"Of course, it's very nice to be back here at a special place for me," said Kasper Hjulmand in the press conference at Parken in Copenhagen on Wednesday evening. The 53-year-old knows the stadium well from his time as the Denmark coach, but he emphasised: "I've said before: When the game starts, it's a game like any other. I'm fully focussed on my team. After the game I will certainly think more about the atmosphere, but during the game I am fully focussed. I'm here for my team."
The most important thing for the Dane is that tomorrow's match "will be a big football party. Two good teams will be on the pitch and playing at the highest European level. We're looking forward to a special night."
It will also be a special night for Mark Flekken who is set to make his first appearance in Europe’s elite club competition. Flekken: "Playing in the Champions League is a dream come true for me. I'm really looking forward to the game". The Dutchman also looked back on his path to the UCL: "I took a few diversions, including via the third division and Bundesliga 2. Now I'm at a great club and my full focus is on tomorrow's game."
Flekken said of his coach Kasper Hjulmand: "I've had very good experiences with Danish coaches so far" (laughs). During his time at Brentford, the Dutchman played under Thomas Frank (head coach at Tottenham Hotspur since July, ed). Frank and Hjulmand both worked for the Danish club Lyngby BK at the same time, and both have a similar philosophy. Flekken: "I now sense similar principles to be shown on the pitch. That makes it easier for me, of course."
Hjulmand then spoke about the opponents and paid them "great respect" due to their "remarkable development". It should be noted that FC Copenhagen was only founded in 1992 and they are now the Danish record champions. Hjulmand: "Copenhagen are very strong at home, have really good players and many good teams have had problems here. Copenhagen has raised Danish football to a higher level." The Werkself therefore have a clear strategy: "We will fight for a good start in the Champions League," said Hjulmand.
The injured Exequiel Palacios and Nathan Tella are ruled out for tomorrow’s game. Hjulmand: "It's a great pity for Pala. But these things can happen in football. Basically, we always need the whole squad anyway. All players must always be ready. We have a great team and all the players are ready to go."
The Werkself can look forward to the support of 1,100 travelling Bayer 04 supporters for the opening game in this Champions League season. Fans who are not at the match can also watch the game on DAZN. In addition, Werkself Radio will also broadcast commentary of the clash as usual.
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