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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Paul Gorst

What happened during Ajax press conference after dance party leads to major pitch concerns

Ajax Remko Pasveer Alfred Schreuder Jurgen Klopp Darwin Nunez UEFA Champions League Naby Keita Napoli Steven Gerrard Thiago

If Liverpool's visit to Ajax represents do-or-die for the Dutch giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night, you wouldn't have known it during the pre-match press conference.

The Eredivisie side may well be entertaining last year's finalists this week but there was a subdued assembly of press on Tuesday afternoon at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

Goalkeeper Remko Pasveer was up alongside manager Alfred Schreuder in front of a smattering of media that included the ECHO as Ajax prepare to welcome Jurgen Klopp's side to Amsterdam. Here's what we learned from the pre-match press conference.

Life's a pitch

One issue that is likely to confront Klopp's players on Wednesday night is a less-than-ideal pitch at the world famous Cruyff ArenA.

Last weekend, the stadium played host to the Amsterdam Dance Event 2022, which featured sets from the likes of Afrojack, Nicky Romero and Tiesto. With thousands of party-goers having turned up for the event on Saturday, the pitch is believed to be one issue for the Dutch club to resolve.

So disrupted is the turf, in fact, that goalkeeper Pasveer was asked about it as a potential problem during the game. "I wasn't one of those people dancing on it!" said the veteran goalkeeper. "I had a look at it, but I think people are working hard on it so it will be perfect tomorrow."

Pasveer may have chosen to side-step that particular question but it will be interesting to see what Klopp makes of it when he and his backroom staff inspect the venue upon their arrival on Wednesday evening.

Pasveer on the spot

Nothing less than victory is needed for Ajax on Wednesday night after their successive defeats to Napoli came after their 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in mid-September.

Those three results have left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread and the Europa League will be awaiting them in the New Year if Klopp's side get at least a draw on Wednesday.

As a result of Ajax's perilous situation, it seems as though many of those in the Dutch media have written off their chances if a modestly attended conference is evidence of such a thing.

Those in attendance, however, quizzed Pasveer on just why Ajax, who qualified for the last 16 last season under Erik ten Hag before being shot down by Darwin Nunez then at Benfica, are struggling to match the likes of Napoli and Liverpool this time out.

"What's changed defensively to last season? We have a couple of new players, now they have to get a feel for the Ajax style of play.

"It's not just a question of one guy (Lisandro Martinez, now at Manchester United). It's the whole team. We have to be more aggressive, we played too much of the ball back to me [in the game at Anfield]. I don't want the ball, that's why I became a keeper!

"It's a completely different game against Liverpool. The players cannot allow themselves to not be concentrated, there will be a different kind of focus. It will be there. Against the smaller teams it may be less there. In the Champions League it will be different."

Schreuder: 'A point could yet help'

Ajax coach Schreuder knows a win is a must if his side are to have any chance of taking their Group A hopes to the last round of fixtures next week.

But asked about the potential of a point being vital to the secondary aim of booking a place in the Europa League, Schreuder said that was very much a contingency plan if in-form group leaders Napoli are beating rock-bottom Rangers in Italy, as many expect.

"We want to win," he said. "And I know for sure we will give everything to win and then we at least have a chance in the Champions League. Depending on how tomorrow's game goes, if we have to be happy with one point then we will think about that after the game, but we just go for the win."

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