The PAOK midfielder gave a full interview to Meso in Bulgaria. Kirill Despodov.
The 27-year-old footballer expressed his wish to be crowned champion of Greece with the “bicephalus of the north”deified the world of PAOK, while also taking stock of the past year.
Among other things, Despontov referred to his former team, Ludogorets, in which he wished to win the championship and make a long journey in Europe and closed by analyzing the differences between the championship of Greece and that of Bulgaria.
In detail what he said:
On how 2023 went for him and what it holds: “For me personally 2023 was a very good year. I won a trophy with Ludogorets, I made a strong transfer to a very good team like PAOK. My presence so far is going well, adjustment is going well. It was undoubtedly a very good year for me.”
On if there’s anything he regrets not doing: “No, I don’t regret anything. I’m not one to look back and think about things that didn’t happen. If they didn’t happen, that’s how it had to be. I always look ahead in all areas.”
On how he was welcomed at PAOK: “To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect to be received so well, even before my transfer was completed. People are showing me a lot of respect so far. They gave me time credit, they didn’t push me until I started showing good games. What they paid a lot of money for.”
On whether he has felt calm in PAOK after his first time in the team: “I was sure that things would go well for me here at PAOK. Whenever I’ve had offers over the years, I’ve listened to my gut and how I feel about it. When I received the offer from PAOK I was sure that this was my team and the team I wanted to go to. I’m definitely not relaxed because one should never be relaxed about scoring a few goals and making good plays. This thing says that you are relaxing and does not bode well for the next matches. So… no I’m not calm! I have my feet firmly on the ground and I have enough motivation in front of me to continue playing well and helping PAOK”.
On whether PAOK has heard about Berbatov: “Yes, I’m next after Berbatov. He has a lot of good reviews here, he left a good impression. I am happy to be the next player from Bulgaria to play for PAOK. I hope to perform well and reinforce the opinion that there are good footballers in Bulgaria.”
On choosing PAOK who play in the same competition in Europe as Ludogorets and who he sees going further: “Realistically speaking, both teams are quite strong, both PAOK and Ludogorets. I hope both teams go as far as possible in the competition. I wish Ludogorets the same, I’ve told everyone at the club that I wish them to go far in the Conference League. Why not meet in one of the knockouts? I hope both teams go as far as possible because both teams have potential.”
On whether PAOK and Ludogorets will succeed in winning the championship and which of the two is closer: “Let’s not compare, because I’m already a PAOK footballer. We are actually fighting to get the title. The difference in points between the top four teams is not great. We have the strength, we have good players, a very good coach and staff, we have all the conditions to fight to the end and become champions. I can say the same about Ludogorets, because he is the ruler of Bulgaria. It’s not just because they have good players. They work there at a very professional level. I, having been in other clubs, can compare and say that the level is professional. This is also the reason why they have good results in Europe as well. As you can see this year, and not only this year, Ludogorets has been playing in Europe for a long time.”
On the differences he sees between the Greek and Bulgarian leagues: “For me, the difference is at least two grades higher in Greece. Any team can beat anyone here. A team that is low in the standings wins against Panathinaikos, Olympiakos or us. The teams lower down the table have very good foreigners. In fact, there are also many foreigners here and they strengthen all the teams.”
On whether finances play the main role in the difference between Greece and Bulgaria in the championship and whether all teams have a good base and organization: “In my opinion, economic parameters are of great importance. Here higher wages are given to the foreigners who come and therefore attract only better players. I should stress that I’m not talking about the first four teams, because there the difference is clear, I’m talking about the others below.”
About the fans in Greece and how he has been received by PAOK fans: “I’m extremely surprised by the kind of fans we have. I knew a lot about PAOK before I came and I knew that they have amazing fans, that they are a team with a long history, but being here I see that this is how things are as I knew them and maybe they are even better. The fans are the 12th player of PAOK. It’s very nice when you go out and do a regular league match, not a derby, to play it in front of 20,000 people. There is a completely different atmosphere, it’s a different feeling.”
On what his biggest wish is for 2024: “The first and greatest desire is to be healthy. I need this stuff to be active and have good workouts and races. Separately, I want to become the champion of Greece with PAOK, because it will be something unique for me. Of course with the national team we should have success this year. All of Bulgaria wants this thing”.
Source: Sport Fm
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