-What is the feeling of grabbing the win in added time by a comeback: “In football, there is an unwritten law that applied tonight. When one loses lots of chances, one will be punished in the end. In 90 minutes, they scored one goal in a single opportunity. I am satisfied with the way we played. We saw our side giving a fight and still fighting although trailing by a goal. I am satisfied with players like Ofoe who just returned from his injury or Guillet. The entire team has fought till the end. We deserved to win. I am not satisfied with the result but I am contented with the chances we produced and our attitude as a team”.
-On the fact that Romao has played as a defensive midfielder and a center-back, now he scored like a proper striker; and if there is anything more to ask from him: “I don’t like making comments for any single player. However, he is indeed a player who tries to deliver. Tonight, he had a splendid reaction in a set piece and acted as a striker. Maybe this will be his next position”.
-If he feels optimistic for Olympiacos sealing qualification in Croatia: “I believe we will keep it up like that in Croatia as well. I prefer the fact we won even in the very last minute instead of ending in a draw. During the break, we discussed about that; that we had 45 minutes to turn the match around. In general, we believe that our team may produce many chances and fight until the end. Let us not forget that we have a newly-built team whereas Rijeka features players who have been together for 3 years now and know exactly what they should do. We go on as best as we can. το τέλος. Our second match against Partizan was not good from our side. We try to improve and claim what we deserve”.
-What did he say to the players during the break: “I have no problem answering this question; I told them we are a better team and that we needed to believe in ourselves. It was our players’ psychology that helped. Our desire was stronger than our opponent’s and everyone who was capped contributed to that.
-After a quasi-perfect match, is there someone you would like to point the figure to for the goal conceded? “Generally speaking, we defended poorly as a team; when one allows the opponent to create just one chance, this means we were very good. There are players, like Romao, who did not play in their standard position, yet they went fine. We are a team that keeps getting better day in, day out. What we take out of the match is that we created so many chances.”.
-His message to the club’s fans: “We will miss them in the return match in Croatia. We want them to be strong all the time and keep stay by our side. We do know the kind of boost they provide us with”.
-If comeback wins bond the players together even more: «Under the circumstances of this match, we can surely say so. The way we played and how the match developed gives us confidence. I’d rather we won by 1-0. Things would have been easier for us should we have not conceded that goal”.
– If the 1-1 scoreline remained until the end, would this have been a genuine reflection of the way the match developed? “We haven’t yet reached the point we want. We have to improve in many aspects. Our players are not ready, we have some newcomers, we have to work on our pace and fitness. Out team has to bond together, to work on pass-and-move combinations and this takes time. The only thing that is perfect is our psychology and the way we dealt with this match. This team has to make it into the UEFA Champions League groups. These are the fixtures where you will see lots of energy and intensity”.
-If he thinks that the score was fair: “No, it isn’t. If the match ended 4-1, then it might have been”.
-If tonight’s win of Olympiacos is a good sign ahead of the return match: “Rijeka might not be the top brand but it’s a tough side. If they score first, it is really difficult to beat them. For instance, Salzburg failed to created many chances against them. Rijeka had had a 43-match unbeaten streak and lost at home by Dynamo. I check the statistics but i don’t believe in them that much. We want to play with the same state of mind like tonight; always demonstrating that we play for the win, although it is far from easy to win all the times”.
