A SHADOW HAS BEEN CAST OVER THE FINAL
Emotional Ajax boss admits: ‘We should be celebrating a football feast. But it does not feel like that.’
AJAX boss Peter Bosz admits the Europa League final has lost its “glow” and has revealed how his players have been affected by the Manchester atrocity.
Bosz was speaking with raw emotion as he expressed his sympathy in the wake of the terror attack and said that he had held an emotional meeting with his players. And the Dutchman (left) revealed how close to home it felt because some of his players, together with their families, also went to an Ariana Grande concert when the US pop star was in Amsterdam at the 17,000-capacity Ziggo Dome just 10 days ago. Bosz said: “It’s something we feel at Ajax. On behalf of the players, the staff and everyone at the club, we would like to express our deep sympathy.
“This final does not have the glow as it should have. We should be celebrating a football feast. But it does not feel like that.
“It only happened yesterday. It still feels so fresh, so I find it
difficult to find the words, but I think it’s appropriate to say those words.
“Of course, we have talked about this. About 10 days ago, Ariana Grande was in Amsterdam and some of the players, their wives and children went to the concert.
“When you see how close something like this is to you, how it could affect you, it makes it even more emotional.” Ajax midfielder Lasse Schone revealed that his wife went with one of their three children to the concert and he was clearly shaken by the events as he spoke at the pre-match press conference.
Schone said: “It’s terrible. As the coach said, Ariana Grande played the concert and my wife went with our children.
“It’s just so close, it makes you realise. We are professionals, but this makes you understand and makes it even more real.”
Bosz put aside any notion of rabble-rousing, ahead of Ajax’s first European final since 1996, when they lost to Juventus on penalties in the Champions League.
He was so emotional that he insisted on making an opening speech in Dutch, so he could choose his words carefully.
But he then went on to conduct much of the press conference in English, admitting he had mixed feelings about the whole occasion.
It should be the biggest night of some of the young players’ lives, but, as Bosz admitted, a “shadow” hangs over the Europa League final.
But he insisted it was not down to him whether the final should have been postponed.
He said: “That’s not up to us. I’m here for the game. It’s terrible what’s happened, but that’s not down to us.”
Bosz was then asked whether, because he admitted the glow was missing from the final, that it would ruin the occasion, if they won, and also spoil any celebrations.
He added: “It’s difficult for me to say. But this was a match that we were all looking forward to and it should be something that we are celebrating. The fact that we are discussing this the day before means we cannot.
“But this is a final that Manchester wants to win, Ajax wants to win, but, of course, it casts a shadow.”