PSV plays its final match before the international break on Sunday. While several players have been called up for international duty, Bosz is fully focused on the match against FC Twente. “We’ve got to get to work.”
Do you still think you didn’t see top-level football in your last match against Sparta Rotterdam?
“I still do. You play a few top-tier football matches a year, and I didn’t think this one was one of them.”
Ruben van Bommel is on the new national team coach’s initial roster. Does that make you proud?
“Absolutely. Every time a player is selected for a national team, it’s a wonderful thing. In his case, it’s his first time, so that makes it special for him, but also for PSV. And yes, we’re proud of that.”
We’re calling the match against FC Twente a “top-of-the-table clash”—how do you see it?
“It certainly is for us. It’s yet another tough away game this season. Of course, we’ve faced Utrecht, we’ve faced Ajax, and Excelsior, who are doing very well this year. Now Twente is up next. They lost their first game of the season, but since then they’ve been on a good run, so we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
What do you need to watch out for most of all?
“I always try to keep an eye on us. That’s what I focus on most: are we sharp enough? It’s the last game before a very long international break. You won’t see some of the guys for almost three weeks. Those are the games you simply have to win, right before a break like that. Otherwise, you’ll be dreading it for three weeks, and we don’t want that.”
Do you have any idea who might be there on Sunday?
“I certainly have an idea. Those who are injured and haven’t been there in recent weeks won’t be there yet. Kiliann [Sildillia] has since had surgery; he walked in this morning without crutches, so that went well. For him, a three-week break now will actually be beneficial. But anyway, those guys won’t all be back yet. And the players who were available last week against Sparta will all be available now as well.”
Do you think FC Twente is one of the toughest away games of the year?
“Yes, Twente did very well in the second half of last season, picking up a lot of points. I heard somewhere that they might have earned the most after us. After what was actually a false start—losing their first game—they still managed a draw away at Groningen and won every game after that. So they’ve slowly gotten back on the right track.”
How is Jerdy Schouten ’s rehabilitation going?
“He says he’s doing well. Off the top of my head, he’s been at it for four months now. Well, we all know that with a cruciate ligament injury, it naturally takes longer—more than twice that long. So he still has a long way to go, but he’s making progress in that process. You have to be patient because it simply takes that much time to make a full recovery.”