Jovanovic: “We brought the whole world of Panathinaikos, which was in a lethargy, next to the team”

Ivan Jovanovic referred to the pressure Panathinaikos is under this year, to the rotation he did in the match against Volos, but also to the gathering of people around the team.

In detail, what he said at the press conference:

For the pressure that Panathinaikos has: “Not only me, we all suffered as a team, naturally but knowing that things can change from game to game. The pressure is increasing as the end of the league approaches. The first match here was the tenth game and we were going to set a little record, we had brought 15,000 people and it was important that they went back happy. The pressure is high from start to finish.

As the final approaches it increases but it is something you have to accept with the big teams. We must endure. The schedule is tough for all the teams as it is set up in two weeks we will have five games and all derbies. With anxiety, with pressure, with great joy if we manage to win. We just don’t have the pleasure of resting on a victory for a couple of days because from tomorrow we have to start preparing for AEK”.

For the changes and rotation he made: “We had a game three days ago that lasted 105 minutes, it was long with delays, terrible in intensity. We also had some small problems and knowing that we will have consecutive games, it was normal that we would not be able to complete the schedule with the same players, which is so short in time. Some players wanted different management, some were motivated to play to show value.

We may have been nervous in the first part, but that’s normal. We don’t have the best possible experiences with the Volos team. We know how well he can defend. The happiness for us is that we managed to open the scoring at the beginning of the second half and then manage the game»

For the only one goal that Panathinaikos has conceded in the last matches: “We are a solid team. We are hardworking on the pitch, a disciplined team. It’s not always easy in the game to control the emotions of a striker, a winger and they have to be committed. I am one of the privileged coaches because I have players ready to do these things. They are willing to run, cover the spaces, help each other. This team, whether we like it or not, in order to make Panathinaikos great again, we had to start with these things. And in the coming years I believe he will be better than today. With a better coach, better players. It is a base from which in the future you can build better things than today.”

On the big-team mentality he has brought back: “The biggest thing we’ve done is we’ve brought all the people of Panathinaikos who were dormant to be with the team. With this faith, with this attitude, this is what my footballers can understand to the greatest extent. Don’t forget that we also spent some covid seasons without fans. So some players and my colleagues could not live what I and my players live today with the world. We all live together something completely normal for Panathinaikos”.