Jovanovic: “To return to where we should be as Panathinaikos every year”!

For one of the most important games of recent years for him Panathinaikos made a speech Ivan Jovanovich at the press conference ahead of Tuesday’s match (25/7, 21:00) against Dnipro. The “clover” technician specifically emphasized: “I have played 25 “matches of the year” in two years. I’m kidding, but it’s also true. So many matches were must win” and he added: “It is one of the games, which we can say is one of the most important matches of the last».

Among other things, the Serbian coach noted:A start has to be made somewhere so we can get back to where we need to be every year as Panathinaikos».

Ivan Jovanovic’s press conference in detail:

– Did you think that you would be with the team here and how do you feel that Panathinaikos has returned to its level in your years?

“If I had said two years ago that we would be here, it might have been an exaggeration. At the time I might not have thought about it at all, but looking at things, it was a normal development and I feel good, that we are playing in this competition. It makes us all happy».

– What should Panathinaikos pay more attention to in tomorrow’s game and to what extent are you satisfied with the preparations made?

“We worked a lot in these six weeks and through the friendlies we prepared. Very important game, two good teams. Hard to predict. All our effort was to be in the best possible condition. The preparation left me completely satisfied, but tomorrow on the pitch we will see how much of what we did will come out on the pitch. When you don’t have games, it’s hard to predict. It’s two games and we have to take advantage of the time we have in front of us to achieve our goals».

– Do you consider Panathinaikos’ absence from the Champions League as a mental handicap?

“It’s an issue for all teams, the lack of experience, it’s not a league match. A start has to be made somewhere so we can get back to where we need to be every year as Panathinaikos».

– Can a first game of the season be “match of the year”?

“I have played 25 “matches of the year” in two years. I’m kidding, but it’s also true. So many matches were must win. It’s an important match, but it’s also a beautiful one. It’s good when you’re a star to have these games. You fight all the time to be here. Everyone lives for something like these games. It is one of the games that we can say is one of the most important matches of recent years».

– What is your opinion about Dnipro?

“It makes sense to have seen Dnipro. And in European and league matches. We saw matches they played everywhere. Try to win the championship. We saw the friendlies, we know them well, just as they know us. They are a very well organized defence, they play quality football and these matches will be very interesting».

– How satisfied are you with the new players, will you go with them or lean on the trunk from last year?

“We’ve made quality additions, but not everyone has the same degree of readiness. Every day, however, the games and the quality accelerate the situation. We are a good team, which will become even better with time».