Bessone: It Will Be a Very Good Match

Osijek face a demanding away match against Varaždin in the eighth round of the SuperSport HNL. The clash between two teams from the upper part of the league table is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, at 5 p.m.

The competition within the White and Blues squad is now stronger, as new players Luka Tunjić and Alejandro Cantero joined the team this week.

I’m very happy that they are here. They bring us additional quality and energy, a real boost, and I believe they will be of great benefit to us,” said Federico Bessone.

Speaking about Saturday’s opponents, the Osijek coach had plenty of praise for Varaždin.

Varaždin are an excellent and very strong team. You can see that their coach has been with them for quite some time. They have a solid defensive block and are very compact, and if we want to win, we will practically have to play a perfect match. They are a very difficult opponent, so we will have to be aggressive, show character again, and perform as we did against Dinamo in order to achieve what we want.

Varaždin are in a very good moment and you can see their cohesion, but the same can be said about us. I’m sure we can expect a very good match because both teams play attacking football. I believe we can be at our best again and win.

Journalists also asked about the situation with the injured Dolček and the possibility of Kolarik returning to the starting eleven.

We waited for the results of Dolček’s medical examinations, and I can say that he will be ready after the international break. As for Kolarik, we currently have players in his position who are in better form. I spoke with him and told him that he needs to wait for his next opportunity.

“I Would Share the Award with the Coaching Staff and the Players”

Before the match against Dinamo, Bessone received the award for Coach of the Month. How much does it mean to him?

I would primarily like to share this award with my colleagues on the coaching staff and with my players. I had a clear idea of how we should play, but it is extremely important that the players understood it. This is also their award for everything they have shown on the pitch.

Personally, it is not crucial to me. There is certainly some satisfaction, but it is much more important that the team functions and understands my ideas. Everyone knows that I want to play attacking football with a high press. I’m very happy that they understood and accepted everything so quickly. That has also made my job easier because everything is functioning the way I imagined it.

The press conference also touched on the team’s plans for the upcoming international break following the away match in Varaždin.

I decided to give the players a week off. After that, on September 28, we will begin preparations for the match against Istra 1961. We have also planned a friendly match during the week when we regroup, although we are still waiting for confirmation.

I am a very demanding coach and I ask a lot from my team. We work hard, which is why it is important to me that during those seven days without training they get proper rest, refresh themselves, and completely recharge their batteries.

Everyone Is Positive, and That Gives Us Strength!

The Osijek coach does not like to attach much importance to tradition, statistics, or previous encounters with opponents, and he reiterated that once again.

I believe in what we are doing, in what is happening at the moment, and in the way I currently see my team. I don’t know whether we will win tomorrow, and I cannot guarantee that to you, but I have a very good feeling. We worked extremely well throughout the week and we will certainly give everything we have.

I know we can expect the same from Varaždin, but I believe we are closer to success than defeat…

After last week, many people were interested in how Bessone managed to lift the team and restore its inspiration and confidence just a few days after defeats at Rujevica and in Sisak.

I have already said that individual mistakes were what brought us down in Rijeka. In Sisak, the situation was completely different. We had everything under control on the pitch. Segesta, with all due respect, were unable to do anything, and then we once again made individual mistakes.

I was sad because I genuinely believed we could win the Cup. However, I woke up positive the following morning. I told the players that we had to forget what had happened and focus on what was ahead of us against Dinamo. They were positive as well, they worked hard, and they believed we could win — and that was crucial.

It was also important that we had the support of the sporting director and the president. It meant a lot to us that they stood behind us during a difficult moment and passed on positive energy. After everything, I deeply believed in victory, which we eventually achieved.