Spugna: “Ajax will be tough but we want to play our game”

What is Ajax's greatest strength and how do you plan to deal with it?

“Ajax are an excellent team and they showed that by getting a great result in their first game against a superb side like PSG.

“They're a very young side as per the club's tradition because Ajax have always placed a strong emphasis on young players.

“They're a team to be held up as an example. We saw in their game last week how much desire and determination they have. They put in a lot of running and are skilful as well. We're certainly expecting a very tough match.”

What did you learn from last week's match in Germany? That Roma are good enough to get out of the group? Do you think Ajax are perhaps a notch above what you might have expected?

“We learnt a lot of things from our game in Munich. The first is that we played a great game against a fantastic team, perhaps the best in the group.

“The best thing is we managed to get ourselves back in the game from a scoreline that would nearly always be very difficult to come back from. When you're 2-0 down against a side like Bayern, it's not at all easy. Just when we were finding it most difficult, we managed to find another gear and that's how we earned the result we got. It suggests we're on the right track to get to that level ourselves.

“We've never seen Ajax as the weakest team in the group because we saw how well they're doing in their league with very good and interesting young players.

“At things stand, they're top of the group on three points. It will be a tough game, and an important game because with Bayern and PSG playing each other it's an opportunity for us.

“There's still a long way to go in the group stage. For now we have to focus on this match and make sure we don't slip up because Ajax will come here with their mentality and have a real go at us. They have this incredible 'play to win' mentality.

“It's a game that could go any way but we want to really perform well. I hope the game in Munich has given us that extra belief.”

Would you take a draw?

“I'd never take a draw in any game, so no. I say it could go any way because Ajax won't come here to try to defend and nick a draw. They're an attack-minded team and they get lots of numbers forward.

“We must give everything we've got to claim these three points because it would would put us in a great position going forward.”

Are you planning to make any changes in midfield? Could Giada Greggi come back in? How is Elisa Bartoli? And a question about Camelia Caesar: last time Laura Feiersinger joined you for the press conference and she started the game. Does that mean Ceasar will start tomorrow?

“Camelia spoke very well about the competition between them but I don't see it as competition, just as I don't see them as having specific roles. They have to know that I have faith in them and playing one game more or less is not going to change that.

“As Camelia said, we have lots of competitions to play in and lots of great players. They all need to be calm. When they get the call, they need to show what they can do, as they have done so far.

“As for tomorrow, it's up to us to play our game. It will probably be different to Munich as Bayern are the strongest side in the group from a physical perspective.

“But as I've said before, in the Champions League you can make plans and think certain things and then the match goes very differently because you never know how it will pan out. Ajax are a very rapid, unpredictable side. They have players capable of switching position regularly: for example you could find [Nadine] Noordam at right-back, then left centre midfield, or in attack.

“It makes it hard to know what team you'll be up against. However, as a general principle, Ajax are a team that try to attack all the time because they have top players up front. We have to try and impose our own game on them. If we're able to control proceedings, even against international opposition, we can do well. That's what we'll be looking to do.”

Has the Bayern game given your team greater self-belief?

“I hope so. These games are important because we must keep growing. They give us the chance to test ourselves against the best. When you come away from a match like last week's in Munich and you've played well – even more so if you've got a good result – it does boost your confidence. And you have to take that with you into the rest of the week, when you train, in your domestic games, and of course in the Champions League. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to show that.”

Where do you think your team's weaknesses lie, if there are any? Does your team realise that you're constantly going that one step further?

“I hope we can carry on taking those steps further. But as I keep saying, the Champions League is a really tough competition with amazing teams in it every year.

“We want to show we're up to it and tomorrow we'll go out there to play for the three points. If we succeed, we'll put ourselves in a good position in the group. Then we'll be able to think about how well we can do in this group, which I think is the toughest of the four.

“If we do manage to give hold our own in this group and reach the knockouts, then we'll be able to think we've taken a big step forward.”