Olimpija head coach: “Chances against Noah are 50/50”

Erwin van de Looi, head coach of Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana, emphasized the strength of the Armenian side and the importance of the upcoming clash not only for the club but also for Slovenian football at the press conference ahead of the first leg of the UEFA Conference League playoff against Noah.

“We have studied the opponent well. They are a quality team that performed with dignity in Europe this year. Despite being eliminated by a team from Gibraltar, they were actually the stronger side, they just failed to score. On the other hand, we also have plenty of quality, so I expect a balanced match. We must find energy within ourselves, each player inside himself. In the previous game we felt fatigue towards the end, but this time we had a little more time to recover. The fact that this is a big match not only for the club but also for Slovenian football will give us extra strength — I am sure of that,” Van de Looi’s words are quoted by dnevnik.si.

It should be noted that the 53-year-old Dutchman only recently took charge of Olimpija — on August 11, 2025 — and has led the Slovenian champions in just two matches so far: a Conference League win over Egnatia and a league defeat to Koper.

The match Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) vs Noah (Armenia) will take place on August 21 in Ljubljana, kicking off at 22:00 Yerevan time.

See also:

Sandro Perkovic: “We deserve to play in Europe and we will fight for victory”