CSKA Sofia Menjamu Derry City di Kualifikasi Liga Europa

Klub Bulgaria CSKA Sofia dijadwalkan menjamu wakil Irlandia Derry City dalam pertandingan leg pertama babak kualifikasi pertama Liga Europa di Stadion Nasional Vasil Levski pada Kamis malam waktu setempat.

Pertandingan ini menjadi pembuka ambisi kedua tim untuk menembus fase liga setelah CSKA Sofia finis di peringkat keempat Parva Liga musim lalu, sementara Derry City mengakhiri kompetisi sebagai runner-up League of Ireland 2025.

Skuad tuan rumah yang kini dilatih Hristo Yanev tercatat melakukan perombakan besar dengan menggelontorkan dana sebesar 6,2 juta euro untuk mendatangkan pemain baru seperti Santiago Leandro Godoy dan mantan gelandang Inter Milan Stefano Sensi.

Di kubu tim tamu, manajer Tiernan Lynch membawa empat pemain rekrutan baru termasuk gelandang asal Belanda Nick Twisk dan Ellis Chapman guna menambah kekuatan tim yang saat ini masih tertahan di peringkat keenam klasemen domestik 2026.

Bek tengah Derry City Patrick McClean membagikan memorinya saat menyaksikan pertemuan terakhir kedua tim di ajang yang sama pada tahun 2009 silam ketika kakaknya, James McClean, berada di dalam skuad.

"James was on the bench, they took the lead and Derry equalised, but they won the tie 2-1 after winning the first leg 1-0 in Sofia." kata Patrick McClean, bek Derry City.

Pemain berusia 29 tahun itu menegaskan bahwa seluruh anggota tim merasa sangat antusias dan menganggap kompetisi Eropa ini sebagai momentum awal yang baru bagi klub.

"The boys are all excited and ready to go. These European ties mean we’re putting the league to bed for a month and focusing on something else, giving us a fresh start." ujar Patrick McClean.

Ia juga mengakui adanya kritik dari para suporter akibat performa buruk di kompetisi domestik belakangan ini, termasuk kekalahan kandang 4-2 dari Waterford.

"We have to put everything behind us because there has been a lot of negative, and obviously rightly so we’re getting a lot of stick, but if we can go and put a good run together here then we can give the fans something to cheer about, which we haven’t done this season." ucap Patrick McClean.

Mengenai kekuatan lawan, Patrick McClean menyebut bahwa CSKA Sofia merupakan tim tangguh yang memiliki deretan pemain berlabel internasional.

"CSKA Sofia were probably the team that we were looking at most and hoping we got them, and that’s no disrespect to them." kata Patrick McClean.

Target utama tim asal Irlandia Utara tersebut adalah menjaga asa lolos tetap terbuka sebelum melakoni leg kedua di Stadion Ryan McBride Brandywell.

"We know we’re more than capable of getting a result, but it’s just about going there and making sure we keep the tie alive and get back to the Brandywell, where hopefully we’ll have a full house." ujar Patrick McClean.

Dirinya menambahkan bahwa tim tidak datang dengan rasa percaya diri berlebihan, melainkan fokus penuh pada taktik yang harus dijalankan.

"It’s not a case of us going into this game and thinking we’re going to roll them over and we’ll get into the next round; we’re just focusing on the task in hand and we know they’re going to be a tough team to play against." kata Patrick McClean.

Pertandingan di level kontinental ini diakuinya menjadi alasan utama di balik keputusannya untuk kembali membela Derry City.

"But that’s going to be the case for them playing against us, and then it’s all about who does it over the two legs. We’ve watched them and I’ve been watching some of my own stuff and I’ll obviously be doing my own homework on them as well… they’ve got some good players and some internationals." ucap Patrick McClean.

Ia meminta rekan-rekannya untuk melupakan hasil buruk di laga-laga sebelumnya dan fokus pada pembuktian di lapangan hijau.

"Playing in Europe in these types of games is why I came back to Derry." kata Patrick McClean.

Rasa optimistis serupa juga ditunjukkan oleh sang manajer, Tiernan Lynch, yang meminta para pemainnya menikmati setiap momen di kompetisi Eropa.

"We can’t be looking too far ahead and at the same time we can’t be looking at the past and what has happened, because it means nothing and it isn’t going to help us," ujar Patrick McClean.

Lynch memaparkan dua pesan utama yang terus ia tekankan kepada tim menjelang laga di stadion berkapasitas 43.000 penonton tersebut.

