In Celje, the fans whistled at the Irish, Albert Riera told the fans of his own club: “Let them replace me if anyone thinks they are better than me”

Published on 9. August 2024 9. August 2024

Photo: Urban Lesjak

Victory, but rather modest Celje won their first match of the third qualifying round for the Europa League against Shamrock by just 1-0. The home team’s celebration could have been more significant, but missed opportunities took their toll. They even led until the final whistle, which prompted a rather sharp response from Albert Riera, reflecting a style that suits the Spaniard well. This is a side of him we’ve known for some time…

“You can see for yourselves that I am not satisfied. We need to work harder; again, I did not see what I want on the field. The pitch made things difficult for us, but I am not happy with either the first or the second half. We should have played much better. We played poorly with the ball, and without it, we were very soft. This will cause us problems against anyone, which worries me.” Albert Riera admitted after the match against the Irish, adding: “You win in qualifiers only after two matches. If we had won three points, I might have been grumpy for the next two hours, and then I would have celebrated the three points. Now we have to win another match away, where anything can happen. We don’t know what the game there will be like. Our advantage is not high enough. We need to improve, but we go there confident of our victory.”

Riera: “We also need time”

The former coach of Olimpija and Bordeaux admitted that he will need time. “The approach wasn’t bad; if it had been, the players would have had serious problems because I am not afraid to substitute a player even after ten minutes. We are too soft, not pressing hard enough on the opponent and taking the ball immediately when we lose it. We are not hungry enough to win the ball. Right now, we are not a team that can surprise the opponent, and I am not satisfied with that. There is a lot of work ahead of us, but don’t forget, we have been together only a week. We know that there are high expectations, but we also need time.” Albert Riera emphasized and warned his players: “Whoever advances quickly with us will play; whoever is slow will not. That’s football. When you stop and do not progress, a 17-year-old comes and takes your place. That’s how it is. I also wanted to play until I was 40, but younger players came and showed me it was time to end my career.”

And the dissatisfaction of the fans, who expressed their feelings with boos at Stadion Z’dežele? “They booed? I didn’t hear it,” the Spaniard initially replied in a French-like manner and added: “They are not satisfied? If anyone knows more than I do, they can come to my place and fix everything. It’s simple. Booing doesn’t help the players. But this is normal in football; players and coaches must accept it. I’m not worried; I know what I need to do. If anyone thinks they are better than me, they should talk to the president, come here, and that’s it. I try to do the best I can.”