Dorgeles Nene presses Luka Modric
RB Salzburg star Dorgeles Nene (22) has drawn valuable lessons from his team’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign, despite their exit at the group stage.
The Austrian Bundesliga side made a strong start to their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Pachuca in Cincinnati, courtesy of goals from Oscar Gloukh and Karim Onisiwo.
Despite dominating their second match at Audi Field in Washington DC, they were held to a goalless draw by Saudi side0Al Hilal.
Unfortunately, their tournament came to an end with a 3-0 defeat to LaLiga giants Real Madrid, leaving them third in a tightly contested Group H.
Undeterred by the setback, the Mali international reflected on the experience, praising the positives of competing in the World Cup on American soil.
"Honestly, it’s a tough one to take. We started the tournament on a high note and felt really confident going in, but we knew facing a team like Real Madrid would be a huge challenge," he told Flashscore.com.
"They’re one of the best in the world, and they punished our mistakes. Still, I’m proud of how we fought. We didn’t hold back and we gave everything on the pitch.
"Of course, there were moments we can learn from, and others we can build on. That’s football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you grow.
"There were definitely some positives to take from the experience, and being part of a tournament like this has only made us stronger as a team.0Now, it’s about regrouping, fine-tuning the details, and coming back even better. We’ll keep pushing. The journey doesn’t stop here."
The former Westerlo and Liefering star is proud to have been part of this historic competition, emphasising that the learning journey is far from over.
He added: "Being part of this inaugural tournament was incredible, especially at my age. It’s truly an honour to compete on such a stage.
"The experience has been thrilling, and it motivates us to keep learning and improving. We’re determined to give our all and come back stronger next time. This is just the beginning."
Before the competition, RB Salzburg manager Thomas Letsch expressed confidence in his team’s chances, emphasising their commitment to staying true to their football philosophy.
He told FIFA: "It is such a special opportunity for us, an Austrian club, to be able to compete against the best teams in the world – playing teams from other continents. That is why we can’t wait to get going.
"It is always great when fans come together from all over the world. When I think back to the World Cup in Germany in 2006… it was fantastic to see so many cultures all together.
"People who are out to have fun, who want to celebrate together, watch good football and simply enjoy themselves, especially in these strange times.
"We will distribute those tasks within the club, as we have the resources to put together enough material on those teams. That is no problem nowadays, with all the media we have at our disposal. "But of course, there are some teams that we have never crossed paths with before, such as Pachuca from Mexico or Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia."
On the club’s philosophy, Letsch added: "It is important for us to stay true to our principles. We will certainly be seen as outsiders, but we want a clear footballing philosophy to underpin our performances.
"We are aiming to be bold, and while we don’t want to make major changes, there will be some minor adjustments for each opponent.
"Changing completely to adopt a passive approach is out of the question for us. On the contrary, we want our performance to reflect what Salzburg stands for."
RB Salzburg will be aiming to improve on their performance in the 2024-25 campaign, where they finished second in the Bundesliga, reached the quarter-final of the Austrian Cup and crashed out in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
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