Ariel: - CL must be our ambition

20/08 2012 19:36

Head coach Ariel Jacobs outlined the ambitions of his team ahead of their UEFA Champions League qualifier with Lille, with progression to the group stage a serious possibility.

by Joe Short

According to European traditions at press conferences, Jacobs met Danish and French media alongside club captain Lars Jacobsen.

Jacobsen was clearly focussed on the task in hand:

- Lille are competent opponents and they have done well in the French league for the past several years. It will be a surprise if we go any further, but we’re going to give it a try and will of course do what we can.

- We respect every opponent we meet. I know some of them and have even played against Solomon Kalou while I was in England. There is no doubt that he can do many things on his own.

- FC Copenhagen peaked two years ago when we progressed through the group stage. We’re probably not at that level yet, but we are on the way.

Head coach Jacobs had these words to say:

- To compare Lille and Bruges is a bit like comparing the Europa League with the Champions League. Bruges – and probably FCK – are slightly between the two leagues, while Lille have enough quality for the Champions League.

- We knew well that it will be difficult to get into the Champions League and to get access to the stars – both the major clubs and the world’s best players – yet you have to be ready; it must be our ambition. I think we got a boost after the victory over Bruges.

- After we beat Bruges I found out that FCK for have qualified for European football for the seventh year in a row and for a small country like Denmark that is a huge result.

After the press conference FCK.dk caught up with a couple of Jacobsens’ teammates in the mixed zone in PARKEN:

Martin Vingaard: - It’s really great to play in the Champions League; it’s what you dream about as a child. It’s fun but it’s only really fun when we are in the group stage. It is a great experience and we should enjoy it, because not everyone gets to play Champions League football in a Danish club shirt. We need to do what we did against Bruges and take our chances.

Johan Wiland: - It’s a fun game, one of those you want to play in and we train towards. We’ve got to keep a clean sheet and our success will be determined on a good foundation heading into the return journey next week.

Christian Bolaños: - We are ready, now it is important to be focused for tomorrow’s match. I am 100 per cent ready and we come into the fight with a good self-confidence. It is important for both the team and our fans to get into the Champions League and we are totally ready!

FCK face Lille on Tuesday evening in PARKEN, kick off at 20:45 CET.