Olimpija returned from their away trip to Kazakhstan without advancing to the next round of Champions League qualifiers, as home side Kairat won the match 2-0. After the match, Dragons coach Jorge Simao summed up his thoughts: “I think the match was decided with the first goal we conceded, and then even more so with the second. From that moment we couldn’t get back into the game, even though we only needed one goal to get back in it, but we couldn’t manage to score it.”

“Kairat was very aggressive in defense, they played simple and aggressive football and it was very difficult for us to get into their penalty area and create chances. However, I emphasize that we are a much better team than we showed today.”

“As head coach, I am completely responsible for this result. I think we need to forget this match as soon as possible, erase it from memory and focus on the next match. We always want to think about the next match.”

The Dragons will next face the domestic league opener at home on Saturday at 8:15 PM against Mura. The next European test follows on Wednesday, when Andorran champions Inter Club d’Escaldes visit Stožice in the Conference League qualifiers. Tickets are available at shop.nkolimpija.si.