Just under thirteen hours after PSV had been eliminated from the Conference League, the eye again turned to the cup final. In advance, the people of Eindhoven do not seem to be the favorite for the cup win, given the short rest period. Something that Schmidt agrees, but he knows that his team has a good chance of taking a prize.
The thump could still be felt on Friday in the press room of the Philips Stadium, but the focus was already on the next big game: the cup final. A match that is more than important to Schmidt.
“The cup final is the most beautiful match in the country. I’m looking forward to that match. It has been shown in the past that it is not easy to win the cup. PSV won the last cup in 2012 for a reason.”
The preparation for the competition is not optimal. PSV only has two days to focus on Ajax. “Tactically speaking, we can’t train on the field. For that you need a fully fit selection. But we are used to it by now in this schedule. My team knows very well what to do. I have no doubts about that.”
The German continues: “The chance to win a prize should provide enough motivation and strength to recover. Sure, it’s going to be a challenge, but we don’t want to use the schedule as an excuse. There are no excuses in a cup final.”
Schmidt does not want to say too much about the opponent. Ajax no longer seems to be swinging like it was earlier this season. Does that give hope for PSV? “What gives me the most hope is my team’s performance against Leicester City. I have nothing further to do with Ajax. We rely on our own strength.”
Around the game against the English team, the coach complained about the lack of options in the back. That broke PSV on Thursday evening and that is also a problem on Sunday. “I can ask whether Toon Gerbrands (general director) and John de Jong (technical director) will get a player soon,” the coach joked. “Just maybe Armando Obispo can make some minutes on Sunday, but otherwise we will have to find solutions again.”
PSV wants to look ahead again quickly. Leicester has been and Ajax is waiting. Also, previous confrontations are no longer looked at. “We have played against Ajax seven times in the past two years. Every match was different. That will also be the case tomorrow. The fact remains that matches against Ajax are always difficult, tomorrow will be no different.”