Lucescu: “It’s one thing to be pushed by 20,000 fans and another to be against you”

He showed a lot relying on PAOK’s headquarters and the dynamic presence of his fans in Toumba for the rematch with Malme the Razvan Lucescu. The Romanian coach, when asked why he can be optimistic about the second match, spoke to the fans of the team who will be in Toumba.

“It’s one thing to be pushed by 20,000 fans and another to be against you. So from this side we will have a push from our headquarters. Malmö have experience in Europe, they have played many games in full stadiums, but for us it will be very important because our crowd will give us energy“, he said.

Razvan Lucescu’s statements in detail..

“We experienced the same situation in the past, when important players had the opportunity to leave with more money, but we managed to deal with these situations like PAOK. It’s a matter of work and mentality of each player, so that he works harder to succeed.”

– why he is optimistic about the rematch:

“It will be a different environment. It’s one thing to have 20,000 fans pushing you and another to have them against you. So from this side we will have a push from our headquarters. Malmö have experience in Europe, they have played many games in full stadiums, but for us it will be very important because our crowd will give us energy. In Sweden it was a tough game, any team could win and we got a very good result. We had an extra week to prepare and present a better face after the first three matches in Europe, where we had good results.”

-if he expects Malmo to play aggressively again and what is the key element he wants from his team:



“The nature of a team is hard to change, it has a way and goes with it. There may be some strategy, but it doesn’t change the nature of a team. Both teams need to pay attention to some points. I hope you ask the same question in Malmö. The game is… a game, every moment can bring something and you have to be able to react. You may start the way you want and then have to manage it, other times you may not start the way you want and you have to be able to react. This is most important for a winning team. That’s the mentality, always be ready for the next one.”

-for the adaptation of new players and their readiness:



“I can’t answer specifically. You will definitely see the best of Chalov and Tisundali in October, but they have quality and experience, that’s for sure. It’s obvious that they haven’t adjusted yet, but that’s normal because the other players have been together for years. When a player is not 100% ready, he can struggle, but when he has quality it can help him overcome all these difficulties faster. Kamara has started to improve in his adaptation, but we have no doubts about his quality or potential.”

-on whether players like Trost-Ekong are not counted for the rematch:



“And what shall we do?” A footballer’s life is very short and opportunities arise that they must take. For him one such was presented and he himself wanted to go to ensure the future of his family. He was out of football for two years. It’s hard for players to stop their careers for a while and have no other income when the lights go out. So they have to take care of that during his career. I understand the player’s desire, but there must always be a balance with the needs of the club.”