«My players gave it all they had»
Read what Igor Tudor said after the final whistle of the encounter against Olympiacos in Karaiskakis Stadium.
On the result and whether he is satisfied:
«I am satisfied because my players gave it all they had. They gave everything on the pitch and I can’t say something bad. But we are disappointed with the result«.
On the team’s performance:
«In the second half we were in control, they didn’t create that many chances«.
On Tzavellas’s dismissal:
«I am always talking with Tzavellas before games and during interval. I believe that our efforts are fruitful, he has improved a lot in this domain. I will speak to him again though«.
On his team’s performance:
«Everybody looks at the games from their own perspective. What bothered me a bit was showing perhaps too much respect to Olympiacos. We had said before the match that we needed to enter the pitch and play our game. When we fell behind, I thought that perhaps my players would retreat out of fear. Therefore we talked a lot during half-time and you saw that, when the game opened up, we controlled pace and were better«.
On everything that has happened lately:
«I wouldn’t want to express an opinion on rumours. When the time comes, I will though. And that will be far more interesting for you. But now it’s not the time«.
On Berbatov’s performance:
«He tried, was eager and did interesting things on the pitch. His performance was good against the best side in the league. He is on the right track for sure«.
On fielding both Berbatov and Athanasiadis together in the starting line-up:
«Both are important players for us and I decided to have them both play today. Nothing more to say about it«.
On Chatziisaias:
«I am satisfied. I was aware of his potential, but I know that it’s not easy to get to play right away. There is room for improvement, but he was good today and I am satisfied with his display«.
On PAOK playing better in high-profile encounters:
«I agree with you. We wasted several points against theoretically inferior opponents –that bothers us and we have often analyzed it. We need to focus now on upcoming games, raise our performance level in the play-offs and I am confident that PAOK will be as they should«.
On how could a team stand up to Olympiacos in the long run:
«There are many factors and details that weigh in during the season. I have formed my opinion about it, but now it’s not the time to discuss it. The most important thing for me is for the team to follow their coach’s instructions and do what they have to on the pitch«.
