Feyenoord against Ajax kicks off at 14:30 on Sunday afternoon, a mouth-watering encounter. García is clearly relishing the occasion."We have to be brave, because that is the club’s philosophy. I want to win, and that’s what we’ll try to do. But we also have an opponent who wants exactly the same. I know the atmosphere will be against us, but we must handle that at the highest level", the manager began.
Favourites
Following the win over Sparta, there is growing optimism around Ajax, a journalist suggested. García was clear when asked whether Ajax are favourites for Sunday. "I like it when everyone sees Ajax as favourites, not just on Sunday, but in every match. That should be normal. We are Ajax and we shouldn’t fear anyone. We respect every opponent and we know how important this match is. They are strong at home, but if we think we cannot win, we might as well not go."
"They have the league's top scorer", García added about their opponents. "And they are dangerous at home. We’ve analysed them, they have a lot of strength, but we will try to exploit their weaknesses."
Despite the 4-0 win over Sparta, García still sees room for improvement. "There were still plenty of details that could be better. We must stay focused on maintaining the level we want. Against Sparta at home, we saw the players’ desire to turn things around. That must be our minimum standard for the rest of the season."
The Klassieker
García was also asked about Ajax’s position in the table. "It’s simple: day by day, match by match. Then we’ll see where we stand at the end. Sunday is important for the fans and the club because it’s De Klassieker. But once it’s over, the next match becomes the most important. We want to win everything until the end of the season."
Ajax supporters attended an open training session earlier on Friday. "It was a great experience", García said. "You can see how important the fans are to the club and the players. They were enthusiastic. I want to win, and that can be done in different ways, but it has to be the Ajax way."
Weghorst returns
Wout Weghorst missed the win over Sparta due to suspension but will return on Sunday. "He’s back after suspension and illness." Maher Carrizo was also briefly discussed. "His development has been very good. He’s one of the players who trains very well but hasn’t played much yet. They push the starting players to maintain a high level."
There was also positive news for Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mika Godts. The Japanese defender has been called up to the national team after nearly two years away. "That’s great news for him, and good for his confidence." García had similar praise for Godts, who has received his first call-up to the Belgium squad. "I'm very happy for him, he deserves it. Mika is a very good player. He’s still young and has a lot to learn and develop, but it’s clear he’s one of the better players in the league."
Cruijff documentary
Finally, García was asked about the documentary on Johan Cruijff, which premieres on Saturday at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. "Unfortunately, I won’t be there because we’ll be at the hotel with the team. But everything about him only makes him greater and greater. It’s fantastic for me to have had him as a coach. He gave me the opportunity to make my dream come true. He offered so much advice, and I could always call him about anything. Sadly, he is no longer physically here, but he lives on in our thoughts. You can see in Amsterdam, Barcelona and across the football world just how influential he still is."
