CSKA Sofia Kehilangan Dua Pemain Pilar Akibat Masalah Visa

Klub asal Bulgaria, CSKA Sofia, dipastikan tampil pincang tanpa diperkuat kiper Fyodor Lapoukhov dan gelandang Max Ebong saat melakoni laga leg kedua babak kualifikasi pertama Liga Eropa UEFA melawan Derry City di Stadion Ryan McBride Brandywell pada Kamis malam, 16 Juli 2026.

Kedua penggawa tim nasional Belarus tersebut terpaksa absen akibat kendala pengurusan visa dari otoritas Inggris Raya, meskipun pihak klub mengonfirmasi seluruh dokumen telah diajukan tepat waktu sebelum jadwal keberangkatan ke Irlandia Utara.

Absennya sejumlah pilar tim tamu menjadi keuntungan tersendiri bagi Derry City yang mengusung misi membalikkan ketertinggalan agregat 2-3 demi mengamankan tiket kelolosan ke babak berikutnya.

Manajer Derry City, Tiernan Lynch, menegaskan bahwa skuad asuhannya tidak perlu merasa gentar menghadapi klub dengan kekuatan finansial besar yang bahkan mampu mendatangkan pemain sekelas Stefano Sensi dengan gaji 60.000 euro per bulan.

"I'm not going to sit here and try and have arrogance about us because I don't think we've done enough to do that," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch menginginkan pasukannya bermain dengan penuh keyakinan di hadapan pendukung sendiri dan mengeksploitasi kelemahan lawan yang telah mereka petakan dari pertemuan pertama.

"What we have to do is understand the areas where we feel we can exploit them now that we have a little more knowledge of their personnel," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Sang manajer mengakui taktik dan formasi tidak terduga dari CSKA Sofia sempat mengejutkan barisan pertahanan anak asuhnya pada pertandingan pekan lalu di Sofia.

"Technically they are a very good team. They have some really good footballers and are a real threat. There were a couple of players we expected to play that didn't play.

We were probably taken aback by the shape they played. It wasn't the shape we were expecting them to play," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Kendati demikian, Lynch optimistis atmosfer intim dan intimidatif di Stadion Brandywell akan memberikan suntikan moral sekaligus ketenangan ekstra bagi skuad berjuluk The Candystripes.

"So who knows what Thursday is going to bring from their end. There's a couple of elements for our game we need to get better at. We need to show a little bit more confidence and composure. Hopefully at home, with our own supporters behind us that intimidation factor that I think the Brandywell will bring, we will go into it with plenty of belief," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Ia terus menanamkan keyakinan kepada para pemainnya bahwa perbedaan status sejarah dan nilai pasar kedua tim akan melebur menjadi pertarungan seimbang di atas lapangan hijau.

"We are where we are," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Lynch juga mengingatkan anak asuhnya bahwa nama besar CSKA Sofia yang pernah menembus semifinal Piala Champions di masa lalu bukanlah alasan untuk merasa inferior.

"The two teams and clubs – all you have to do is look at the new stadium they've built. The difference in the club in terms of size and stature and the wage bill and the monetary value that goes with it but when you step onto that pitch it's 11 v. 11. I keep trying to tell the players that, no disrespect to CSKA but it's not Barcelona," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Performa impresif pada 30 menit terakhir di laga leg pertama membuktikan bahwa Derry City memiliki kapabilitas untuk bersaing ketat di kompetisi Eropa.

"We've seen for the last 30 minutes of the game on Thursday night that we can play at this level and compete at this level. It's really important we don't show any disrespect but it's also important we try to impose our game," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Bagi Lynch, minimnya pengalaman sebagian besar pemainnya di kancah kontinental kini bukan lagi menjadi beban mental setelah melewati laga debut pekan lalu.

"There's definitely things we felt we could have and should have done better. You also have to remember a lot of our players it was their first time playing in Europe. Now the monkey is off our back, I don't think there's any huge pressure on our shoulders.

I think we can go and enjoy the game in front of our own fans. As long as we give 100 percent, I think we will be okay," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Satu gol yang berhasil dicetak di Sofia dinilai menjadi modal penting bagi Derry City untuk mengendalikan jalannya laga penentuan di kandang sendiri.

"There's definitely areas we feel we can exploit and we will cause them problems no doubt. It's in our hands as far as I'm concerned. That last goal gave us a bit of a platform.

Something to hang onto and get after. It's just managing the game," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Ia mengimbau pasukannya agar bermain dengan kepala dingin dan tidak langsung menyerang secara membabi buta sejak sepak mula demi menghindari kesalahan fatal.

"The fans will be there and it will be an electric atmosphere. You will want to go gung-ho and get after them. We have to manage that situation.

You can't win the game in the first 10 minutes but you can lose it. It's playing with our heads as well as our hearts," kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Terakhir, Lynch berharap para pendukung Derry City dapat membalas tekanan atmosfer bising yang sebelumnya dihadapi para pemainnya saat bermain di markas CSKA Sofia.

"The intimidation factor that their fans brought and how noisy they were. I thought our boys managed that brillianty. It's hugely iportant our fans recipriocate. It's a smaller ground, tighter ground, in your face and I think the more intimidating we can make that the better it will be for us," ujar Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Pihak CSKA Sofia mengonfirmasi bahwa absennya Lapoukhov dan Ebong murni disebabkan oleh kendala administratif visa dari otoritas Inggris Raya yang tidak kunjung terbit hingga hari keberangkatan tim ke Irlandia Utara.