Ajax coach Frank de Boer has urged his players to play with their hearts when they face Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday.
- By James Rowe
Ajax host the Scottish Champions on Thursday as the Europa League group stages gets underway, and Frank de Boer faced the media’s questions on the game.
Asked about why he thinks Ajax have had good results against British teams, De Boer stated, “I think it’s mainly due to the fact that these clubs also want to play football and do not hide away. In the case of Man City, Man Utd they are obliged to play attractive football because they are the favorites. Also Celtic play in the opponents half. I think due to our tactical knowledge we can profit due to the space on the pitch and be dangerous and use that to our advantage.”
On whether its a battle between tactics or playing with heart he added, “Yes but the most Important thing is to play with the heart let me be clear about that. That’s where everything begins. If you do not have that then you do not go far with tactics. It begins in the first instance with the heart and if you have that it can make the difference:
A few seasons ago Ajax faced Manchester United in the Europa League and De Boer decided to deploy Christian Eriksen as a centre forward. On whether Davy Klaassen could fill this role on Thursday, De Boer said, “Yes that is likely.”
Ajax face Celtic on 6pm on Thursday.
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