Coach Felice Mazzù and midfielder Kristian Arnstad took a seat in the press room before the game against Silkeborg IF.
Coach Felice Mazzù has an almost fully fit squad available for the first game of the group stage of the Conference League. Only Adrien Trebel (shoulder) and Benito Raman (ankle) are still sidelined with injuries. The players who were sidelined last weekend due to stomach flu, such as Yari Verschaeren, Mario Stroeykens, Kristian Arnstad and Francis Amuzu, were able to resume training this week.
"We are sitting here with a lot of positivity. It has been a while since this club played in a European group stage, so we are especially looking forward to it. It's a different league than the Jupiler Pro League, where things are not going so well at the moment. In the last game against OHL, we were of course disappointed with the result, but I was pleased with our mental resilience after we fell behind twice due to rather individual mistakes. We look forward to this match and this competition with a lot of positive energy."
Coach Mazzù and his staff have studied the Danish opponent in detail. "It is a team that normally plays in a 4-3-3 formation. They are technically strong on the ball and have a lot of good footballers in the squad. It’s no coincidence that they play for the top places in the Danish league. With Young Boys we also faced a strong team in the play-off round. I really think that the level of these teams should not be underestimated. But it's clear: we’re playing at home, so we want to get three points.”
Kristian Arnstad, the Norwegian midfielder who celebrates his 19th birthday today, also joined the press conference. He played in the 4 qualifying matches leading up to this group stage. "Matches at a European level are always full of intensity. But I think we have done well so far. I know Silkeborg are a good team, as are all clubs at this stage of the tournament. We will have to be sharp in the game tomorrow. And yes, only a win would be a nice birthday present."
Kristian briefly spoke about his contract extension at the end of last season. The midfielder will remain loyal to RSC Anderlecht until 2025. "There was never any doubt that I would stay here. This club helped me a lot in my development, even when I didn't play in the first team. Signing a new contract was a very easy choice for me."
