In a pre-match press conference ahead of Belgium's match against Ukraine in the final group stage of the UEFA Europa League, Belgium boss Tedesco spoke about the upcoming match and his team's preparations.
Tedesco began by sharing the special feeling of coming back to play near his hometown of Stuttgart. He mentioned that he grew up here and his first soccer game was played in Stuttgart, so this game means a lot to him. Many of his friends and family will also be there to watch the game and cheer him on.
With regard to the situation of the lineup, Tedesco appeared quite confident. He said that although the situation is a bit difficult, the team's goal is always to win the game rather than counting points or seeking a draw. He emphasized that the team will know how to stay ahead in the final stages of the game, but it is more important to keep a positive mindset before the game starts.
When asked if he would be concerned about the result of Romania's match against Slovakia, Tedesco believes that while it is helpful to know the results of other matches, the team should mainly focus on its own performance. He believes that if the team performs well, the results will naturally follow.
When talking about the Ukrainian team, Tedesco spoke highly of them. According to him, the Ukrainian team is very good at counter-attacking and has speedy players like Sudakov, Mudrik and Dovbik. The Ukrainian team likes to control the ball and control the tempo of the game, and their play is fluid and creates problems for many strong teams. Therefore, Belgium will need a great performance to deal with this powerful opponent.
Also, Tedesco shared an interesting tidbit. After the first match, he had sung the Belgian national anthem loudly, but the team ended up losing the match. As a result, he chose to remain silent against Romania. This is just a small detail, but it reflects Tedesco's desire and careful observation of his team's victory.
Finally, when it comes to VAR, Tedesco expressed his trust and support for the technology. He believes that if a player is offside, then no matter how many millimeters it is, it should be ruled offside. He has full confidence in VAR and referees and believes in the principle of fair play. At the same time, he hopes that the Belgian team can occasionally occupy favorable positions in the game and bring more exciting moments to the fans.
