Lokomotiv (Sofia) head coach Lyuboslav Penev thanked Levski supporters for their attitude towards him after his team's defeat (1:2). The coach said he was pleased with the performance of his players, but also criticized the refereeing, BTA reports. “First, I want to thank Levski fans for their support for me. This is respect, the result and who plays don't matter here. Regarding the match, we had a very good and serious fight. We can continue like this and that is what we strive to prepare the players for, no matter who the opponent is“, said Penev.
He revealed that a week ago he had a conversation with a representative of the Bulgarian Football Union about the refereeing and pointed out several controversial situations from the match.
„I want to share something else. A week ago we had a conversation with a representative of the Football Union about the refereeing. Today I notice some things. In the first half there was an attack on our part, for which an offside was marked. The next moment they consider an offside and give the opponent an advantage, this was not explained to us. This is a great mistake. When we attack, we are positioned in one way, when we defend - in another. This is very important. I do not make excuses for the referee in any case, I would just like them to be impartial and follow the rules. In the last minutes they give us a foul in the center, and we win the ball in front of the penalty area. What is the logic? It takes us back 40 meters, and we want to score. The whole team is active, it's not okay. Just as we lost the match, we could have won it“, commented the coach.
Penev added that he will analyze the match before making more categorical conclusions.
„Now I can't comment exactly what I think. I will watch the match again, I will analyze. I congratulate the boys, I congratulate the audience. This should be our behavior in every match. We are sorry that we lost, but in football there is also this moment“, he added.
The coach once again expressed his gratitude to the Levski fans for their attitude.
„I feel happy, supported, I feel empathy. These are human relationships. We don't know everyone, but what they demonstrate – "There is no CSKA, there is no Levski or Lokomotiv," concluded Lyuboslav Penev.
Levski head coach Julio Velasquez praised his players for the character they showed in their victory over Lokomotiv (Sofia), despite the unconvincing start of the match. "We faced a difficult and very well-organized opponent. The first 10-12 minutes we were very bad, but we gradually improved our game. The boys understood what was required of them and we could have had a better result by the break. I didn't like the start of the second half either, but we managed to correct some things on the fly. After the goal we conceded on a counterattack, I want to give the players very high marks for the way they reacted and turned the match around. Even though we had a goal disallowed, we continued to believe and showed maturity, character and spirit“, said the Spanish specialist.
Velasquez stressed that such victories build confidence and cohesion in the squad. “I said at the end of the week how difficult it is to win. Only two teams managed to win in this round. When you play as a guest against such a well-organized opponent, it is not easy. That is why I highly appreciate the team's reaction and the way they remained stable to achieve a turnaround. These are victories that make the team stronger and make you feel proud as a team and as a family“, said the coach.
The Spaniard has already turned his attention to the upcoming rematch with Universitatea Craiova and did not fail to express his respect for Luboslav Penev.
“Now we need to rest and recover. We have an extremely difficult match in Romania. I hope we play a good match and win it. The most important thing is the players, not the clash between the coaches. It was important for me to see a person with such spirit. He can be an example of how you should behave in difficult moments. Before the match, he showed me incredible respect in the tunnel. These are the true values“, said Julio Velasquez in reference to Lyuboslav Penev.