Zrinjski enters the rematch with a minimal advantage of 1:0 from the first game, in which Nemanj Bilbija scored the deciding goal, while Velež will try to achieve a turnaround and the trophy in front of its fans.
Štimac underestimated Velež: Who is more interested in beating them?
Zrinjsko coach Igor Štimac spoke at the press conference before the rematch of the BiH Cup final between Velež and Zrinjsko.
“First of all, I will congratulate my Metkovic and our Zrinjevic Sergej Jakirović on an excellent match yesterday in the semi-finals of the playoffs. We are looking forward to his success and expect him to do the big step he has left at Wembley properly,” began Štimac, then turned to Velež:
“We have gained an advantage that should keep us on our toes. We know that Velež is of good quality and plays good football, but we are full of confidence and we have already beaten them twice away from home. I believe that the boys will be at the top level and will do everything as they should. I cannot expect more pressure than there was last time on their field when they played with a lot of confidence, they played rough because they knew that they would not be punished for that as they should. I believe that the final will pass in a fair trial, which is the most important thing,” Štimac said.
He pointed out that everything is possible in football, but that he doubts that they can play below the level in one such game.
“This season we have shown that we have coped with much stronger opponents, so there is no reason for anything to shake us. I stick to this attitude and I have always said, without insulting or belittling anyone: Why do we stress so much about Velež? Who in Zrinjski is more interested in winning against Velež? I understand the need of the people and our fans to dominate and win against Velež, but when you beat someone continuously for so many years, then I think that you need to look further, to have a little wider horizons. I want this trophy for our people and our fans here. I hope that we will deserve it, that is, if it means so much to the people, so be it,” he said.
Rahimić: We can play a top game and lift the trophy
The head of the coaching staff of FC Velež Ibro Rahimić announced the match.
“First of all, I want to point out that we are all very motivated and ready for the match. It is the first time that we have the opportunity to lift the trophy at our Rođeni stadium. In the former Yugoslavia, we played the final in Belgrade, after the war we played two finals in Zenica. Now we are in a situation where we are playing for the trophy in front of our fans, and I hope that this is enough motivation for me as a coach and for all the players to give our best on the field and to celebrate the great triumph with our loyal fans we hope” – pointed out the Rođeni coach.
A behind goal as well as a psychological moment are two things that should definitely be thought about.
“When you look at everything, even if we played the first game 0:0, we need to score a goal. We are aware of everything and we have entered a phase where in several previous strong games, even with Zrinjski, we showed that we can really match, but we lacked a bit of luck. I believe in my boys that they have quality and that we can play a top game and lift the winner’s trophy”.
How easy or difficult is it to prepare such matches, Rahimić says:
“When it comes to games like this, it’s definitely easier to work on the preparation of the game itself. I’m convinced that each of our players will give their best and I don’t have much to say to them. I’m just trying to draw attention to the fact that they should be cool-headed, not to do some football nonsense. You need to be focused, patient and concentrated, and we definitely have the game, and the support of our fans really gives me the right to firmly believe that we can win the trophy.”
Whether today’s meeting will be different compared to the one from seven days ago, Rahimić pointed out:
“It won’t be a much different game compared to the previous Wednesday. We will definitely want to get a result that is favorable for us as soon as possible. When I was doing the analysis after the first game, I saw that we had more chances than Zrinjski, but that last pass and decisive reaction were missing. I hope that we will be more effective in the decisive moments of the game at our stadium”.
Rođeni Stadium was sold out to the last seat, and the head of the coaching staff, Ibro Rahimić, had only words of praise for the fans.
“I expect a really hellish atmosphere in our stadium, both for me, and for all our players, it gives additional motivation to give the maximum on the field. I am sure that the players will do a great job and that at the end of the game we will have reason to celebrate” – Rahimić concluded.
The match at Arena Rođeni starts at 18:00, and the referee is Irfan Peljto from Sarajevo.
(Vijesti.ba)
Chat readers
Join the discussion