Diogo Figueiras:
-On whether Olympiacos is the first favorite to qualify: “I wouldn’t say that we have secured our qualification, yet this victory is very important and provides us with some good assets in order to go through to the next round”.
-About his first goal after joining Olympiacos: “I am very happy I managed to score my first one. I hope that many more will follow after this first goal. If not many, at least a few more. I am really satisfied because we earned the win, because this goal helped us win the match, because as we know, these 3 points boost our confidence to continue our fight to qualify to the next round”.
-On whether Olympiacos is currently at its top level after beating AEK, Panionios and Astana: “Certainly, we currently are at a really good point, but we all know that these matches now belong to the past and the only thing for us to start thinking about is PAOK and our next Championship fixture”
Giorgos Manthatis:
-On his debut in the UEFA Europa League group stage: A great feeling. It is something unbelievable for anyone to make his debut and, even more, in Karaiskakis. So registered a very important win, it pushes us forward to qualify and we have laid proper foundations for our next fixture in Kazakhstan”.
-On whether he feels the team is gradually getting more together: “Certainly, we find ourselves at a very good point. Progressively, we earned consistency. It was quite strange for a coach to leave in and having someone else replacing him… But we have to be serious and patient. We trust our new coach, he gives opportunities especially to young guys. The good thing is that we have had some good results so far and we now have a good set of matches with positive results and that is important”.
-On whether young players feel ready to become part of the First Team: “When a new coach comes and you already know that we used to support young players, then you have a strong incentive to work more in training and show him you are up to the task. We are guys who have been here since the Academies, so this means at least 10 years for me, Retsos and Androutsos and, having said that, now we have to wait for the opportunity the coach will give us».
Tarik Elyounoussi:
-What do you take out of the match against Astana; “For us, this was a great win that we really need following our defeat to APOEL. We wanted to make a comeback and that was the best way to do so, since we did on our home grounds and before our fans.
-You scored a fabulous goal. Can you describe us the play? Di you have in mind to do exactly that one when you got possession of the ball? My aim is always to run, fight for every ball and occasion. What I want is , for me, to perform well.. What I want is to deliver. To perform well and always help the team. When, after all these things, I manage to score then this a bonus, the extra something I dearly want. It is something that makes feel happy and greatly satisfied I came across it. Tonight I was lucky enough to repeat this feat and I am happy to have lived that.”
-How can this win help in view of the match alginates PAOK; “Self-confidence is key work word for our company. Today’s win certainly increases our self-confidence for the rest of the tournament. Of course, the match against PAOK will be completely different για την συνέχεια. However, we could use our boosted psychology for this match. It’s a tough game, but I trust my team. I trust my teammates and I am certain we will pull it off”.
