During the press moment, Farioli was bombarded with questions about the transfer market, but the Ajax coach understandably didn't want to go into too much detail. "It was announced today that Hlynsson is going to Sparta. Besides that, there are three or four players currently involved in negotiations, so they are uncertain for Sunday." And to preempt any further questions: "I won’t mention the names of the players involved."
Puzzling The fact that it is still unclear which players Farioli can rely on doesn't bother him. "Since I've been here, puzzling has been my biggest hobby. The next 48 hours will also be an important part of my work," said the coach. "There's a glass here in front of me. You can consider it half-full or half-empty. Depending on the circumstances, you can either cry or look for solutions. I choose the latter."
Shortly before the press conference, Ajax was drawn against Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise for the knockout round of the UEFA Europa League, so Farioli was asked how he felt about the draw. "They've been performing very well in recent years. They recently defeated FC Twente and my former club OGC Nice in Europe. It's a team with qualities, just like all the teams that have qualified."
'Right Attitude' Next Sunday, Ajax faces another tough match, at home against Feyenoord. Earlier this season, Ajax won impressively in Rotterdam with a 0-2 scoreline. "We earned that win because we played with the right attitude and also very precisely. Small details made the difference, and that will be the case again on Sunday."
Farioli knows the importance of De Klassieker, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to make it too big. "Naturally, it's a very special match for us and our supporters. In that regard, we don’t need extra motivation or fuel. At the same time, this game won’t decide whether we end the season successfully. Just like any other match, there are three points to be earned. If we win on Sunday, we shouldn’t celebrate and think that we've made it. And if we don't achieve the desired result, we shouldn't bury our heads in the sand either."
'Fantastic Support' Farioli called on Ajax supporters to once again stand behind the team. "The fans have already brought us so much this season. With Mika's injury, we have a problem on the left side up front. Hopefully, our supporters can help us cover what we're missing. Last night, the supporters were fantastic, for over ninety minutes. Hopefully, it will be the same on Sunday."
