In Kiev it was of course still about qualification for the Champions League, but London Stadium, with 47,000 spectators tomorrow — more than three-quarters full — offers an altogether different challenge. Not only because the Olympic Stadium is a beautiful temple of football, but of course also because of the level of the opponent, who have been one of the top sides in the Premier League this season.
There is no question of fear, our coach said at the press conference. As a Dutchman, he does not know that word in a footballing sense. No, this is simply a very nice opportunity for our players.
John van den Brom: “What a fantastic challenge this is: a beautiful stadium, a fantastic pitch and a set of supporters that will provide a great atmosphere. And a great opponent of course, because West Ham are a very strong team. What more could you want as a footballer? This makes me want to play football as well. The squad are feeling this, too. I only have to look into their eyes; they are right there on that pitch in training.”
There was also time for Junya Ito to speak at the press conference. Does playing against a Premier League team in particular excite him?
Junya Ito: “Not really. I used to watch some English football at home. Back then I followed Manchester United, but not fanatically.”
After the press conference came training. It was the traditional “day before” hour — lots of work with the ball, games focused on possession and finishing drills.
The players and staff had taken up residence in the Hilton in the center of town shortly after noon. They had had a 50-minute flight from Maastricht, with a landing that was luckily a lot softer than that of the plane that came from Liège with the team’s delegation: VIPs and sponsors, staff members and the media. Bam! What a landing! It was something that was quite scary. Hopefully things aren’t so hard tomorrow, but will the team will be hoping for a result that scares the hosts here in London? Gladly!
