Kelle Roos aims to ensure the Gothenburg Greats have a memorable day at a packed Pittodrie by helping Aberdeen take another big step towards securing European group stage football next term.
The Dons have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of their famous Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Real Madrid this week, and Sir Alex Ferguson and his successful 1983 players will be at Saturday’s match against Hibernian as the tributes continue.
Goalkeeper Roos is hoping he and his colleagues can play their part in what promises to be a stirring afternoon in the Granite City.
“It shows what you can achieve within this football club if you make history in Europe,” he said of the Gothenburg Greats.
“I think it’s amazing that this group of players and management get the acknowledgement they deserve for making beautiful history for this football club.
“I’m sure they will enjoy the weekend. We will just focus on the game and try and make it an even better weekend for them by getting all three points.”
Roos feels the Dons – five points clear of Hearts and six ahead of Hibs with just four games to play – are thriving on trying to secure third place in the cinch Premiership.
A win over Lee Johnson’s side will keep them firmly on course for automatic European group-stage involvement next season, which will be the reward for finishing third as long as Premiership champions Celtic beat Championship side Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.
“I would love to play European football,” said Roos. “The whole team wants that.
“We are all pulling in the same direction. As long as we keep doing that, we have a strong front as a group.
“At the moment, we are very much looking like one strong unit and I think other teams don’t like it.
“Everything a football team should look like, we look like at the moment. We’re going toe to toe with the best teams and everybody is feeling great.”
Roos takes confidence from Aberdeen’s five-point cushion and is confident they will not be afflicted by tension as the race for third nears its conclusion.
“All the teams in the top six have their own pressure,” he said. “Our pressure is that we are getting chased, in a sense. But we can’t look at that too much.
“We just need to get results from game to game, and if we do that we’ll be fine. We can see it as pressure or we can see it that we have it in our hands, which ultimately is nothing but a luxury.”
Casemiro hits back at critics over Man Utd performances
Casemiro has hit back at the "disrespectful" critics over comments made about his recent Manchester United performances.
The Red Devils have come under pressure for a poor run of form in recent weeks, with Casemiro one of the players singled out, in particular for his performance in the 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
Casemiro enjoyed a successful first campaign with United, finishing third and lifting the EFL Cup, but the club are currently in danger of suffering their lowest-ever Premier League finish in eighth place.
"I was considered one of the best signings of the Premier League last season, and now I'm not worth anything anymore?" Casemiro told Sky Sports.
"The criticism is disrespectful. So, when it's lacking respect, then it's worrying, and I don't have to respect that either."
Casemiro was also recently left out of Dorival Junior’s Brazil squad for this year’s Copa America.
United finish their Premier League season away at Brighton on Sunday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25.
Chelsea players must set ego aside or 'situation will hardly change', Silva warns
The departing Thiago Silva warned Chelsea's players to set their egos aside, or their "situation will hardly change" next season.
Silva, who will return to hometown club Fluminense in the close season, is gearing up for his final appearance for the Blues after four years at Stamford Bridge, where they host Bournemouth on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
A draw would be enough for sixth-place Chelsea to secure a return to European football next season, while they could still overtake Tottenham in fifth with a win and Spurs losing to bottom side Sheffield United.
But despite a positive end to the campaign, during which they have won four successive games and lost just one of their last 14, Mauricio Pochettino's side are a whopping 28 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
Silva believes the club deserves better, having spent over £400 million on no fewer than 13 players over the past year, and has urged the squad to prioritise teamwork over their personal ambitions next term.
"I hope [the players] understand that everything they did to get to Chelsea has to be worth it," he told Sky Sports. "Because the season we're having is not worthy of Chelsea. I think they need to do more next year.
"These boys need to be aware that Chelsea has to fight for [for trophies] in the top positions. If we take a little of our ego and put it in favour of the team, I think it will work. If we don't do that, the situation will hardly change, unfortunately."
Mbappe left out of PSG squad for final Ligue 1 game
Kylian Mbappe has been left out of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad for what would have been his final league game for the club.
PSG face Metz on Sunday having already secured the Ligue 1 title for a record-extending 12th time, but Mbappe will play no part in the match.
The Frenchman is not listed on the club’s medical list, though he did miss their win over Nice on Wednesday as a precaution. PSG did not give a reason to justify his absence.
PSG still have the Coupe de France final to play on May 25 against Lyon, which Mbappe could return for.
Mbappe confirmed he would be leaving the club at the end of the season after seven years. He is the club’s top scorer with 256 goals, with 191 of those coming in Ligue 1.
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