Celje coach Albert Riera expectedly unhappy with his players: “This defeat could cost us the national title!”
Photo: Žan Pak
In Domžale, they set off on the wings of an exceptional European victory, but returned home defeated, downcast, and in silence. Celje lost to Radomlje in the Prva liga Telemach; although the guests took the lead twice, the millers ultimately triumphed with a score of 4:2. Albert Riera was understandably unhappy with the performance of his players and directed several harsh words at them.
“I have often found myself in such a situation as a player: after a big victory. For that victory, the players truly deserve all the congratulations, but… Football is not played yesterday; football is played today, right now, in this moment. We beat the Turks, played well, earned three points, then came a new match. And what happened, happened. After the match, I told the boys that this defeat could cost us the championship title. I’m not so disappointed by the loss itself, but more by the fact that we simply didn’t deserve the victory. It could have been 2:0 or 3:0 for us already in the first half. But we didn’t deserve the victory. Why? Because we didn’t want it. We weren’t hungry. We were against Maribor. But the match against Radomlje also brings three points. Points that are important in the battle for the championship title,” Albert Riera elaborated after the match at the stadium by the Kamniška Bistrica.
The Spaniard, who was a Slovenian champion with Olimpija and didn’t dance long on the French second division stage with Bordeaux, added: “I told the players in the locker room to tell me to my face if anyone thinks we lost because of my tactics. But we didn’t lose because of tactics. We lost because of our approach and behavior on the field. Sometimes someone asks me why a certain player is not playing. Don’t ask me that anymore. I already know why someone is not playing. Those who are hungry for victory will always ensure that we win…“
This text was automatically translated using AI.
Author: editorial Football Planet