Rio Ave defender Jakub Brabec deflected blame from teammate Jonathan Panzo following a heavy loss to Estoril, asserting the defeat was a collective error from which his young squad must learn.
Brabec refused to single out Panzo, who received a red card just 21 minutes into the match. This early dismissal significantly hampered Rio Ave’s efforts against Estoril.
“It was a collective error, not just Panzo’s, but everyone’s,” Brabec told reporters. He acknowledged the challenge of playing down a man but stressed that the goals conceded resulted from their own mistakes.
“We should have done better and made things more difficult for the opponent,” the defender added.
The team ultimately suffered a crushing defeat to Estoril. Brabec conveyed the squad’s profound disappointment.
“We have to swallow… It’s difficult, because we didn’t expect it,” he stated. “We have to apologize to everyone because we suffered a lot.”
Brabec emphasized the youth of the squad, highlighting the importance of learning from such setbacks. “We are young and have to learn lessons from these defeats, understand the errors and grow from it,” he said.
Asked if the team needed more aggressiveness, Brabec offered a measured response. “I wouldn’t say that,” he replied, noting the team’s usual compactness. “It’s difficult to talk only about aggressiveness, but of course it’s something we should have done better today.”