'Laughable and ridiculous!' – Peter Bosz hits out at media while making bold PSV Champions League claim

PSV Eindhoven manager Peter Bosz believes his side are in a much stronger position heading into their Champions League opener against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Philips Stadion. The Dutch champions aim to break a persistent opening-day hex, having lost on Matchday 1 in their last five Champions League campaigns.

PSV enter the fixture in high spirits as they prepare for their 20th participation in the competition's main format, surpassing Ajax's record of 19 appearances.

Bosz emphasised that his squad has developed significantly compared to the same period last season.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Bosz noted that PSV are playing superior collective football compared to previous years. However, the 62-year-old manager warned his players that European competition demands a higher level of intensity and focus to secure three points.

Rather than setting long-term finish targets in the league phase, Bosz reiterated his philosophy of approaching the tournament one fixture at a time.

"I can firmly say that our development is far more advanced than at this stage last year," Bosz said. "We play much better football now, but we must step it up another notch for the Champions League."

Bosz also addressed the ongoing media storm surrounding Ruben van Bommel following a controversial tackle, fiercely defending the young player. The manager revealed he chose not to give Van Bommel special treatment to avoid inflating the incident further, while expressing relief that the opposition player is recovering well.

Bosz pointed out a double standard in media coverage, highlighting past injuries suffered by PSV players that received far less public outrage.

"All this media outrage is laughable and ridiculous," Bosz stated. "It was just one incident in a football match. This polemic needs to end now for Ruben's peace of mind."

PSV face a Shakhtar side renowned for combining talented Brazilian recruits with quality Ukrainian players. The fixture also evokes memories of their dramatic 2024 encounter, where PSV scored three late goals after the 86th minute to claim a stunning 3-2 victory in Eindhoven.

With 44 goals scored across PSV's last 10 Champions League matches, supporters can expect another entertaining, high-scoring affair.

Bosz will demand total focus from his players at the Philips Stadion to secure a perfect start to their European campaign.