Neestrup looks ahead to Hearts showdown
F.C. Copenhagen head coach Jacob Neestrup has stressed the importance of winning Thursday's UEFA Conference League clash with Hearts and taking a big step towards playing European football in the new year.
Victory for FCK in Parken would go a long way to ensuring the Lions finish in the top 24 teams that progress to the knockout stage, following the six-match league phase.
"When had a bad start, such as in the first match, and we have put ourselves under pressure. Therefore we really, really want to get three points tomorrow," says Neestrup, whose side faced Hearts' fellow Scottish outfit Kilmarnock in qualifying for Europe back in the summer.
"We know that Scottish teams always have a big heart and do everything they can on the pitch, and we also saw that against Kilmarnock. Domestically, Hearts may not have performed as well as they'd hoped, but we have also been in situations where we've had problems in the league - or where we were really good in the league - and European football has become a kind of free space.
"So despite their results in the league, it’s different circumstances tomorrow. They have done well in the league phase, and they are higher than us in the table, and there is a reason for that.
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“If you look at their data in Scotland, they have perhaps not got the results they deserved, so they probably think they should have had a few more points by now – both under the new manager and under the one earlier in the season.
"Both Kilmarnock and Hearts are strong in terms of standards, but Kilmarnock were extremely specified in their strengths and played very direct. Hearts play a bit more and mix their direct game with short passing more.
"With all due respect to Kilmarnock, Hearts are also a bigger club, having finished third in the league twice, especially in 2022 and 2024. They're a team with a little more quality and a little more experience."
Around 30,000 fans expected in Parken
Neestrup didn’t want to go into detail about individual Hearts players, but instead highlighted their strong team ethic.
hee was also pleased about the great interest in tomorrow’s match from both the Danish and Scottish fan bases. Around 30,000 supporters are expected at the game in Parken, which kicks off at 6:45pm.