Levski coach Julio Velasquez gave his regular press conference before CSKA 1948's visit to Bistritsa tomorrow, BTA reported.
"Good afternoon everyone. I'm not worried, but I'm always concerned. We'll focus primarily on our team again tomorrow. Always showing the necessary respect to the opponent. We think about how to counter with and without the ball. But the priority is always how we'll look. We hope that given the weather conditions, the pitch will be in the best condition tomorrow considering the situation. I can't worry about that because I have no control over these processes," he began.
"Since I arrived, one of the things that has positively surprised me in your country is the ability of people to deal with the snow, both on the streets and on the fields. I'm not used to things happening at this speed. You always have to be considerate and do things within the normal range. If it stops raining within the next hour, we'll probably have the opportunity to clear the field and train normally. If not, we'll adapt and look for a solution," the coach added.
"Macun is still in the recovery process. Honestly, things are going well and next week will be behind the others. Rildo has a small problem, he feels slight pain and didn't participate normally in the last two training sessions. The others are in perfect condition. Yesterday a new player came, he didn't train with the team, but he did a conditioning workout with one of the assistants so that today he can be on par with the others. My game plan won't depend on the pitch. Because if we approach it like this, imagine what will happen in the next three months. We will stick to our idea of playing. If we managed to impose our style of play against Spartak Varna, I hadn't seen a pitch like this in a long time. We will stick to our principles", continued the Spanish specialist.
"Our focus most of the time is on how to attack. As for playing without the ball or how we defend, we will try to adapt. If we analyze the opponent's game, this is a team that tries to play, not one that tries to kick the ball forward. This is a team that feels more comfortable when it has the ball. That's why we have to be intelligent, adapt to the circumstances and impose our style," he added.
"I am quite measured. When it comes to gathering information on a personal level - that's crucial. Before footballers, these are human beings. It's very important that people who arrive at the team can become part of the team on a personal level and adapt. What I found out about Stipe is very positive news. And when it comes to attracting a defender, we were lacking players in that position. Something that will give us more opportunities to react in the left-back position as well. Then we have to take into account that he hasn't taken part in the matches in recent weeks, but the most important thing is that he comes from a normal training process with his team," Velasquez said of new signing Stipe Vulikic.
"Until the last day of the transfer window, in terms of time, it is long enough. This is due to the winter break. We act absolutely normally when it comes to outgoing and incoming transfers. As always, we maintain close contact with the management. We always look for the best for the team, based on the club's capabilities. There is a possibility that someone else will join us at the end of the transfer window, but it depends on the timing," concluded Julio Velázquez.