Feyenoord’s Van Persie Remains Optimistic About Overcoming Inter in the Champions League

Feyenoord’s new head coach Robin van Persie believes his team still has a shot at turning the tide in their Champions League last-16 matchup against Inter Milan, despite heading into Tuesday’s second leg with a two-goal deficit.

The Dutch outfit suffered a 2-0 loss at home to the Italian side last week and now find themselves in a tough position against the Serie A leaders at the San Siro.

“The beauty of sport lies in the hope it brings, even when the odds seem stacked against you,” Van Persie stated at a press conference on Monday.

Since taking the reins, the Feyenoord manager has overseen just two matches, including the first leg where his team was outclassed.

“We want to defy expectations. Right now, everyone thinks we have no chance. I disagree. We have an opportunity to triumph over a very formidable Inter, but we must perform at our peak,” he asserted.

Van Persie emphasised the importance of belief among his players, especially after Inter’s Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez found the net during last Wednesday’s fixture in Rotterdam.

“The key message I want to convey ahead of this match is to have faith in yourselves and in each other. I’ve witnessed more unbelievable turnarounds in my time,” he remarked.

“We are embracing this significant challenge, and we won’t shy away from it. I genuinely believe we have a solid squad.”

“We will face this challenge with our current team, and morale is high. There’s no point in discussing any alternative outcomes.”

With Feyenoord not engaged in any matches over the weekend, Van Persie observed Inter come back from two goals down to edge past Monza 3-2 at the San Siro on Saturday.

“Inter consistently employs the same attacking tactics, and they execute it exceptionally well,” he noted, adding, “That presents both a significant challenge and potential opportunities. We anticipate Inter won’t change their approach tomorrow night, but there are chances to exploit even against such a strong side,” he added.

Unfortunately for Feyenoord, they will be without injured Brazilian forward Igor Paixao, one of their standout players this season, who picked up an injury in training on Monday.

“Losing Igor Paixao is undoubtedly a setback. We don’t anticipate a long-term issue, but we will assess his condition over the coming days,” said Van Persie.