Rio Ave suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Santa Clara, this Sunday, in the Azores, in a match for the fifth round of the Portuguese I Liga. Greek coach Sotiris Silaidopoulos did not look for excuses for the team's display and considered that the Vilacondenses "weren't even in the game".
In the post-match press conference, Silaidopoulos was particularly critical of the team's attitude. The coach stated that there was a lack of "intensity, communication, will" and admitted difficulties in finding immediate explanations for such a heavy defeat, classifying the performance as a "bad game, with a bad mentality".
The Rio Ave coach defended that the group will now have to react quickly, both physically and psychologically. Silaidopoulos considered it a "big challenge" and that the team will have to show who they are "as people and as a team", lamenting a performance far below the usual standards.
The heavy defeat leaves Rio Ave in a delicate situation at the start of the championship. After five rounds, the Vilacondense side occupies 14th place in the I Liga, with only three points earned, adding a second consecutive 4-0 defeat, after the loss against Sporting in the previous round. Rio Ave hosts Amadora on the 14th at 6:45 PM.
