Kare Ingebrigtsen: "Zenit can win the Europa League"

The Rosenborg manager on the UEFA Europa League game with Zenit.

Head coach of Arsenal Tula, Miodrag Bozovic said that for him the main problem for him was Zenit’s squad depth. What do you see as the main problem for yourself and Rosenborg tomorrow?  

I can understand him. Zenit have a very strong squad, and because of their depth, we do not know how they will line up. It’s really hard to guess. 

Amongst you squad, you have players who have played on the highest level in Europe. In particular, Nicklas Bendtner. Will he be playing tomorrow?

Yes, as far as I know. He is here, we don’t have any injuries, and it would surprise me a lot of he didn’t play tomorrow.

How important is Bendtner for the team?

He is important, but in Europe we need to rely on our team performance, especially against Zenit, as we cannot beat them player by player. We have to play like a unit.

Who is Zenit’s most dangerous player, and what type of match will it be tomorrow?

I do not want to mention names, in general their whole team is very strong. In regard to the match, Zenit will have the ball more than us, but Zenit are not a possession-orientated team like Real Sociedad for example. They are also good on the counters, and I think we will have the ball more than we had in Spain, and it will be a different type of game.

Is Europa League your main priority now, as you have a ten-point league in the Norwegian League?

We have the opportunity, to prioritize this match the most, because of our position in the league. Right now, the Zenit game is the most important one for us.

In this season, Zenit’s previous European opponents trained at the Petrovsky Stadium to keep the pitch nice at the Stadium St. Petersburg. Did you have a choice?

Alternatively, we would have stayed home an extra day. There is no point in coming to St. Petersburg to train at a different stadium”

Were you offered the Petrovsky?

No, we were not offered.

We know it’s Rosenborg’s 100-year anniversary in 2017. What has been the biggest achievement in the club’s history?

A victory against Zenit would top it! (laughs). Rosenborg has an amazing history, with some excellent wins, amongst them wins against Dortmund, Real Madrid and Juventus stand out. This year, knocking out Ajax in the play-offs takes it so far.

Will Rosenborg play differently tomorrow than if it was an Eliteserien match?

We must be more careful, especially in the defence. Zenit will be a completely different test than anything in Norway. You can’t compare.

How good is Zenit as a team?

Zenit can win the Europa League.

Can you elaborate?

They have good footballers, a very good coach, who has won a lot and has great experience, and they have a good history. In the Europa League I believe they have a good chance.

Rosenborg has a good history, what is the secret? How come you are better than everyone in Norway?

We have a good philosophy, and we train better and harder than any other team in Norway.

Will tomorrow be a chance to showcase the unity within the Rosenborg squad?

We rarely encounter such strong rivals, so yes you could say that.