Coach Carlos Pena admits he took a risk because he fielded Rizky Ridho

Bogor, Beritasatu.com – Persija Jakarta coach, Carlos Pena, admitted that he took a risky decision by fielding defender Rizky Ridho in the League 1 match against Persik Kediri which took place at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, Sunday (1/12/2024).

Persija managed to win 2-0 in that match. However, Rizky Ridho did not play the full 90 minutes and was replaced by Akbar Arjunsyah in the 81st minute.

Carlos revealed that Rizky was playing when he was not fully fit because he was having problems with his calf. Therefore, he decided to withdraw the team captain before the match was over.

“Rizky Ridho arrived after playing for the national team with a slight injury to his calf. He also appeared in the match against Persebaya. “This week, he didn’t participate in training at all,” Carlos said in a press conference after the match.

“Today, he played even though he was uncomfortable. We took a risk because he had played a lot of games and was in pain,” he added.

Carlos also emphasized that Rizky Ridho showed strong determination to play, which reflected his commitment to the team.

“We played him from the start because his role was very important for us. However, after 70 minutes, I decided to replace him to ensure he was in top condition for the next match,” explained the Spanish coach regarding Rizky Ridho’s performance in the Persija vs Persik match.

This victory over Persik Kediri was an important moment for Persija after they previously suffered a 1-2 defeat at home to Persebaya last week.

Carlos said that even though the result against Persebaya was not in his team’s favor, the players showed a good performance. This was seen again in the match against Persik.

“This week, we showed the same commitment, motivation and self-confidence. As a result, we managed to secure three points from Persik Kediri,” said the former Ratchaburi coach.

In this match, Persija scored goals through Gustavo Almeida in the 9th minute and Marko Simic in the 13th minute. This goal was Simic’s third goal of the season.

“The whole team is very motivated. We gave more than 100 percent, as the coach always says. “With a performance like this, we have to be able to perform even better in away games,” said Simic.

After the Persija vs Persik match, the Keamyoran Tigers, who are currently in fourth place in the League 1 standings, will visit the caretaker team, Semen Padang, on Friday (6/12/2024).