‘No duel ordinary from now on’
NOS Football––Customized
Slot doesn’t think Klassieker is the match anyway: ‘Also depends on result’
A few days before De Klassieker, Feyenoord’s weekly press conference was not just about Sunday’s important Eredivisie match against Ajax.
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It is perhaps characteristic of Feyenoord under Slot that the games against Ajax are no longer all-important for the season. “From now on, no match will be ordinary,” he said.
Slot is careful not to magnify the importance of Sunday’s match. “It is too short to say that it is THE match. That also depends on the result.”
At the same time, Slot knows that a Feyenoord match against Ajax is never an ordinary match. “There is too much emotion involved for that. Added to that is the fact that there are still nine games to go and both teams are in very good shape in the league.”
Super important
Leaders Feyenoord can double their lead over Ajax in Amsterdam on Sunday. If Ajax wins, both teams will have the same number of points. “In any case, whatever the result, the next eight games will be super important,” he said.
Lock: “There is now more tension on every match. That applies not only to us, but also to the teams at the bottom or competing for European soccer, the tension always increases in the final phase of the league.”
Although Sunday is not a ‘normal’ match, Slot is not going to change anything about his style of play, as usual.
“We will try to play our way. Ajax will also do that and those ways of playing are quite similar. We both like to have the ball. Then in the end it’s who is the strongest at that moment, who will have the ball the most.”
Scoop for Kökcü
Orkun Kökcü has never before played with Feyenoord in a full Johan Cruijff Arena. The Feyenoord captain had previously been injured, suspended or a bench sitter. And the corona crisis, resulting in empty stands, also threw a spanner in the works.
Kokcü in full Arena for the first time: ‘It never came off’
“If you start adding up how long I’ve been playing here, it’s kind of special,” Kökcü said of his upcoming encounter with Ajax in a sold-out stadium. “It never came about for me, now it’s the first time.”
Kökcü travels to the capital with Feyenoord after the 7-1 win over Shachtar Donetsk with a lot of self-confidence. He believes in a good result. “We have a chance to win there. We are going for three points. The important thing is not to lose anyway.”
