Perković: “Rijeka’s biggest mistake was my team, Noah”

Noah’s head coach, Croatian Sandro Perković, commented on his team’s victory over Croatian champions Rijeka (1:0) in the opening round of the UEFA Conference League group stage, held on October 2 in Yerevan.

Opening statement:
“I want to congratulate my players – they played a magnificent match at a very high level. Before the game, I said we needed to be brave to win, and that’s exactly what happened. The players gave everything, so we deserved this victory. I’m happy to start the group stage with three points. In just 72 hours, we face Urartu in a crucial match, so from this very moment we begin preparing for that game.”

— Is it an achievement for you that the Croatian champions managed only two shots on target in Yerevan?
— The fact that I knew Rijeka and their players very well helped us. But the main credit goes to my players. They followed the plan throughout the match. We worked a lot on set pieces before the game, and one of them led to our goal.

— What was Rijeka’s biggest mistake?
— Sooner or later I’ll have to return to Croatia (laughs). I think Rijeka’s biggest mistake was my team, Noah, because we played very well. Rijeka have a great squad with 6–7 national team players. The fact that they didn’t create a single scoring chance is a huge pride for me.

— Why didn’t Ulad Omar play today?
— Unfortunately, Imran was injured in the match against Ararat, that’s the reason.

— The opponent played most of the match with ten men, yet Noah couldn’t score more than once. Why?
— We played against a very strong team. It might seem like more spaces should open up when the opponent is down a man, but in positional attacks and in the final third, it’s not that evident. Rijeka didn’t open up despite the score. I think we had 3–4 chances to score, and if we had converted at least one more, it would have been easier. We hit the post once and had a 100% chance, but the main thing is we won and got three points.

— How do you assess Takuto Oshima’s performance and his adaptation?
— He played a very good match. Takuto brought great energy to the midfield. He needed time to adapt to a new country and a new team. Now he’s really playing very well, and I’m happy to have him.

— You often rotate between league and European matches, but Sergey Muradyan always plays. Why?
— Yes, he plays many minutes, but he’s young and can handle it. I always want to see him on the pitch. Even when I go to sleep, I check if Sergey is next to me or not (laughs). I think Muradyan is showing huge progress. Today he was excellent one-on-one and positionally. He also controls the ball and sees the field brilliantly – it’s fantastic. I’m happy to have such a player. I hope he won’t watch this press conference.

— Do you think your team is physically ready to play at this intensity in all Conference League matches?
— I’m completely confident. Yes, it will be tough, the schedule is heavy, but we have a big squad with many quality players. I will use every single player.

— Today Mulahuseinović played the whole match and needed good crosses from the left wing. Why did you bring on Thorarinsson so late?
— I made late substitutions because I was satisfied with the team’s physical condition. I agree we needed good crosses, especially in the first half, but in the second half I was satisfied with both the number and quality of them.

— This season you’ve beaten the champions of Montenegro, Slovenia, and now Croatia. Can we say Noah are the champions of the Balkans?
— Yes, that’s interesting, but first we had to beat Gibraltar, and only then think about being champions of the Balkans (smiles).

— What do you say about the atmosphere in the stadium?
— Yes, it was a great atmosphere, unlike the league match against Ararat. In the domestic league there are very few fans at the stadium, but today everything was fantastic, and we got a lot of energy. But above all, I want to call on fans to also attend Armenian league matches. There are excellent and exciting games here, and believe me, it’s sad that such matches are played in front of empty stands.

Closing remarks:
“Last season, in the final eight rounds, I was the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb, and we lost the title to Rijeka only on goal difference. Today I dedicate this victory to my father – he is a big Noah fan and will definitely watch this press conference. I’m very grateful to him.”