Even though the 2024-25 Europa League will open its doors today, it will be tomorrow evening that theAjax will make his tournament debut against Besiktas by Immobile. Speaking about the European commitment scheduled at the Johan Cruijff Arena, the coach of the lancers Francesco Farioli spoke at a press conference today: “We are not afraid of Beşiktaş, but we have respect for them. If you are afraid, you can block yourself,” the coach began.
On the draw obtained with Go Ahead Eagles (1-1): “The frustration was high afterwards. We wanted to do everything to get the three points. You don’t win with the history of the club or with the name of Ajax. We also have to give credit to the opponent and the intensity they showed.” On the match against Besiktaswhich brings back some memories for Farioli from his three-year stint (2020-2023) as a coach in Turkey: “But the team is different from when I worked in Turkey. I know the club and who they are. They are always competing for titles and have a rich history. However, they have many different players compared to the time I worked in Turkey.”
And again: “I don’t know if this is our biggest challenge. We have already faced strong opponents. But Besiktas have a lot of individual qualities. The level of competition will be high. We must not be ‘afraid’, but ‘respect’ is the best word. If you are afraid, you block yourself. Anton Gaaei will not be available for us. As for Youri Baas, we will evaluate his condition after today’s training. Davy Klaassen, of course, will not play, because he is not eligible for Europe.” Finally on the new format of the Europa League: “It’s a journey of discovery. It’s hard to predict who will do well. We have to approach every game like a final. It is what it is. For a lot of players it’s also a good opportunity to get minutes at a high level.”