On June 26, Beijing time, after the third round of the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, Slovenian player Čerin shared the growth of the team and his feelings against England in the post-match conference.
Cherin began by recalling a turning point in the team's history, "Two years ago we suffered a 1-4 defeat against Serbia in Belgrade. That moment was an important turning point for us. Since then, we have continued to grow as a team, gradually grinding and improving."
He emphasized that the process has not only trained the team, but has given rise to a new generation of players, "It's an ongoing process through which we have managed to build a new generation of teams. This generation has achieved more than ever before, and it's a reward for the hard work we've trained over the past few years."
Talking about the match against England, Cherin said that his team was well prepared, "We analyzed their way of playing in detail and knew clearly their strengths and the threat they could pose. Throughout the game, we executed the game plan strictly and except for a few dangerous moments, they didn't pose much of a threat to us."
He further noted that it takes a whole team effort and perseverance against a strong team, "It does take a lot of hard work and patience to limit a super team. We play for each other, run a little bit more and fight a little bit more for each other. Against a strong team like England, you have to show a superb performance."
Cherin also revealed his team's confident mindset ahead of the game, "Even before the game started, we were well prepared. Even though the opponent was the mighty England, we were looking forward to such a challenge. We told everyone that this team is capable of doing it and that we have the strength. We went into this game with a positive attitude and believed that no matter what happened off the field, we could achieve a result that would allow us to successfully advance."
