During the press conference in Riga, Francesco Farioli and Kenneth Taylor looked ahead to the UEFA Europa League match against FC RFS. While the Latvian opponent may not sound like the biggest name on paper, both Ajax representatives emphasized that there is no question of underestimation.

Farioli opened the conference with confidence in his team. “We’ve had a very good week of preparation. The players who will take the field tomorrow have worked hard and are ready to play. It will be an important match", stated the coach.

Taylor echoed Farioli’s sentiments and showed that he had done his homework on the opponent. “I saw that they managed to take points against Anderlecht and Galatasaray. Those are impressive results. For us, it’s going to be an exciting and important match tomorrow", said the midfielder.

Two forwards

Farioli admitted that it is difficult to predict FC RFS’s style of play, as the team hasn’t played a competitive match since November. “From what we’ve seen in their most recent friendly, it’s likely they’ll play with two forwards. In modern football, that’s quite uncommon. It means we have to be prepared for different scenarios."

The trainer also highlighted FC RFS’s adaptability. “They often adjust their playing style depending on the opponent. That shows intelligence. We have to be ready for anything tomorrow because whenever Ajax plays, the motivation for our opponents is always sky-high.”

No room for underestimation

When asked if FC RFS is seen as a weak link in the Europa League, Taylor responded firmly: “Not at all. They’ve drawn against Galatasaray and Anderlecht. We don’t want to drop costly points here. For us, this is just as much of a big game because we’re fighting for a spot in the final eight."

Farioli left no doubt that his team must be fully focused. “In modern football, there are no easy games. Galatasaray and Anderlecht already struggled against this team. Tomorrow, we need to show the best version of ourselves."