Zekić believes that his team can make it against current national number one.
A day before departing for Rijeka, coach Zoran Zekic had arrived to the regular press conference. Right at the start, he lauded Kek’s team performance in the European League that was the introduction to the Croatian League stand-off.
To start off, I’d like to congratulate Rijeka for their A-game in Vienna and their hard-earned victory over Austria. As I already mentioned when the game was announced, Rijeka was the better team and it showed last night. Therefore, it is clear that an arduous task awaits us at Rujevica, one which we eagerly look forward to. It’s known that we can’ count on Barisic, Sors and the penalized Lopa, but I think that we have already gotten used to such circumstances. Rujevica has up until now been very inconvenient for us and I hope that we can change the status quo – said Zekic.
Faster, More Courageous and More Determined
The current Croatian champion is deserving of respect in every aspect, which is normal. However, Osijek wants to repeat the deed that happened at Maksimir, with a better end result if possible…
At this point, we’ve played so many games against Rijeka that we know all their strong points and we simply have to learn to cope with that. I think that this match will require us to be more versatile and consistent than in previous ones, which left me dissatisfied. It means that we’ll have to react faster and with more fervor while in possession of the ball, along with more mobility, looking for opportunities. Without these things, we can hardly expect victory, especially because of the fact that the gameplay is a lot snappier and quicker over there than here at home. It’s Rijeka’s advantage over all other teams in the League.
Every Match Equally Demanding
Rijeka has been defeating Osijek at Rujevica up until now, so that the press asked Zekic if he has any specific motive to break with that unfortunate tradition. His response was as follows:
My motive is always the same, personally speaking, as I don’t discriminate between opponents in the qualitative sense. Points are equally valuable against Rudes, Cibalija, Istra or Rijeka, therefore rendering the coming clash between Osijek and Rijeka serious. The mood will surely be delirious to say the least, on the tribunes, and I expect them to be filled to the brim with fans, hoping that it will motivate my players, not deter them from the match. Rijeka has filled their confidence battery to the maximum capacity and I know that they’ll be on their best behavior, however, I expect the same from my boys.
To give Fans what they want
At Rijeka’s stadium, Kohorta will bolster Osijek, along with Osijek’s citizens who announced their coming to the derby
The worst thing is when we disappoint our fans who travelled a great distance to cheer for us. It’s an ugly feeling and I hope we will be able to circumvent it this Sunday evening. I want that our shots fly true at Rujevica, regardless of the outcome. When we are at that level, then we play good against everyone and prove our being deadly. Spectating Rijeka proved that they use any and all chances they get, as they did against Rudes and Austria. Now, why it’s like that can’t be a coincidence. They are still the most versatile club in the League for me as they have a high-caliber team, despite the departure of some of their quality players, since they brought in reinforcements. It is without a doubt that the Sunday game will prove to be quite interesting to say the least.
