De Vrij: "I grew up here, it will be a special match for me" | OneFootball

It is time for Inter's first leg in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. On the night before Feyenoord vs. Inter, Stefan de Vrij, alongside Simone Inzaghi, responded to the media's questions in the pre-match press conference:

Who better than yourself to explain to us what this means? "I know this environment very well, it's amazing and the supporters really push the team. Feyenoord have a great record this year in the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich and AC Milan. We know the challenge we are facing and we will have to be at our best" Van Persie remembers you as a kid: what are your feelings? "I am very happy with the draw, it will be a very special match for me. I grew up here and I completed the whole Youth Sector, we trained not far from here and I used to walk to get the bus here. I dreamed of playing in this stadium, and I did over five amazing years. It's going to be really special for me." How does your game change defensively with Bastoni out wide? "First of all, our play style and our principles won't change as we have played together for many years, even in roles that we don't normally play. The players may change, but we are still ready and everyone knows exactly what to do" Your numbers in the Champions League are incredible, even compared to the league. What's different? "I don't know as our approach is always the same for every game but there are always unpredictable moments in matches. We always try to work hard in defense to avoid conceding. It has gone well in the Champions League and we hope to continue this way."

You are an experienced team, it is Van Persie's Champions League debut: what are the advantages and the risks? "Often when a team changes manager, it brings the team new energy so we are expecting an intense match. They will want to prove themselves and we want it to be a great game" Every week Inter are fighting for the league title, and the Coppa Italia and the Champions League: how do you feel given that you play so much? "We work match by match, without getting ahead of ourselves. We want to win all competitions we compete in and we want to keep going but right now we are only thinking of tomorrow's match and we are determined to play well and to get into the next round"