THE Rui Vitoria at the press conference of the match with Asteras AKTOR and after the 1-0 made in the last second by Geremegevhe spoke of a game in which the ball had to “run” more and where the desire and mood for the hunt for victory would count more.
“We understand that today’s game was quite difficult, due to the weather conditions against a difficult and good team. I think the team has done its job. I think from the first minute he tried to play as organized as he could. She created enough opportunities to be able to score and make her “life” a little easier. A fact that he ultimately failed to do.
However, at the break we told the players that we should continue in the same way. We just had to pick up speed, be more direct and get to the opposition goal quicker, before the opposition managed to organize. In the second half we saw it in a greater percentage” said initially Portuguese coach and continued, referring to the changes he made:
“All the players helped in that part. In such games, organization does not play such an important role, but determination, will, mood and chasing the victory until the last minute. I think my players had that and for that I congratulate them, as well as the rest of the coaching staff.
Really, the players who came on in the second half gave a lot of energy, spirit and intensity to get that goal in the last minute. This is something I had said in the previous game as well.
A manager must be very satisfied that even though there were 7 changes of players compared to the team that played on Wednesday, we saw that the players who started, kept the shape and the model of play that we want to follow”.
Commenting on what he himself perceives from Panathinaikos at this point in the season and after the time he has worked with the team, Rui Vitoria had to say:
“I’m glad that you (including the journalists and the public) see that the team has now acquired a character. A winner’s mentality, that never gives up. Today’s game was balanced against a very good and difficult opponent and in very difficult weather conditions. We saw that the team created several chances again. Could have ended the game a lot quicker.
The team created many good chances in which they could have scored. In these games you need that footballer who will go the extra mile, the extra energy or will think something, which will not be expected. We know that we had many opportunities and we are constantly working on it.
Right now the only thing we can do, and that’s what we are doing and will continue to do, is to work very hard. Although we are talking about a difficult schedule, you will see that most of the training we have done is for the rehabilitation of the football players and less for what we really wanted to train. We see that the team creates a lot of opportunities and I think that at some point the opposite can happen.
That is, for the team to create less than as much as they are creating at the moment, but for the ball to go in much more easily. I am very satisfied with the work my football players put in during training. How quickly they have assimilated what we ask of them”.
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.
