At PSV, nobody takes the national title into account. After the 2-0 defeat against Ajax, the backlog is nine points on the Amsterdam leader. Trainer Peter Bosz and captain Luuk de Jong throw the towel almost in the ring with regard to the championship. The focus is on defending second place.
“We have to go very crazy, we still want to become a champion,” were Peter Bosz’s first words afterwards. The trainer knew that he had lost the decisive battle an hour earlier from Ajax.
PSV is currently closer to third place than first place and so the focus is also on defending second place. “It is real to look down,” Bosz agreed. “That second place is terribly important. Not just about the prestige, but it is also about a lot of money.”
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The second place is good for direct placement for the Champions League. If PSV is unexpectedly third, the club must first survive the preliminary rounds.
“We have to realize what we are still playing for,” was De Jong’s reaction. The leader also no longer sees PSV becoming champion, but he still wants to get the Champions League. “The Champions League is the most beautiful stage.”
“They have more football players who play with the knife between the teeth.”
The striker and the trainer agreed on the game. It was simply not good enough. Bosz: “It seemed like we were very nervous on the ball. I am not used to my team. We had a little more grip in the second half, but we did not create any opportunities. It was a justified victory of Ajax.”
“They have implemented their way of playing football,” he continued his analysis. “They have more football players who play with the knife between the teeth. We have to put good football on that. That did not work.”
And so it is a crisis in Eindhoven again, right? De Jong: “Certainly not. This is a top match. These are special competitions. They are decided on details. That can always happen. We must now ensure that the season does not go out like a night candle.”