Style: “Panathinaikos is a very mature and experienced team – I will not hide, it is important for everyone to enter the Conference”

Lance’s coach, Will Steele and the goalkeeper of the team, Bryce Sabaexpressed their respect for Panathinaikos ahead of the meeting between the two teams in the Conference League playoffs.

At a press conference, Steele and Saba they pointed out the dynamics and experience of the “clover”, with the young technician stressing, among other things, that Lance entering the League Phase of the competition is very important for both the club and himself.

Steele acknowledged his team will face a hard challenge: “Panathinaikos has a very mature and experienced team. This team has a great knowledge of European competitions, with more than 200 games played. We’ve seen them cause major problems for Ajax in the Europa League qualifying round and French teams in previous years. They have a pretty clear game plan, with a lot of aggression when they lose the ball. We should remain calm and not fall into the trap of physical combat, which Panathinaikos manages to impose on its opponents».

On his part, Mr Bryce Sabagoalkeeper of Lance, agreed with his coach’s assessment and added that Panathinaikos has a strong team with tactical organization and dynamics, which makes them a dangerous opponent: “Panathinaikos is a very persistent and experienced opponent. We know that these two matches will be two big battles. The first match at home will be important. We should put the necessary ingredients to play a great match. We will do everything to approach these two matches properly and get through this round. Many in the team, we discovered the Champions League and the Europa League last season. This time, we get a taste of the Conference League».

Also, the 32-year-old technician underlined the importance of the match, characterizing it as crucial for many reasons: “At all levels, this match is important, both for the playing field, for the fans and financially, as it brings an extra advantage. I’m not going to hide behind the truth. It is also important for me, because I also want to participate in the European Cup. He is important to everyone».

He also spoke about the impact of the European experience that Lance’s players gained last season: “This experience was felt throughout the pre-season and in the first match of Ligue 1. There is one maturity in everything we do, in managing events during and before a match, and that’s a positive thing. It would be foolish not to take advantage of this experience, this ability to remain calm in such situations, as it makes our work easier».

Finally, Steele addressed the challenge of managing the intensive program for the latter part of August, highlighting the importance of organizing and capitalizing on the quality of his squad: “I just made the schedule for the next two weeks, and it’s going to be a big marathon with travel and stuff to manage. We are lucky, the team is complete, but above all full of quality. We will be able to use multiple players. There is healthy and extremely positive competition, everyone wants to play everything, even if it is not possible. I only see this as a positive point to keep in mind».