THE Razvan Lucescu spoke at the press conference after PAOK’s 4-1 win over Panathinaikos.
The coach of the North Doubleheader was reported overall throughout the season, at Vieriniabut also in the next game with Mars.
His statements in detail:
About the match and the punishment of Koulierakis due to the card:
“You know in a year with many moments, good and bad, all these situations have to be managed. Both individually and as a team we must be balanced. We’ve had fantastic moments and complicated moments this year. We have improved our spirit this year and we have really shown great determination, at the same time we are humble and moving forward with the same tone.
We have a very good attitude on the pitch, we are motivated. In these three days left we have to prepare the game to win it. Koulierakis is a player who always plays to the maximum, he has to be prepared for everything, just like me. We have to have all the players… warm. Cards are part of the game and everyone must be ready to play. This is also the logic of the rotation during the year, the player who will play in his place must be ready for a crucial game”.
On what he thinks if PAOK had won Lamia and how he will keep the team motivated ahead of Sunday’s game:
“As I said before, there are times and moments in the life of a team. Today we secured second place. We started the year when nobody thought we would get here, to go to the quarter-finals of a European competition and three days before the end of the season to challenge for the title. We faced very good teams, very good players and it is a success that we are on top of the standings. If AEK had beaten us, if Panathinaikos had produced other results, we would have talked differently but this is not a discussion now. In any case it is something fantastic, we have to keep our balance until the last game”.
On… karma, the presence of Vieirania and whether his goal is a sign of a title like in 2019, on whether he has given more to the team:
“He is one of the most important players in the history of Greek football. He has tremendous quality and many people think his age is a problem. I have a lot of faith in his quality, he is a fantastic person and an amazing footballer. Unfortunately time moves on for everyone and we all grow up. The important thing is that he himself feels good and comes in to help the team.
I want to tell you stories about Andre, but now we have to focus on Sunday’s game. That’s all that matters to us. We know what we have to do. To be balanced, we are first and everything is at our feet. We have a very strong motivation, but we have to stay focused. It’s a title for us that will be a huge success for everyone at the club.”
On what he did as a coach to turn the switch after the draw in Lamia:
“I explained many times that today we played game no. 57 for us. It’s a huge number of games and we most of them are high intensity. This season has… drained us of energy, especially in the playoffs, which are all intense. We started from scratch, and during the season I wanted to see a reaction after bad performances. Let’s refresh our minds and prepare for the next one.
We were greatly affected by the virus, which created many problems, before the matches with Bruges, which were two demanding matches. I didn’t do anything terrible after Lamia, I just showed what we have achieved and what lies ahead. They had to understand what we risked losing. They made a promise to themselves to go game by game, so they achieved a lot. We knew about AEK’s difficult schedule, we had finished with the matches in Athens.
These are some normal situations for a team that plays so many games. Each player reacts differently, but shows a willingness to fight until the end. All teams have bad periods, but the most important thing is the reaction.”
On how difficult it is for a coach to manage games every three days:
“The truth is that after the elimination we had two weeks to be fresh and work. He gave us energy during this time. During the season there are problems big or small with the players. We are lucky that we get the rotation for a large part of the year, we have created strong bonds between the players.
There is this confidence that helps us in many areas, I think now in the finale of the season it is easier. Even Ms. Morfi in Mesimvria is on target and understands the seriousness of the situation.”
Source: Sport Fm
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