NOS Football•today, 00:03
Faroli feels no shame after reduction in Latvia: ‘Respectless towards the opponent’
Ajax trainer Francesco Farioli looks back on a sad evening in the Latvian Riga. His team was defeated by the void RFS, the Latvian small show from the Europa League.
He did not put himself ashamed after the 1-0 defeat in Riga, he said when asked. “No, we should not forget to respect opponents. They have a minimal budget, but played the match of their lives. I am sad, not ashamed.”
Ajax was muddling eighty minutes on the Baltic tuber field of Rigas FS, which booked his first victory ever in a European main tournament.
And then got the lid on the nose, shot dry in the left corner.
Powerless
The hunt for the 1-1 also looked especially powerless. Ajax also chose the bad field to try to come forward with position play. Farioli does not think that an more opportunistic game plan had helped.
“Playing completely differently, more on the ‘second ball’, is difficult, because that also requires preparation,” said Fararian. “And they have five players above 1.90 meters, so playing the long ball was not a logical idea.”
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-All in all, Faroli did not think he had made the wrong choices tactically. “We have only played in their half, had opportunities, a goal has been rejected on a few centimeters. But competitions will be decided at times.”
Faroli mainly felt with the more than 2,000 Ajax supporters who had traveled. “We were unable to give them what they deserved.”
No amateurs
His colleague Viktors Morosz celebrated the biggest stunt in Latvian football since the 1-1 against Germany at the European Championships of 2004. That equalizer came from the foot of Maris Pakakovskis, now technical director of Rigas FS.
Anyone who was more exuberant in his celebration of the historical victory over Ajax can be guessed. Morosz showed himself after his coolest side. The only time he put a smile on his face was at the press conference when he was confronted with a question from a day earlier.
Latvian coach Morosz after a historical victory over Ajax: ‘We are not amateurs’
Ajax coach Fararoli is said to have extracted himself before the match for a question asked by the media whether all his players were professionals.
Morosz, with a short grin: “No. They did not apologize. I was surprised by the question, but I did not bother myself. It’s no problem”.