"We know things haven’t been good enough this season, but we’ve got a chance here now to rally and give the fans something to shout about." kata Patrick McClean.

Derry City dipastikan tampil tanpa gelandang Adam O’Reilly yang terkena sanksi larangan bertanding, serta Darragh Markey dan James Clarke yang mengalami cedera.

"One, you have to enjoy every minute of these experiences. They don't come around very often so when you get decent ties like this, you have to enjoy it." kata Tiernan Lynch, Manajer Derry City.

Terkait minimnya informasi mengenai kekuatan CSKA Sofia yang baru menyelesaikan pramusim, Lynch menganggap hal tersebut sebagai tantangan yang menarik.

"The second message is we have to try and get this tie back to the Brandywell tomorrow night - that's very much what it is about for us." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

Ia menilai perubahan formasi yang sering dilakukan tuan rumah dalam laga uji coba membuat prediksi susunan pemain menjadi sulit ditebak.

"It's always difficult when you're going into games and don't know a huge amount about the opposition. We're kind of going off last year but we have to give them all the respect they deserve. At the same time we have to have enough confidence and belief in ourselves as a team that we can bring our game here also." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Lynch juga memprediksi timnya akan lebih banyak tertekan dan bermain tanpa bola dalam durasi yang cukup lama di Bulgaria.

"It's one of those situations where it's a suck it and see. You've got to break your game up into segments and try and manage each of those segments." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

Kendati demikian, manajer asal Belfast itu menegaskan bahwa jerih payah para pemain sepanjang musim lalu harus dibayar tuntas dengan performa maksimal.

"We've got to watch a couple of friendlies. They make a lot of changes in friendlies so who's going to start? Who's not going to start? It's just one of those situations but there's an excitement about that as well." kata Tiernan Lynch.

Lynch memandang kondisi cuaca malam hari di Sofia tidak akan menjadi kendala besar yang mempengaruhi jalannya pertandingan.

"There's an excitement about getting to understand new players, understanding new playing styles and we have to embrace every minute of it." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

Mengenai kehadiran para pemain baru di dalam skuad, agenda tandang ke Eropa ini dinilainya menjadi momentum yang sangat tepat untuk proses adaptasi.

"Things won't go our way at times. We will probably have to do without the ball for long periods tomorrow night but we've been used to that with certain teams in our own league. It's just one of those games. You have to enjoy every minute," kata Tiernan Lynch.

Secara khusus, Lynch memberikan perhatian kepada Ellis Chapman yang sempat meredup penampilannya saat berseragam Shelbourne.

"There's actually no better feeling when you know that the work you put in last year and the boys worked so hard last year to get themselves this opportunity. There's no point taking this opportunity without embracing or enjoying it. That's the key message." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

Pemenang dari agregat laga ini akan menghadapi Qarabağ FK atau Vestri di babak kualifikasi kedua Liga Europa, sedangkan tim yang kalah akan turun ke babak kualifikasi kedua Liga Konferensi Eropa untuk melawan HNK Rijeka.

"We've work to do. We're not here to make up the numbers. We know this side has talent but we also know we have talents. It's about enjoying every minute." kata Tiernan Lynch.

"I don't think it's meant to be like this tomorrow night but if it did stay like this or if it had been tonight we would've been laughing." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

"That's all part and parcel of being in Europe and managing the conditions. That;'s a great experience for the players; understanding the different challenges that come with playing in Europe." kata Tiernan Lynch.

"Hopefully we can come away with the opportunity to bring this tie back to Brandywell the following week." ucap Tiernan Lynch.

"This is probably a great time to bring them in as far as we're all away together and you're living in each other's pockets and you get to know everybody. You're eating together three times a day and training and travelling together. So it's a great opportunity for them to get to know each other." kata Tiernan Lynch.

"Obviously we've needed new faces in. It might not necessarily be the game you would want to throw them into but it is what it is and we welcome the bodies." ujar Tiernan Lynch.

"We have four players who have come in that we definitely think will add real value to the team: legs, energy, all good players, A little bit of size and strength." kata Tiernan Lynch.

"I think everyone knows Ellis. He's no stranger to the League of Ireland. He had a great spell at Sligo and we actually tried to sign him last year before he went to Shelbourne.

Things didn't quite work out at Shelbourne but you don't become a bad player overnight. Our job it to try and bring the best back out of Ellis again and get him back to where he was pre-Shelbourne days." ucap Tiernan Lynch.