Vivianne Miedema struck down the fate about Ajax on behalf of Arsenal last night in the last preliminary round of the Champions League. No Dutch club is playing in the group stage this year, while – according to Ajax player Victoria Pelova – Arsenal “was quite disappointing”.
Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain. The name of Ajax midfielder and Orange international Victoria Pelova (23) was mentioned in the foreign top and, as she admitted last night: ,,There was a big chance that I would go. Not necessarily to Arsenal, but in the end I chose to stay at Ajax and develop myself there. I am not in the base at the Orange squad and I have to keep developing myself, keep playing every week.”
European play: that was her big dream with Ajax. Flying to away games, making a name outside the premier league. Arsenal turned out to be a size too big. After it was surprisingly 2-2 in London last week, Ajax was once again able to keep up with Arsenal, last season’s quarter-finalist in the Champions League in a sluggish match in Amsterdam. The class of Orange’s all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema made the difference just after the break: 0-1.
Quote
Suppose you had continued. Then you play against clubs like Barcelona and Lyonnais. Come on. Camp Nou is my biggest dream
No Dutch club will play in the group stage of the Champions League this year, and that after a European Championship in which it also became painfully clear that the Orange Women have been surpassed in many areas. The Eredivisie does not keep up with the pace of the top competitions, while a club like Ajax does invest in the women’s branch. Is that a disaster? Not necessarily, the budgets in the top countries are simply much larger. Yesterday was such a measurement moment: how does a Dutch top team compare with an English one?
Goals too small?
Striking criticism of Ajax from the Arsenal angle. The coach of the Londoners reported yesterday that the goals in Amsterdam were too small. Read more here!
“You know,” Pelova sighed. ,,You look up when you loot Arsenal. And then I actually found it quite disappointing. It is a team full of internationals. Of course they had the upper hand, but it’s not like it could have been 10-0. I expected more pressing.” Moments later: ,,A few years ago I wasn’t there myself and Ajax played against Lyonnais, then it was 9-0. Now Lyonnais is a step up, of course, but still. I expected a little more. That is also a compliment to us, but then it is also sour if it only becomes 0-1.”
Her dream is still very much alive. “Suppose you had continued. Then you play against clubs like Barcelona and Lyonnais. Come on. Camp Nou is my biggest dream.”
That does not alter the fact that a season without European football awaits the top of the Eredivisie. Just like Ajax, FC Twente was eliminated for the Champions League in the preliminary rounds and thus also missed the group stage. Benfica was a size too big for Twente.
As a result, the Netherlands is in a bit of a split. Due to the not too highly regarded status of the competition, the teams qualified for the preliminary round of the Champions League soon draw a top club, such as Arsenal. ,,That’s not the easiest way,” Pelova admits. ,,You want to rise as a competition and you can do that if you do better in Europe. Now it’s just one game for us.”
Presumably, her European pots will still come. For Pelova and Ajax another home match against Heerenveen awaits on Sunday. An affable smile from the midfielder: ,,Fortunately, we play at home, we don’t have to go all the way to Friesland.”
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss out on any of the stars.