Lucescu: “Tonight’s game represents the full picture of PAOK this season”

The belief that the game against Olympiakos represents the image of PAOK this season was expressed during the press conference by Rasvan Lucescu!

After revealing his speech to his players, he also spoke about the upcoming Cup final against AEK, stressing that he will try to strengthen the psychology of their players ahead of the crucial match!

What the PAOK coach said in detail:



For the competitive face presented by PAOK and for the conversation he had with his players: “I believe that today’s game represents the full picture of PAOK. I have spoken about this season, which is quite transitional, with young footballers. We had good and bad games, moments in the matches that we could have taken advantage of and we didn’t. Half-times in which we presented ourselves differently than in the other. In this season as well as the current one, we had strange situations with footballers coming from a period of abstinence and they should be ready for this game as well as for the final with AEK. So like we said, it could reflect the whole season. Olympiacos had a different strategy, we failed to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us.

After the game I went to the dressing room and told the players that there were games, like against Levadeiakos and AEK away, where they had to keep their heads down, but this is not one of them. I told them that I am proud of the course and the work they have done, even though we had different situations during the season”.

On whether the plan should change and focus on the quality part next season: “Generally, the ball does not enter the goal by chance. The fact that we finished fourth means maybe that’s where we should have been. Even though mistakes happened. I have spoken many times about the impact of a referee being against the team. The confidence would be different if PAOK got what it deserved in some games. However, a team cannot be built overnight. There were footballers who were not used to constantly fighting for a title, we also made childish mistakes. Mistakes in derbies and big games that cost us. The situation formed in a set of football players depends on the majority. And since the majority of us are young footballers, mistakes will be made that will cost us. So to this set we should add footballers who have quality and the mentality of constantly playing for victory. Who will give us that something extra on the pitch”.

On how he will strengthen the psychology of his players ahead of the Cup final: “The final is a completely different game from today. I really want the team to play this way, because the goal will come. The truth is that we create a lot of chances, but we score less than others, that creates a problem. This comes from the psychology, with the confidence, of how you handle the pressure when the goal doesn’t come. I can give the example of Konstantelias who can give a lot on the pitch, but his trump card is not scoring goals. He may come to this quality position, he may not. His mind is in a… cyclone with what he hears here and there, it doesn’t help him. We got very little from static phases, while in almost an empty net we didn’t manage to score. And that has to do with, as you mentioned, the weakness of pressure, and that comes with experience.

For this reason, as a coach of this team, seeing them every day, I can say that I am surprised by their rapid development. On the other hand I am disappointed with the management of some situations, as we wasted a lot of points”.

On whether he is worried about PAOK’s negative results in the derby ahead of the final with AEK: “If we lose these games, we’ve lost them because that’s the reality. We lacked something compared to the rest in the playoffs, but also during the season. I think AEK was mentioned about the fact that we didn’t score a goal. If we did, I believe we wouldn’t be having this conversation. In Karaiskakis, as long as the score was 0-1 in our favor, we could have scored the second goal and gotten points. The game against AEK that we lost here, I remember saying that it could have been the easiest we had won. The same for the match against Panathinaikos. we couldn’t accept that we lost this game in this way. So I can say that in all the games we fought the way we wanted, but we made naive mistakes. As for the away game against AEK, it’s a completely different game and my players know that.”.

Regarding the fact that most of PAOK’s finals were made by players from the defensive line: “No, I’m very happy. We bring footballers into the opposing line, it’s important for us. We used the second striker we had, Jima, as a replacement for Brandon. In ten minutes he realized the difference of playing in the first national team. At the same time, an example with Constantelia is that he is in another phase of development. He’s in the midst of praising himself, he looks confused and when he comes out of this process he should be a top player.”.

For the management of Kontandelias and the comparison with Koulierakis when he too was not at the desired spiritual level but also for Lyratzis who was out of commission, while he was a key player in Volos: “I mention Constantelia a lot, because for me he is a huge talent. I wish him from the bottom of my heart to be one of the best in Europe. But there are risks because people around him talk too much about him and I don’t know if he can handle it. He transformed from a player who played for the team to a player who tries to get the team on his back.

Lyratzis is coming from an injury, I thought he is not at the same level as before. Having Kenziora coming off some good games I thought he was in good shape. Just like how we had Sastre”.

“I understand that people can be disappointed, but seeing the effort of the players every day makes me really proud. I am sure that in the final they will give everything they have because it is important for them but also an important point for us”.