The coach of Vojvodina FC, Božidar Bandović and the team captain, Njegoš Petrović expressed their expectations before the first match of the second qualification round for Europa League, against the team of Ajax FC.

The players of the Old Lady are traveling to Amsterdam on Wednesday, where on Thursday they will play at the Johan Cruyff Arena against the great Ajax, the four-time champion of Europe, and Bandović and Petrović agree that Vojvodina has to play a perfect match.

  • I would like to go back seven months before, with intensity, hard work and faith in these players we have come to the moment to play Europe, and against such a great team as Ajax FC. We are talking about a quality team, both teamwise, and individually. For many it is a miracle or mission impossible, but they are playing 11 against 11 on the pitch, and we have to play a perfect game. We need to be focused from the first until the last second of the match. Our rhythm will not be the same, speed and intensity have to be on a high level. We have enhanced our team in all segments of the game, the atmosphere is great, and that gives us the right to hope and believe, and I do believe in miracles. This will be a difficult game, because Ajax is tactically and physically ready, and they know what they are doing on the pitch. This is just one additional experience and a challenge to see where we need to improve our team. I believe that after this transfer period, we are even better – Bandović said.

 

He announced certain changes, primarily because in UEFA competitions there are no rules about bonus players.

  • The idea was to have 2 players at each position. Certainly, there will be changes, because we are playing every three – four days. Players who have been with us since January are ready to play in a high rhythm on every three to four days. This game is the most important one, but as a coach I have to think about the next one as well – Bandović highlighted.

 

The team captain, Petrović, believes that the victory against Tekstilac was a good thing on a psychological level.

  • Tekstilac was the first match, and I can say that as a team we played excellently, and it is very important to begin the season with a victory. It means a lot for our confidence level, because certainly it would be different if we had lost that match.

Bandović agreed with him.

  • I am very pleased that we won, because if we are not winning, we cannot be in the first three teams. I am also pleased with the way we won, because we repeated the same style, the new players are adapting fast, which is also positive. We would have played even better and faster if we had played on a different pitch. Ajax will not have a problem with not playing a single competitive match. For us, the victory at the start of the season is certainly very significant – Bandović said.

 

Even though Ajax will play their first official game this season precisely on Thursday, Bandović believes that for them it is not a big issue.

  • When you analyze Ajax, you don’t see the difference between their team when they play competitive matches, and when they don’t. They play fast, look for empty space, run between the lines, switch sides and according to those mechanisms, you wouldn’t think that they hadn’t played a single competitive match this season. We have to be ready, because who shows that they are ready for this match, is ready for the future – Bandović said.

He pinpoints that his team will be ready for low block and counter-attacks, but also to play high if presented with a chance.

  • A lot depends on the flow of the match. We want possession, but it may not be in the same percentage. We have to attempt to keep the ball and create chances. We cannot change our style of playing in just one day. On the other hand, we are playing against a strong rival, who won’t allow certain things. I want us to be brave and show what we can do. In some situations, we will be in low block, but then we will have to be threatening in the counter-attacks. We are ready to defend low when we have to, but also to play pressing when the opportunity shows itself – Bandović said.

 

Njegoš Petrović answered the questions about the importance of Dejan Zukić, who left Voša this summer.

  • Maybe it is too early for that question, because Zukić left recently. We are talking about an exquisite player and person, with whom we all had great relations. Marko Veličković and Marko Poletanović arrived, who understand what the coach demands from us, and they recognize that well on the pitch. I can say that with Poletanović I have already formed a relationship. Still, Zuka is the person who will always be missing in Vojvodina FC, and each fan is certainly waiting for him to return one day, and bring some new experience – Petrović concluded.

 

The coach Bandović thanked Zukić for everything he did for Vojvodina FC.

  • A remarkable player, with an extraordinary character, whether he was on the pitch or on the bench, congratulations on everything you have done. The club was fair and had to be fair given everything he did for the club. We miss him as a player and a person, but we have to continue without him, we have to be, and we can be better – Bandović concluded.

 

The match between Ajax FC is scheduled for Thursday at 8:30pm.