Levski's coach Julio Velasquez gave a press conference before the away game against NEK Nijmegen in the main phase of the Europa League. He said that the team wants to show its identity and how it continues to grow.
"It's not important what happens to me, but to Levski and the team. This tournament this season is to enjoy. We won it on the field with what the players did last season and in the preliminary rounds this one. The idea is clear - the responsibility and pressure here is on other teams. We don't have any pressure on us, we want to perform well, play well and try to win. This is a team with a much bigger budget than ours. The players performed better from the first to the last minute. That's what we want now. If it's garnished with a win, even better. We want to show our identity and the consequence of that is we want a win. Just like NEK, just like they don't have this responsibility to reach a round in this match, we are here to enjoy this challenge", Velasquez began.
"NEK is a different team. Here in the Netherlands it is common to see this type of play in the phase without the ball. In Bulgaria we usually don't see this type of team. They are a team that defends and presses very high in man-to-man situations and they do it very well because they have been doing it for a long time. With the ball they are extremely offensively aggressive. They are a vertical team, looking to get to the last quarter quickly. Reaching the last phase of the game with many players, we can call it total football from the first to the last minute. We are fully aware of who we are, what we are and what we will face. We are aware of our identity and we will try to impose it. We will try to play a good game and impose ourselves on them. This is an opponent different from Salzburg in many aspects," he continued.
"The way to recover is extremely simple - to rest, not to train, to eat well and to sleep well. This is the best way to recover. The emotional aspect is above all. That is why we gave the players a few days off so that they could be with their families and recover. A balance had to be made with the training days so that the workload was well distributed. The break for the national teams came at a very good moment for us. I was pleased with the way things turned out - both in terms of rest and training. Proof of this was the first game after the break against the Black Sea. In this game the team looked pretty good. I have great respect for what the team is doing. During this break, I spoke to people from the football world and many of them entered this break with 6-7 games. We played a large number of official matches. Not just official matches, but many matches of great importance. They were very important for what Levski is and continues to be. That is why I have great respect for what the players do and continue to do every day. Now is the time to move forward. The idea is to build on this and tomorrow's match is a perfect moment to show our identity and how we continue to grow. Being aware that we will have good and bad days, but to keep the balance".
"Our style will not change. Neither against NEK, nor against Juventus, nor against Real Madrid. The style of the team is one thing, and the attitude of the players in these 90 minutes is another. Another thing is how you will emerge as a structure. Obviously, NEK will require a different type of dynamic than what the Black Sea required".
"Football has changed a lot. In Bulgaria, this type of style is not found. In Europe, especially in Italy, there are many teams that defend man-for-man in the same way. Many of the aspects that NEK does are to summarize total football. I don't know their coach, but I knew him when he was in the first or second division of the Netherlands or in Spain. I respect having character and courage. That's why I respect that he tried to play the same way against Juventus, without changing anything. He did an excellent job in Spain. They deserve what they achieved,", concluded Velasquez.