Priske Defiant Following Feyenoord’s Heavy Loss, Praises Debutant Hwang

“It’s a setback, no doubt about it. But that’s football: when you stumble, you have to pick yourself up as quickly as possible, work hard, and aim to improve next time.”

Feyenoord coach Brian Priske expressed his disappointment but remained combative following the heavy 4-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The Dane had hoped for a better start with the Rotterdam side, especially as they’re also struggling in the Eredivisie. However, he’s not letting this defeat dampen his spirits.

“Losing 0-4 at home is never pleasant, and I’m human, so I understand that. It’s definitely tough right now, but I believe these are the moments that reveal your character. Tomorrow, I’ll rise with the determination to do my best for the boys and prepare them well for the upcoming weekend.”

Key Moments

While captain Quinten Timber remarked to Ziggo Sport that he didn’t think Feyenoord began poorly against Leverkusen, Priske shared that sentiment. “I actually thought we started the match quite well,” he noted. “We knew we had to play almost perfectly to secure a result against this opponent, but unfortunately, we made four or five poor decisions at crucial moments in the first half. At this level, the margins are small, and minor mistakes can lead to major consequences.”

Does Priske find any positives in the wake of the Champions League defeat? “Hwang In-Beom’s debut was very good. Considering he’s only trained with us a few times, what he showcased was impressive. Hwang is definitely someone who can elevate the team’s level.”

Hwang himself maintained a modest and professional demeanor when speaking to the media, communicating in fluent English. After an extraordinary journey through Canada, Russia, Greece, and Serbia, the nearly 28-year-old midfielder is now settled in Rotterdam-Zuid.

“This is a tough result to take, but I’m happy to make my debut in this stadium with these amazing fans,” Hwang stated. “I apologize to the supporters who came out to back us. We will certainly perform better in the upcoming games. Please keep cheering for us; we will repay you.”

Mistakes Against Top Teams

Reflecting on the match, Hwang emphasized, “When you’re down 0-4 in the first half, you can’t really discuss tactics. We needed to be mentally sharper today. I played in the Champions League last year and learned that you can’t afford mistakes against top teams; they will capitalize on them.”

And what’s next? “We can’t dwell on this disappointment for too long,” Hwang said. “We have many more games coming up in the league, Champions League, and cup. We need to regroup and look ahead.”

Alonso: ‘It Wasn’t That Easy’

Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso also weighed in briefly after the match. The successful Spanish coach disagreed with the notion that it was an easy victory for his side.

“It might have looked easy, but achieving this is really not straightforward. We weren’t particularly pleased with our first half, but we were very efficient, which set us up nicely for the second half.”

Alonso expressed confidence in Feyenoord’s potential: “They have top players that many clubs in Europe would love to have. Sometimes, it’s all about the mindset to turn things around. I’m sure that in three months, the situation here will look very different.”