Rio Ave manager Sotiris Silaidopoulos faced the press after a tough 3-1 loss to Moreirense. The match was part of the fifth round of Liga Portugal Betclic. He spoke frankly about his team’s performance. The coach believes they must all take responsibility for the outcome.
Silaidopoulos pointed to a strange display from his team. “We showed two different faces,” he explained. The first half saw Rio Ave playing well. They created chances and could have taken the lead. But then came a goal in the very first minute. “There’s no excuse for that,” he stated clearly.
After that early goal, the team’s level dropped sharply. “Our performance went down,” the manager noted. He said his job is to keep the team together. They need to stay strong when facing adversity. Controlling emotions is a major test for the players. He wondered if reaching a 3-2 scoreline might have changed the end of the game. However, they lacked the focus and drive to recover. “After the first goal, we were almost not on the field,” he admitted. The team needs to be much more solid. “We have to look in the mirror,” he urged, “and take responsibility for this defeat, starting with me.”
Silaidopoulos also looked ahead to future league matches. Rio Ave faces challenging opponents next. They will play against FC Porto and Benfica. He emphasized the need to respond strongly to this defeat. “Maybe we can take something positive from a loss like this,” he suggested. The team needs more steady play. They have shown good moments in past games. Yet, they have often failed in small, important details.