First Team to face Harju JK Laagri away on Sunday

The FCI Levadia first team will travel to face Harju JK Laagri on Sunday in the Round 2 match of the Estonian Premium Liiga.

Levadia started the new season with a victory against FC Kuressaare, and head coach Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko says a successful start gives the team confidence but also brings new expectations.

“From a confidence point of view, it is important to start with a win. A victory relieves certain pressure and creates a bigger appetite, but at the same time new pressure appears because expectations rise. The life of a top athlete is a constant search for balance between pressure and expectations,” said Zahovaiko.

According to the coach, the beginning of the spring season is always a special period. Teams have completed their pre-season preparations, squads have changed, and many players are eager to prove themselves in a new environment.

“Teams have their preparation period behind them and many have gone through changes, which brings fresh competitive spirit. Everyone wants to establish themselves and prove their readiness. Practice shows that these matches are mainly very combative, where the weather forecast also plays its role and the emphasis is largely on character. The spring round can be quite full of surprises,” he explained.

Levadia’s coach does not want to draw far-reaching conclusions after the first round. In his view, a clearer picture will emerge only after the first round of matches.

“We can make conclusions after the first round. As I said, the upcoming matches are ‘character games’. There is never an ideal picture – life has shown that we can work on everything.”

Zahovaiko also admitted he only follows the performances of other teams to a limited extent, as the main focus remains on his own squad.

“There are nine other teams besides us. Time resources are limited, so our focus is only on our own team. We take opponents one at a time,” he added.

On Sunday Levadia face a serious challenge, as Harju started the season with an impressive win over JK Narva Trans. According to Zahovaiko, Levadia are preparing for the match in their usual rhythm.

“Our preparation is standard – we train hard, refine our skills and look forward to the upcoming match. It will be a combative game!”

Kick-off of the Round 2 Premium Liiga match is at 14:30 at Laagri Artificial Turf Stadium. All Levadia supporters are welcome to come to the stadium and support the team!

Photo: Anna Andreas / jalgpall.ee