Sjord Ars is the perfect interlocutor before the match between NEC Nijmegen and Levski from the main phase of the Europa League. The reason - he has played for both teams. The striker gave an interview specifically for "ForzaNEC", in which he revealed his expectations for tonight's match.
„It's strange that I'm the only player who played for both teams, and now they have to face each other. For me, this is definitely an interesting match, which I'm looking forward to. I still have a connection with Levski, especially because the team's current coach is Julio Velasquez," Ars began.
„You can't build a very strong relationship with a club in just six months, but despite that, the period was very pleasant and special. In the end, I was tied to the club with a contract for about two and a half years. About a year and a half ago, during the winter break, I visited Levski again. The team was on a camp in Turkey, and I was there on a scouting job," the Dutchman admitted.
„Levski is something like the Ajax of Bulgaria. Traditionally, it is one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the country. In the past, Levski and CSKA were the two big teams that decided among themselves who would become champion. In recent years, Ludogorets has also joined them. This is a club with extremely passionate fans. In my time, we played in an old stadium - a truly typical stadium from the Eastern Bloc. "Levski is a club with a lot of character," he added.
“Levski's away game was not a particularly pleasant experience for most opponents. The supporters were quite famous for their reputation and had a lot of influence within the club. Once it happened that fans stopped our club bus in the middle of the highway. The coach and the sports director had to get off and the fans demanded an explanation from them. In the Netherlands, I'm used to fans sometimes waiting for the team bus in front of the stadium. But when they stop you in the middle of the highway, you still start to look around and ask yourself: “What's going on here?“, Ars recalled.
“Levski is currently a relatively physically strong team, but at the same time they know how to play good football. Usually, players prefer to build their attacks gradually from the defense. I know that Julio Velasquez is good at adapting to opponents and their style of play. He did it back in his time at Fortuna Sittard. NEK presses very high. I don't think Levski will put themselves in a difficult position, constantly trying to build their attacks with short passes from the defense. I expect them to switch to a more direct style of play relatively quickly and look for the way to forward positions more quickly," he said.
„I think that if NEK plays at its usual level, they should be the better team. But if Levski comes up with a good tactical plan, NEK should be careful not to fall into the trap. Levski has several technical and dangerous players in forward positions. The right wing is fast, and the striker is relatively fast. So the team has serious quality in attack. If NEK scores an early goal, the match could turn into an easy night for the hosts. But I expect the match to be physically tough“, shares Ars.
“I estimate the odds at approximately 60 to 40 in favor of NEK. When they play at home, NEK is definitely the favorite for me. I will remain neutral, but of course my heart is more with NEK than with Levski“, concluded the Dutchman.