorrow. They come to watch their team, Riga FC, and their players. This is fantastic and gives my players extra motivation to produce their best performance on the pitch.
“I believe tomorrow we will give our best – an intense performance with maximum commitment, top attitude and top team spirit. But we need the fans. Maybe they don’t know how much, but we need them. We need every kid, every girl, every man, every person who comes to the stadium. We need their energy because together we can do it. Together, we can achieve our goals.”
Finally, Guľa dismissed suggestions that being one match away from the league phase should be viewed as pressure, instead describing it as an opportunity his players should embrace.
“It cannot be a barrier. It’s a challenge and, of course, it’s a responsibility. I spoke with the guys today about who we are, why we’re here and why we have the opportunity to play this game. Most teams won’t get to play a game like this, but we will. My players, our guys and our club will face this challenge.
“There’s always responsibility for me and for the players, but it cannot block us. We need to release our energy and give our best performance. That’s what we can control – giving our maximum as players, staff and everyone around the team. Then everything can happen, including our club progressing.
“It’s a big challenge, and that’s why, as I’ve said several times, we’re still humble. We’re confident, but we’re humble. We know what we need to do in every single game, especially here at home – the intensity we need, how we need to press and how we need to play with and without the ball. Our target is to produce a top performance, and hopefully that top performance can bring us our dream.”
The match at Skonto Stadium will kick off at 20:00 local time on Thursday. The first leg in Klaksvik ended in a goalless draw, leaving the tie perfectly balanced. Should Riga FC secure victory tomorrow, they would qualify for the main stage of a European competition for the first time in the club’s history.
