Kostas Manolas
“A victory is always important when one plays against a big club such as Arsenal. We turned the game around and proved that we are a big team.
We deserved to advance to the next round of Champions League, not to qualify in Europa League. If we keep playing there like we played tonight, we can advance a lot.
We’ll see about that next, we’ll work on it, as expectations are quite high”, said the international stopper after the end of the match at G. Karaiskakis Stadium.
Pablo Contreras
“We reacted well after 0-1 and got to win. We have to keep playing just as seriously in Europa League. Of course, a lot will depend on the draw.
We want to win against Panathinaikos for many reasons. Because it’s a derby, and we also want to ensure the championship title”.
Djamel Abdoun
“We truly played with a lion heart in front of our fans. It was a balanced match with lots of opportunities, and it sure gives us confidence for the match against Panathinaikos.
The truth is that our group was a hard one. We are a big team and have the quality required to do well.
I work a lot, the president has shown trust in me and I try to return that as much as possible”.
Rafik Djebbour
“We didn’t start off well with Schalke, like we did with Marseille last year. However, we later developed our good side, played better and showed great character, but it was late.
The important thing is to mind our own way of playing and not what others do. If we focus on ourselves and what we do, I think that everything will be just fine. We showed that we can be competitive, even at this level. We will have to make one step at a time. Of course, I would love us to advance to the final of Europa League, but football isn’t like that.
Of course we can co-exist with Mitroglou, he’s a very bright player; he opens up spaces for me and I get better playing on his side. I like his style, and I hope we have the chance to play together many times.
Our fans support us and I thank them for that. We have to return everything they give us, so we dedicate this victory to them”.
Roy Carroll
“We were very good. We played for our pride and our fans. It was a fast-paced match between two offense-oriented teams. We created many opportunities and deserved to win.
We knew how quick they are in counter-attacks. The way we get to win is not at all important, this is a team sport. All four defenders did a great job, this is what we should do, work as a team.
I hope we do well next. There are new players this year, we will all try to do our best. We’re looking forward to the next matches, we’re a good team, we finished the group stage with nine points”.
Kostas Mitroglou
“It’s a shame we didn’t manage to qualify, we played well in Champions League. Now, we have to focus on Europa League”.
About the fact that he scored against Arsenal and Montepellier, but not against Schalke, he said: “I don’t mind, what bothers me is that we lost to Schalke at both matches”.
“We can forget about the encounter against Arsenal, we will work all week for the match against Panathinaikos. It is a difficult game, but we want to win and we’ll give our best for that”.
About the fact that he scored with his right foot, he said: “I don’t think that the one or the other is more important for me. I work well with both feet and I’m happy I managed to take this inside shot. It was an important goal, but even more important is the fact that the team won. Now, we focus on Sunday’s match”.
David Fuster
“We conceded a quick goal, which, though, was not representative of the teams’ performance during the first half, as we created a lot of opportunities. Then, we pressed more, created scoring opportunities and managed to win.
It’s not good for us players, but we didn’t manage to get through to the next round. Now, we focus on Europa League, we want to keep on course in that competition.
We leave behind the match against Arsenal and move on to the match against Panathinaikos, which is important for the team, our fans and us. We will give our best to win and ensure the championship title”.
Leandro Greco
“Since day one, everyone has been talking to me about this match, so I understand how important it is for our team.
We will try for the best in Europa League, it is an important competition”.
Drissa Diakité
“It’s a very important victory for our spirit. We were better than our opponents and deserved to win. I hope we play against Panathinaikos with the same mindset”.
