Sandro Perković․ We have quality, and I would like us to reach the playoff stage

Noah’s head coach, Sandro Perković, spoke with the Croatian outlet Jutarnji about Armenia, Noah, and the victory over the Croatian champion.


That result, Perković told Jutarnji, “resonated in Armenia — because it’s a big deal when the Armenian champion knocks out a Croatian one.”
 

“It’s a huge win, especially considering we were missing seven or eight players who would normally start or come off the bench, which makes it even greater. I received a lot of congratulations; people here really respect Croatia and Croatian football. 
 

“I really like Yerevan — people are warm and kind, always ready to help. The weather is pleasant this time of year, so everything fits perfectly. 

“We weren’t at full strength against Rijeka, but we played a complete match. We had a clear idea and plan. This season we’ve brought in a lot of new players — I was involved in their signings, and I’m happy with how they’ve adapted. We’re growing day by day.”
 

“I know Rijeka very well — I’ve worked with several of their players. I didn’t say anything special; we prepared as we always do. In our analysis, we pointed out where we could hurt them. We saw that set-pieces could be our weapon, and in the end, we scored from a corner. Janković’s red card made defending easier, but it made attacking harder — we’re a team that thrives on space, and after the sending-off, Rijeka dropped into a low block, which complicated our plan.”


“Our goal was to reach the group stage, and now it’s natural to set new goals. I’d like us to be among the top 24 teams — to make the playoff round. We have the quality, and when our commitment level matches what we showed against Rijeka, we can compete with anyone.”
 

“Of course — I have great respect for Croatian players, and I’ll definitely try to strengthen the squad with a few more in the winter window. It’s not easy to bring them here, but I’ll do my best. Financially, apart from Dinamo, I’d say we’re roughly on par with other Croatian clubs — it’s comparable.”
 

— concluded Sandro Perković.