Absolutely pleased with the behavior of his players Panathinaikousince they never gave up showing a winning spiritwhich ultimately gave them the important qualification for the final of the Betsson Cup against PAOK, said Fatih Terim!
The Turkish coach of the “greens” pointed out that his team will always chase their goals, in this case the championship but also the Cupwove the eulogy of Bartholomew Dragovski and wished Rahman farewell Dad.
What Terim said in detail at the press conference:
For the dramatic qualification of Panathinaikos and if it was one of the top nights emotionally in his career: “It was a strange night, the match went both ways, but Panathinaikos is in the final. I never gave up in my life. Never. When you give up, you lose. When everyone thought it was game over, my players didn’t quit. A lot can be discussed, but the fact that we chased qualification until the last minute of extra time was important. We had problems in the game, we made changes and before the goal Mancini had a chance. So far it’s one story and the penalties are a different story. But in the end, Panathinaikos is within reach of both goals and wants them. I told my players that we will play if there is a goal. We will always aim for the title. It’s a special night that we will remember forever.”
On whether this qualification will also have an impact on the championship ahead of the playoffs and whether he is troubled by the image of Panathinaikos: “Emotionally it will lift us up. I never asked for time. We have reached the final and he will help us. There were things I didn’t like about the game. We are a team that wants to have the ball and play. We didn’t do it in the match against PAOK. Winning the first match made us feel a bit more secure, but what I didn’t like was that we didn’t keep the ball. I’m the coach of Panathinaikos and we have to look at it a bit like that.”
On whether what happened in the match against PAOK was the deification of football: “When you have been in football for so many years, you experience many things. Thank God I have achieved many things, in 2008 something beautiful had happened and I had said don’t celebrate until the Turkish team got on the bus to leave. And in the Galatasaray-Arsenal final, a lot had happened. But the important thing was winning the title. I can say a lot. And the match against Olympiakos was important and tonight the reason we went through was that we scored at the end and didn’t give up until the last minute. If you see the team, you know what I mean. The most important thing is that we will play a final. We will respect our opponent, we continue both in the league and in the Cup. What I told my players is that I never give up and they keep going and fighting, showing that they never give up.”
For the winning spirit that he has passed on to his players and if it is the most important of what he has offered to Panathinaikos: “That’s one part, but the important thing is that we try to play with the ball. Some things will change little by little. Within 120 minutes we changed a lot of things in the tactical part and necessarily because we were behind in the score. A team that plays the way it plays, also brings out the character of the coach. We have a good relationship with the players and gradually some things will change.”
For Dragovski, the penalties he took and whether he intended to change goalkeepers: “He told us that his leg hurts and he didn’t pay much attention. He did a very important job. It is important that a large group reacts. Don’t forget that the big teams have to react. The players come forward and react and that’s what Dragovski did.”
About the world and what happened at the end: “From the first day I say that I want to win. I know all the teams and we know the league better. If there is a goal, we are there to claim it.”
On whether the moments at the end of the match were a small reward: “Today we became one with the fans. The fans are not used to the game we played tonight, but in the last fifteen minutes we played our way. We didn’t give up, neither could they. The way we play is to become one with the world. They were perfect, thank you, they supported us when we needed it. They continued to help, we gave the opponent three chances, but the crowd did everything they could to prevent it from happening. A team without fans is impossible.”
For muscle injuries: “Injuries continue and it makes sense if there are still matches. We are looking at some things, we don’t have a problem with them, so we have to be a little more careful, we will continue more comfortably because there will be no midweek matches. A little more… I want to say one last thing. Whatever you win, whatever cup you get, it doesn’t change with health. And I am saddened by what happened to the PAOK player. I wish he hadn’t been hurt and we hadn’t won. I hope he stays healthy, I respect and like him as a player. We hope he comes back soon. Health is above all. I wish him a speedy recovery and a speedy return.”
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
