On whether he also tasted his birthday cake:

«I didn’t, but my players did. Several things landed on my head though, water, salad… However the most important event of the day was our victory«.

On how the match unfolded and the team’s improvement after the interval:

«In such games, when we can’t score, we must handle the situation smartly, outrun our opponents and net that elusive goal with the first chance we get. Today we had the wrong approach in the first half. We started our deployment from way back, something we rarely do, and didn’t take advantage of the existing spaces. That is why we gave Lamia the opportunity to play aggressive defence. However we managed to carve out opportunities to score. In the second half, we did exploit the available space, managed to score and soon doubled our lead. Most importantly, we got three more points in the bag. When we can’t score an early goal, we need to be patient –that is of the essence. Matches can be decided even in their late stages«.

On Mak’s performance and what he told him during half-time:

«Mak’s charges forward made the difference in the second half, as he was able to sneak around the back of the defence. Such moves are imperative in order to “unlock” tricky matches, even if they mean sacrificing a player«.

On Biseswar’s assist for the opener:

«That is what he must do, that is what we needed. We expect the improvisation in the deciding pass, especially against such rivals«.

On the encounter against Olympiacos:

«From now on we focus on next Sunday’s encounter against Olympiacos, nothing else. It’s just like any other game. If we win, we get three points«.

On Moulin and his level of readiness:

«You know that I don’t like to speak about players who joined us so recently. I prefer talking about the squad and what each player brings. A player can be important even if he comes off the bench in the second half. If the whole team perform well, then our newcomers will adjust even better to the squad«.

On managing his squad:

«Our aim all along has been to create a good atmosphere within the team, boost our players and form a tight-knit group. When players comprehend the benefits of such an atmosphere, they give everything for the team. It’s impossible to keep every player happy, however they all know their role and give their best. It’s about respecting our job«.

On the fans’ absence from the stands and his message to them:

«We knew they wanted to attend today’s match, but it was impossible. There is a very strong bond between them and the team and we want them by our side for our next game, a highly important one«.