Almeida: It is not easy for someone to accept that we are going for another championship – It was not Cullens and Vida’s violations

With the game in Lamia against the team of the same name (10/03, 17:00) the process of the Stoiximan Super League playoffs begins for AEKwhich has the sole objective of defending the title it won last season.

In his statements to the Cosmote TV camera, Mr Matias Almeidaexpressed his irritation at the refereeing decisions in “Enos'” 3-3 draw against Aris, saying that under the new regulations, there is no penalty in the end, but also the foul of Alexander Callens should not have been given.

At the same time, he emphasized that:I understand that it is not easy for someone to accept that AEK is going for another championship. But we will fight to win another championship».

In detail, what Matias Almeida said to the Cosmote TV camera:

AEK comes from a 3-3 draw with Aris. Is there anything he could possibly have done better in order to get the win?

“I think we did everything to be able to get the win. But about ten days ago referees had come here to give us a speech about the new regulations. The last penalty, according to the new regulation, is not a penalty. Always according to the regulations. We did everything to be able to win the game, we turned the score against us. We played an up and down game. We created chances to score. We made some mistakes.

But when we played in the Cup with Aris, in the last minute of the first half of extra time there was a penalty because the ball hit both hands of the Aris player. That time there was no punishment. But this time, we didn’t follow the rules, according to the referees’ speech to us for about an hour.

And sometimes these little “details” can take away two points. Small “details” that may be forgotten in the world of football, but for me they are constantly present».

You described last year’s Playoffs as “a celebration where everyone will be looking for the cake.” Do you also perceive this year’s as such?

“Yes, the only difference is that now the party starts and suddenly we… they turn off the light. Once it goes to start, it will stop for three weeks. Obviously, you lose all that mood when you have consecutive games and you have to prepare the matches, see what the opponents will do. Unfortunately, the downtime is too long.

I haven’t seen anything like this happen in other leagues. But, these are things that we coaches cannot manage. We will be there for three weeks, training as much as we can. But the most beautiful thing about this sport is the adrenaline, when things go fast. I hope this didn’t happen to give some teams a break».

The first from the fourth are four points apart, you are -1 from the first place. Is the high competition something that can stress its participants?

“Personally, it doesn’t bother me, I like it. I would have liked it better if we were first. When someone is first, he depends only on himself, when he is not first, then he depends on other circumstances. Our mentality does not change. Whether we are first or not, we try to have our own style and always look for victory. Because we are preparing and we want to be champions. But in a fair football. In a football where strange things don’t happen. And the truth is that in the previous match I felt this… Because we all have to defend in games. And the question is: how do we defend in a static phase, in a foul?

This foul never happened, because it had never happened before. So, today we would be two points more. It is simple. Now if we want to cover the sun with the finger, we can say that we did not defend well on a foul. Our footballers know that we try not to hit the opponent, to avoid fouls. Now, if they give some fouls that don’t exist, it’s strange… Also, I understand that it’s not easy to accept that AEK is going for another championship. But we will fight to win another championship».

You have in front of you the game against Lamia, a team that this year makes it difficult for the big ones…

“Difficult. It’s hard. They are a team that knows how to defend well and may not leave you spaces. A team that made the Playoffs, made the Playoffs for a reason. But it is a shame at the beginning of this celebration that there are no people. Strange… A few days ago they played to people. No; I always say that I give my “battle” for a better football, for an equivalent football. And may the best always win.

We were all protesting because people couldn’t enter the stadiums. And in the first game of this celebration, people do not enter the stadium. Many times we may think that evil is being normalized. I cannot consider it normal, because bad will always be bad. We are here to improve it. But this also seems strange to me».