Farioli and Van den Boomen looked ahead to the second match in the League Phase of the UEFA Europa League. They discussed the fitness of the Ajax squad, as well as the playing system and the upcoming opponent: Slavia Prague.
Fitness of the squad
Farioli noticed that several Ajax players were unavailable in the lead-up to Thursday evening's European away match. Among those not travelling to the Czech Republic were Jordan Henderson, Wout Weghorst, Kian Fitz-Jim, and Bertrand Traoré. "We have made some changes to the squad. This morning (Wednesday, ed.) we lost Fitz-Jim and Traoré. Bertrand was injured in a challenge, while Kian had a muscle issue," said the Ajax coach.
"It's clear that you would prefer to have all players available, but we need everyone," Farioli continued. "It’s so important that everyone stays in rhythm and feels part of the team."
Slavia Prague
According to Farioli, there are many differences between Slavia Prague and Ajax. "Slavia plays very physically, with man-to-man duels. We play more for possession," said the Ajax coach, who spoke highly of his counterpart. "The coach has been here since 2018, and they accumulate a lot of points at home, both in their own league and in Europe. Last season, they were knocked out by AC Milan after a great run."
"Slavia will bring more intensity and power than Beşiktaş," added Van den Boomen, echoing his coach's sentiments. "The fans here are present; that’s what you want as a footballer. We have already reviewed some atmosphere videos together, so we know what to expect."
On Thursday evening, nearly a thousand Ajax supporters will also be present in the Eden Arena. "They need to help us and support us. It’s a 'hot' stadium here, so the Amsterdammers must make themselves heard."
