RFS captain Lipušček: "We deserved to be eliminated, but this summer is incomparably better than last"
RFS captain Žiga Lipušček admitted after the 0:2 home loss to Jablonec and 1:2 aggregate defeat that the Czech side deserved to progress, but insisted the team has shown much more this summer than a year ago. The defender said the main goals remain the Virslīga title and the domestic cup.
Latvian top-flight leaders RFS have been eliminated from the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round, losing 0:2 at home to Czech club Jablonec and 1:2 on aggregate. Captain and the only RFS scorer in the tie, Žiga Lipušček, was honest in his assessment: the opponents deserved to go through.
Lipušček, a 29-year-old Slovenian centre-back, said that apart from the opening half-hour, RFS were much better than in the first leg in Czechia, but still could not produce a good enough display. He described the first match as too passive, with no clear chances created, while in the return leg the team started badly, lacked energy, and conceded two goals from errors. After that, RFS pushed forward and fought despite knowing a comeback was nearly impossible.
The captain conceded that in the 180 minutes, his team only really pressed for about 60. Even so, he believes that if RFS had played close to their potential, the tie would have been far more competitive. He recalled that the last time the team approached that level was in a victory over Ajax two seasons ago. Lipušček called last season very bad, but said that this year RFS have shown their potential on several occasions.
Reflecting on the previous European campaign, Lipušček said it was an incomparably bigger disappointment. As champions, RFS had a strong chance to reach the league phase, but did not deserve it at all. This summer, the path was harder because of the draw and the opponents, yet the team played better, learned a lot, and have been working much harder. He admitted they really wanted to make the play-off round, especially since, once there, anything can happen, but acknowledged that this European season was not successful and they only overcame the sides they were expected to beat. However, he stressed that qualification was not the main goal of the season, which is why the disappointment is not huge. Asked for a rating, he gave the campaign five out of ten. The captain added that the focus now shifts to winning the Virslīga and the cup, insisting with a smile that his team is always the favourite for him.
