Ajax duo offer tongue-in-cheek answers over UEL tactics

Ajax coach Francesco Farioli and captain Jordan Henderson remained tight-lipped when asked about their approach for Thursday’s Europa League opener.

After an Eredivisie stumble midweek against Go Ahead Eagles, the Dutch side faces Turkish giants Beşiktaş on Matchday 1.

However, both Farioli and Henderson offered tongue-in-cheek responses to reporters when discussing line-ups and confidence levels during their pre-match press conference.

“I’m not going to say anything more about the line-up,” said Farioli. “We were planning to start with Brian Brobbey against Fortuna Sittard, and then he got injured.

“I said that Ahmetcan Kaplan was going to play ninety minutes against Go Ahead Eagles, and that didn’t happen. So no, I’m not going to say anything more.”

“It’s always about our strikers. That’s apparently a big deal here, but not for me,” added the Ajax captain.”For me it’s always about the team, not about individuals. Our strikers have their own qualities and it’s up to them to show in training who should play. And also who is fit. We have a lot of games to go.”

Ajax will be without Anton Gaaei (sprained ankle) and Davy Klaassen for the clash. Meanwhile, Brobbey and Wout Weghorst remain fit, and Youri Baas is also in the mix to return.

For Henderson and Farioli, swiftly moving past that shock draw with Go Ahead Eagles is a must ahead of their return on the European stage. Beşiktaş proves to be a formidable opponent, but Ajax are not afraid of the challenge.

“We have faced very good teams this season, but this will also be a good test,” said the manager. “Ciro Immobile, who was once the top scorer in Serie A. And they have Rafa Silva, Gedson Fernandes… Of course they are all great players. There will be very serious competition on the pitch.”

“Are we afraid? Afraid is not the right word, but respectful. When you are afraid, it blocks. Respect is the right level of alertness to be competitive.”

‘You should never go too high after a win and never too low after a defeat,” added Henderson. To not fall below the lower limit, you have to stay focused and stick to the game plan. If you fall behind, you have to reset and try to get back on track … We will have to do that against Beşiktaş, because they have a strong team and are doing well in the league. It will be a good test and a good challenge for us.”

Ajax currently sit ninth in the Eredivisie table with two wins, one draw and one loss so far.