Tedesco insistent Monday night match not a chore for UCL-chasing Leipzig: "We feel up to it."
RB Leipzig trainer Domenico Tedesco didn't find himself in much of a grateful mood about playing a Monday fixture during his Sunday press conference.
The head-coach nevertheless emphasized that his squad was up for the task of responding to big wins from Köln and Freiburg over the weekend.
The head-coach nevertheless emphasized that his squad was up for the task of responding to big wins from Köln and Freiburg over the weekend.
| Domenico Tedesco. |
Freiburg's win moved them up into fourth place, one point ahead of Leipzig in fifth. After taking three points off Augsburg, Steffen Baumgart's Effzeh are now nipping at the heels of the German Red Bulls two points behind Leipzig in sixth.
Add to this the fact the Champions' League rivals Leverkusen (third place, one point ahead of Leipzig) are playing an Eintracht Frankfurt side with little motivation left in the league, and Tedesco was understandably sour.
"It's not cool for us to have a Monday-Thursday rhythm," Tedesco said, "but we accept it."
Tedesco has been rotating heavily between the Europa League, DFB Pokal, and weekend fixtures in recent weeks. The amount of depth on his roster should likely ensure that his irritation with the Monday match doesn't last terribly long.
Only Amadou Haidara remains out for RB, in continued rehab for a knee injury. Kevin Kampl, Willi Orban, and Mohamed Simakan--all three suspended from the UEL semi-final leg--even have a chance to come in fresh.
"The guys are eager to play a really good away fixture," the trainer noted, "We're positive about it and we feel up to it. One puts forth the maximum with three matches left in the season. Simple enjoyment of the game is what is required. It has to be fun."
