FC Utrecht coach Ron Jans has praised the team spirit at his club the day before the second-leg meeting with Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.
Taking to the pitch in the tournamentโs second qualifying round, the Domstedelingen came back from 1-0 down in Moldova to prevail 3-1. Looking to finish the job on Thursday night, Jans was full of positivity.
โLast season, we were also behind a lot. This season, too, after a somewhat sluggish start, we didnโt get confused and turned the game around. The most precious thing Iโve experienced with this group for a year and a half now is the team spirit. Wanting to help each other, not giving up, and working together really well. We truly stand as a team,โ the boss said in a press conference.
The coach also sees a significant area for improvement. โWe need to offer more on the ball. We had so much time to build up against Sheriff, because they didnโt really apply pressure. It was much too slow, especially in the beginning. It was much better in the second half.โ
The manager hinted that his side will come out swinging in the second clash. โWeโre not giving this away anymore, but weโre still in the preliminary round. Itโs not over yet. You never know, but we can certainly exude a bit of self-assurance and confidence.โ
If FC Utrecht advance, theyโll face either Viktoria Pilsen or FC Servette in the third qualifying round. The winner of that round will advance to the play-offs, which is the final qualifying round they need to survive to reach the main tournament.
GBeNeFNย |ย Max Bradfield
