Takianos: “Proud of my players, we exceeded our limits many times”

THE PAOK defeated for second time from Tofas in Palataki, as a result, the Thessalonians are excluded from the continuation of the Basketball Champions League.

Speaking after the end of the match, the coach of the “double head of the north”Fotis Takianos, he spoke about the difficulties his team faced, both tonight and last time with the many injuries and roster changes, stating among other things that he is proud of the effort his players put forth.

Fotis Takianos’ statements in detail:



“We were in a situation where we were constantly crossing our red lines. The misfortunes of injuries memorable, we could not find a rhythm. Players were constantly missing. We exceeded our limits many times. I am proud of the players on our team. They gave their heart and soul many times so that we could be here. What remains as a question, is what the team could reach if they played solidly, all together and without absences. Schizas was in the hospital the day before yesterday, Beliauskas gritted his teeth and played, Alston is coming off an injury, so is McNeish. And Alston was protected because there was a risk of recidivism.”

For the world: “We saw a full stadium and congratulate our fans, who showed an impeccable attitude. We must thank the people, not only for today, but also for their presence in Bursa. We want to give them more victories and joy.”

For Tofas: “Tofas have 8 foreign players, Homsley didn’t play today but Pruitt was present. 5 foreigners are allowed in Turkey, so one can understand Tofa’s economic power. When the difference went from 5 points to 11, this is a matter of quality. Budget, quality and a deep roster differentiates the teams”.

On Harrison’s poor appearance: “He made a lot of bad decisions today. And in Tofas his percentages were low. It has an influence on the team’s play, but it’s also about how the other players complement it. Smith’s absence sparks the Harrison issue. Smith was the one who would frame him. There is the fatigue, there is the reading of the opponent. The team needs to be strengthened immediately, making up for Smith’s absence to find our balance again. We lack solutions at the moment”.



To strengthen: “The efforts have been going on for days, the market is very closed. The players we want are not there to help us. Contacts have been made, but it is a difficult period, but I think in the end we will succeed”.

On Tsairelis and McNeese’s minutes: “Tsairelis enjoys our trust in a certain style of play, when we want to attack in a certain way. His biological age does not match his professional age. It has an influence on our game and in many games it gives us what we want.

As for McNeish, it was Tsairelis’s very good performance and there was no reason to replace him. McNeish was injured in Peristeri, he relies on his athleticism and that was missing today. His injury played a role. Tsairelis’ good performance combined with McNeish’s injury kept him on the bench longer. McNeish didn’t have a role in a low and flexible formation, which we wanted to use.”