Polissya head coach Ruslan Rotan, at the pre-match press conference before the Conference League match against Copenhagen, stated that his team is psychologically ready to face a strong opponent. According to the specialist, past experience playing against Fiorentina played a key role in building the players' confidence.
Opponent Analysis: A Champions League Level Team
Rotan emphasized that the Polissya coaching staff approached preparation with maximum seriousness. In working on tactics and analyzing the game, they studied not only the Danes' friendly matches during the current off-season but also official matches in the Danish championship under the current coach.
"We saw not only Copenhagen's friendly matches, we also saw games under this coach in the championship. It is a very cohesive team. If we conclude about Copenhagen, of course, it is a Champions League level team, a group stage Europa League team, with experience in European competitions and with very classy players," noted the coach.
Psychological Factor: The Fiorentina Lesson
Rotan paid special attention to mental preparation. The head coach reminded that the team has been working towards this moment for a whole year, gave all their strength, took third place in the Ukrainian championship, and earned the right to play in European competitions. In his opinion, it was last season that became a school for survival in Europe.
"We don't need to look at this team as 'oh, it's Copenhagen!', because last season we looked at Fiorentina that way: 'Fiorentina' — Conference League finalist, no chance'. How no chance? We gained experience with Fiorentina, which will allow us to be confident against teams like Copenhagen, and to base ourselves on our own game," Sport RBC.UA quotes the coach.
Opponent and Match Details
Copenhagen finished last season in seventh place in the Danish championship, however, they managed to qualify for European competitions through the playoffs, defeating Brondby in the final. Despite not having the highest final result in the league, the Danish club possesses powerful resources and experience in international tournaments.
The Polissya — Copenhagen match will take place in Kosice (Slovakia) on July 23. The start of the game is scheduled for 21:00 Kyiv time. Also, the publication Sport RBC.UA published an exclusive interview with Polissya forward Alexander Filippov, who talked about the preparation for the match and changes in the team over the last year.
