Giacomo Modica addressed the media ahead of Hamrun Spartans' crucial Champions League qualification match against "Dynamo Kyiv," admitting the significant technical disparity between the teams while maintaining his competitive spirit.
"Obviously we did something good by overcoming Žalgiris, but not something great yet, because to achieve something great you need to overcome other obstacles," Modica explained during the pre-match press conference.
The Hamrun Spartans coach faces perhaps the toughest challenge of his career as his side prepares to face the Ukrainian giants. "Dynamo" brings considerable European pedigree to the fixture, with Modica openly acknowledging the gulf in quality between the two clubs.
"We're facing an obstacle that, at first glance, seems insurmountable since the technical level of the opponent is very significant. Dynamo Kyiv has already established itself with its history, its victories, its status as a European team, so let's say that technically there is a noticeable gap at the moment."
Despite recognizing this reality, Modica refuses to concede defeat before a ball is kicked. His team showed character in their previous qualification round, overcoming a two-goal deficit against Žalgiris.
Interestingly, the coach emphasized qualities beyond technical ability that might serve his team well. "We have other qualities, other ingredients to bring, and we must try to give our all, using all our possibilities," he insisted.
The Maltese side enters the contest as clear underdogs, but Modica's fighting spirit was evident when he stated: "With all due respect to Dynamo, we are not starting with a defeat. We begin with the awareness that we have already done something good before, and we want to develop what will come tomorrow."
The first leg kicks off today at 20:00 Kyiv time. Can Hamrun Spartans produce one of the biggest surprises in recent Champions League qualification history? Or will "Dynamo" assert their technical superiority from the first whistle?
