FC Noah head coach sums up the match against Universitatea Craiova

Noah’s head coach Sandro Perković summed up the Conference League second-round match against Universitatea Craiova, which took place on October 23 in Romania and ended in a 1–1 draw.

Sandro Perković’s post-match press conference

Opening remarks by Sandro Perković:

— We played a good game. In the first half, I was proud of my players’ performance, even though we were losing 0–1. We played the way we had planned and could have scored 3–4 goals, but didn’t. We felt what it means to play at such a high level — one mistake led to a goal. In the second half, we searched for an equalizer and didn’t let the score change our plan. In the end, we managed to make it 1–1. Honestly, we deserved this draw.

A big thanks to all our fans who supported us away from home, and to all the spectators who created an incredible atmosphere. Even though 95% of the audience was against us, I really enjoyed that atmosphere.

— Tell us about Elder Ferreira’s position and role on the pitch. He often looked like a fifth defender. Why did you decide to play that way?

— When we analyzed our opponent, it became clear that they are a really good team. I noticed that their most dangerous player was the left-back — all their dangerous moments came through him. So I decided to change the formation — we don’t usually play like that, asymmetrically in defense — but it helped us neutralize their left-back and easily adapt to their tactical changes. I’m very satisfied with Elder’s performance.

— Can we say that Noah played better in the first half?

— Of course. In my opinion, we played a complete match — we had control both in defense and attack. It’s a bit sad that our efforts didn’t bring three points, but I don’t think that’s because we didn’t deserve them. We take this point and move forward. I’m satisfied with my players’ performance.

— Did you play better today than in the first-round match against Rijeka?

— For me, yes, absolutely. We dominated and played well both in attack and defense.

— Did you plan to use Thórarinsson and Hambardzumyan on the wings instead of Jakoliš?

— That’s a good idea. We actually thought about that before the match. When Nardin Mulahusejnović came on, we needed more quality crosses from the wings. Thórarinsson and Hambardzumyan deliver excellent crosses. Maybe if I had brought them on earlier, we would have had more scoring chances. Anyway, I’m happy to have such a wide range of quality players in my squad.