Horror evening for AZ in the Conference League. The Dutch club stole a 0-3 lead at the poor HSK Zrinjski from Bosnia-Herzegovina and scored four more after the break. “This is something to be ashamed of,” they realized at AZ.
LOOK. The decline of AZ in Bosnia-Herzegovina
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“We didn’t just fall through the lower limit. But also because of the border below.” AZ coach Pascal Jansen can barely comprehend what he had to witness from his team for 45 minutes. Halfway through, AZ had a comfortable (and logical) 0-3 lead against the extremely weak HSK Zrinjski from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
No one thinks possible what follows in the second half. AZ conceded no fewer than four (!) goals against the Bosnian champions and still lost. Painful for the proud semi-finalist of last season, when AZ eliminated Anderlecht, among others. “The way we played in the second half is something to be ashamed of,” captain Jordy Clasie (ex-Club Brugge) rightly made no bones about it. “We were furious. If as a group you think you are there, play a second half like that and give away the goals so easily, then you can be furious. It was laziness. We thought we were already there after the first half, in which nothing was happening. Then you have to finish such a match and win 0-4, 0-5 or 0-6.”
© ANP
A bewildered trainer Pascal Jansen joined his captain. “I have never seen AZ like this, and I have no explanation for it. What we showed in the second half is below par, we are all responsible for that. I have no words for it. It was dead quiet in the locker room. Then you hear the opponent coming in and you have to accept that pain.”
AZ could not process that pain in too much luxury, on the contrary. Images of the visitors’ changing room, which looks a lot like a room at provincial level, are circulating on social media. “The dressing room suited AZ’s level perfectly in the second half,” can be read satirically on social media. The Zrinsjki stadium itself did not look too professional as a whole, with a gigantic Conference League banner stretched along the sidelines.
The AZ dressing room. © Twitter
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The Bosnian champions were of course delirious with joy after their unlikely stunt. Trainer Krunoslav Rendulic was in full euphoria and believed that his players deserved a triple winning bonus. “How they came back from a 0-3 deficit to win 4-3, and not against a team from some village,” Rendulic told local media. “I know what kind of personalities they are. They have character and never give up. We have been rewarded for that. My players are the real heroes, not me.”
After the defeat on Bosnian soil, AZ faces a tough job in the next five group matches. The Dutch are next to Zrinjski in the group with Aston Villa and Legia Warschau – not exactly small shrimps. Youri Tielemans and co lost 3-2 in Poland on Thursday, so surprisingly Zrinsjki and Legia share the top position.
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Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan (ex-Club) drops off. © ANP © ANP © ANP © ANP © ANP
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