On the eve of our UEFA Europa League opener, we headed into the bowels of Sofia’s historic Vasil Levski National Stadium. There, head coach Danny Röhl and Dominik Schmid fielded questions from the media in a somewhat unusual setting - the official press conference was held, at short notice, in a former gym within the arena.

Danny Röhl

Ahead of the match with Levski Sofia:

I’m definitely looking forward to the match. It’s an interesting stadium with so much history. Levski have made a very good start to their league season, and were ultimately only eliminated in the final round of Champions League qualifying. They like to play football. It will be interesting because both teams share that philosophy. We’re looking forward to it - the players have worked hard for this and are raring to go for the league phase

On the starting line-up and tactics:

There are still two or three positions up for grabs. I’m weighing up a few different options and will make the final decision just before our final team meeting.

Both teams will try to gain control of the game. Levski average over 60 percent possession in the league, much like us. It will come down to how effective our pressing is, how quickly we win the ball back, and how well we utilise our spells of possession to attack. It’s not just about having possession, but also about how determined and purposeful we are going forward.

On the atmosphere in Sofia:

We’ve done our homework. We had people on the ground watching the opposition live. That’s always different from watching on TV. We don’t know exactly how many fans will turn up tomorrow, but there were reportedly 38,000 against Athens - and that creates a real cauldron-like atmosphere. The key is for our principles to take hold, for our patterns of play to click, and for us to play with high intensity and determination in our duels.

Dominik Schmid

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Expectations ahead of the opener:

It’s sure to be an exciting game. Right now, it’s about getting into the best possible shape overnight and throughout the day tomorrow. Naturally, we want to kick off our Europa League campaign with a win.

On his role as a leader to the young players:

I don’t really need to say anything special. If I feel it’s necessary, I’ll certainly speak up. But the young players have their own preparation routines and might want some peace and quiet to focus on the match. I’ve got a fair few European matches under my belt, but the young guys will do a great job too. If they need help, we older players and the coaching staff are definitely here for them.

Kick-off at the Vasil Levski National Stadium is on Thursday at 18:45 CEST (19:45 local time). For fans back home, the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Austria, on free-to-air TV via ServusTV, and via a live stream on ServusTV On. Fans around the world should check local broadcasters.

Press conference on Europa League opener: "It's what we've worked for!“