His initial statement:

«Let me start by saying that it’s a fair result. We lack self-confidence. We made some errors and were startled by Levadiakos’s attacking spirit and determination. They played with long crosses, were aggressive on the second ball through Brandão, they would push us back and were there again, first on the ball. We managed to come back into the game gradually and gained control. We made errors, because we played slowly, didn’t move the ball fast enough. We lacked timing and gave our rivals the opportunity to organize themselves well. That was more or less what happened in the second half as well. We were more in control, but they were well organized in that 5-4-1 that made it almost impossible to create vertical danger. In such games, it’s important to take a single chance and make it count, but we failed to do that. That enabled Levadiakos to play long crosses and come to our own half. By fighting for second balls, they created two opportunities. It was a tough game, especially after Thursday’s effort. To be honest, we are not ready yet. We need time, but don’t have it. Right now we need strong will and more self-confidence to gain results«.

On when he believes that his team will reach the desired level:

«I can’t provide you with an exact time frame, but I am sure that time will work on our behalf. That is why I want a different approach and more self-confidence from my players. We are PAOK, we must be more self-assured. It’s a tough period with matches every three days. When Matos, Pelkas and Cañas rejoin our group, we will have more options and will be able to respond better to every situation. Against Levadiakos, we lacked swift moving in midfield. I am speaking for the team as a whole. Everyone did a fantastic job three days earlier and it was difficult to perform today as well under these circumstances. We need more balance and we will work a lot on our attacking determination«.

On the line-up changes:

«In the first half hour, Mak was the only player to be fed between the lines. We couldn’t be more creative under these circumstances. We lacked imagination and Levadiakos were well organized. There was no other option available at that point, because Pelkas was sidelined and Biseswar lacks physical condition. He needs more time, as he was nursing an injury as well. There is also Thursday’s match in Sweden to consider, and more games after that. I decided to introduce quality players like Campos and Biseswar in order to break through Levadiakos’s defensive line. I expected Campos to be lively in the flanks. I kept Crespo on the pitch, as we needed to keep our guard up in defence. There were also dead-ball situations to think about –without Crespo, it would be difficult to defend them. He had a tough job in a position that’s not his own, but he kept the balance and gave everything he got. Upfront though, we needed more«.

On whether he believes that the team have a mentality problem away from Toumba Stadium:

«From season to season, the main group remains the same. I believe that we need a lot of work in order to gain good results. When I enter the dressing room, I see the players’ will to win and that is highly important. We need to face the situations that arise away from Toumba. We need to work on details that will enable us to win –not just the moves of a single player, but the attacking spirit and determination that will come gradually. We must have a fresh mind in order to react well, choose the correct option. Right now, we lack that balance«.

On the PAOK fan that lost his life:

«We are very sorry. I wish we had gotten a better result and honour his memory more appropriately. These are the real life tragedies. The rest is unimportant. We stand by his family’s side«.