Nuno Campos’ tactics played a crucial role in Dinamo‘s 0-1 win over Rapid, but the Portuguese coach was quick to emphasize that the victory was not just about the team’s performance, but also about the mental preparation of its players.
At the heart of the discussion was Mamadou Karamoko, the French striker who came on in the second half and scored the decisive goal. Campos was asked why Karamoko didn’t start as a regular, and the coach explained that the player was not yet ready to play 90 minutes at this level.
“We believe in all the players on the bench, not just individual players,” Campos said. “We want to talk about Karamoko so that we don’t speculate. I do things with logic. Karamoko trained with the team all week, and before that, he didn’t train every day due to some situations. He trained with the team and we believe in all the players on the bench. We’ve shown in other games that they’re very important. Mazilu scored last week. We believe in all the players in the team and we need them all.”
Campos’ comments highlighted the importance of teamwork and preparation in achieving success. The Portuguese coach emphasized that the season is long, and players need to be prepared to play consistently over a prolonged period.
“We need to build the season to achieve something. We need all the available players,” Campos said.
Campos also spoke about the need for players to be well-prepared before playing 90 minutes. He emphasized that players are not machines and need to be physically and mentally prepared to perform at their best.
“If Karamoko doesn’t train for more days and starts training now, he can’t play 90 minutes. It’s impossible to play a whole game at this level,” Campos said.
Campos’ Message to Dinamo Fans
The Dinamo coach also had a message for the team’s fans, who were instrumental in pushing the team to victory.
“A word to our fans. It’s a derby, everyone knows how important it is. This success is for them. They pushed us from behind, even when we were struggling. We’ve gained a strong mental attitude. Congratulations to the players, congratulations to the fans!” Campos said.
Campos on the Importance of Mental Preparation
Campos emphasized the importance of mental preparation in achieving success, particularly in away games. He said that the team’s motivation is to take points wherever they play, and that’s the mentality of winners.
“The game has different parts. At the beginning, it was tighter, the players were fresher, the spaces were smaller, and it was difficult to create. We missed more passes. At halftime, we showed some images to correct some things. We scored on the counter, on a transition, and the game opened up. The most important thing is for all the players to understand where to receive the ball. That means understanding the game and growing that idea. Some players have certain characteristics, others have others. As a team, we felt we suffered in some moments. Rapid has a lot of quality, but we knew how to suffer and be a team. I can’t single out a player of the match,” Campos said.
The Dinamo coach’s comments highlighted the importance of mental preparation and teamwork in achieving success, and the need for players to be well-prepared to play consistently over a prolonged period.
**The Implication: Dinamo‘s victory over Rapid sets the tone for a long and challenging season, and the team will need to continue to work hard and prepare well to achieve their goals.**