Her new life in England, the Red Flames and the Euro, Sari Kees opens up: “I thought I was going to be alone but I live with lots of girlfriends”

Was it a dream to play in England?

“I always wanted to play in England. Because I think it’s a very fun and ambitious championship. So, it’s very nice to be here and I hope to go even higher in England.”

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Is the level as good as you expected?

“Yes, the level is very high. The matches against Chelsea and Manchester City are still coming but we have already played against Manchester United, or even against lower ranked teams, and we feel that all the teams are very close in terms of level In the Belgian championship, there was a big gap, even if it has narrowed in recent years, but this homogeneity of level in England makes each match very interesting.

What is life like for you in England?

“I thought I was going to have a more solitary adventure but I have a lot of friends on the team. We do a lot of things together, like going for coffee or cooking. It’s very nice.”

How do you judge your progress since your arrival in England?

“In terms of the team, we haven’t won much yet, there are a few injuries, we still have to work to grow as a team. On an individual level, the intensity of the English championship allows me to progress further faster.”

On Friday, you play the first leg of the play-off against Ukraine, what kind of match do you expect?

“I think Ukraine will play very defensively and very aggressively. We will have to be wary of counterattacks. But the most important thing will be to play well, to make them doubt and to score when possible. developing our football that we will rise above.”

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The challenge is qualification for the Euro. Does this put more pressure on you?

“This big challenge will make the meeting even more intense. There is a participation in a European championship at the end, it is up to us to live up to these two finals. There will logically be a little more pressure because we We must win this jump-off. But this pressure must not make us thwart.”

It will be a sort of all or nothing at the end of these two meetings.

“At the end of these two finals, we will not be able to go back or hope for a revenge. We will have to give everything so as not to have regrets.”

Is playing the return to Leuven an advantage?

“It’s great to play in Leuven. We felt it against Greece, the atmosphere there pushes us to transcend ourselves. It will once again be a great advantage to play Ukraine at home.”

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Is this the most important match since you joined the Red Flames?

“With the Red Flames A team, it is indeed one of the most important matches because there is a big prize at the end. Our matches at the Euro last year were also big moments, especially the one against Italy I am happy to be part of the selection for this decisive meeting.

If you qualify, you would play your second personal Euro. What does this mean to you?

“It would definitely mean a lot. Because the Euro was the first time where I completely considered myself as Red Flames. I got a lot of confidence from it to continue building myself. The atmosphere of a Euro, the development of women’s football, it was very beautiful to experience. I have excellent memories of it and I want to relive this experience.