Feyenoord will take on Ajax for the third time this season. This time it is for the semi-finals in the TOTO KNVB Cup and it is the last hurdle to the final on April 30. Arne Slot shares in front of the cameras of ESPN
that he spoke to Giovanni van Bronckhorst before the match.
”Gio was also just in the trainer’s room,” begins the trainer of Feyenoord. “If you want to match his prizes, you have to keep busy for a long time. I would be very happy if we win one prize this year, but at the moment we are obviously hoping for more than one!”
The ESPN analysts are of course curious about what the conversation with Van Bronckhorst was about. “It was about the Feyenoord-AZ final when I was still at AZ and he said that he had come on his scooter, so that was nice to hear. The noise next to the stadium at all, we could barely understand each other, because next to the trainers’ room is also a DJ playing.”
Similar to competition
Earlier this year, Feyenoord also took on the team from Amsterdam in a full Kuip. Slot does not think there are any differences in the game itself. “I think the stadium is sold out, the only difference may be that before the competition there is a longer run-up and there is a public training, that was not the case in this case. But I don’t have the impression that it will be quieter today than in the home game in the league.”
Feyenoord is designated as a favorite in many media and the analysts at ESPN also think so. Slot emphasizes that these are not his words: “I didn’t say that, I heard the opponent’s trainer say it.” So I don’t listen to everyone. Favorite or not, you won’t win any matches with that. We played against each other twice: the first time we worked hard and didn’t play football very well, the second time we were reasonable with the ball. Only after 45 minutes did we manage to play good football and win many duels. That was also our best half against Ajax.”
Similar playing style
Slot expects a fun game, especially because the ways of playing are fairly comparable. “I think both teams really want to have the ball and put pressure on the opponent. We do it our way and Ajax has a slightly different way of putting pressure. Heitinga thought in the previous match that they should get into the one against one faster. That doesn’t seem like they’re going to collapse at all. Then it can now become a competition that puts a lot of pressure on”
Irritations
The Feyenoord trainer denies that the Rotterdammers have been irritated by statements made by Ajax this season. “No, I don’t think we are annoyed. Orkun made a comment in his emotion after the game, the only one I think. For the rest we played in the Arena to stay ahead and extend our lead. That is much more important than what an opponent says before the game and what could irritate us.”
