«No words, only actions»
He is on the final stretch of his recovery procedure, following his serious injury. Giannis Mystakidis conceded an interesting interview to Novasports TV, on the occasion of the match at Xanthi. He spoke about his own condition and the team’s. Read everything that the young attacking midfielder said on paokfc.gr:
On his recovery and when he will be ready for action:
«I am fine and the knee feels very well. I want to thank everyone who worked with me during my recovery all these months. The coach is following my progress and he will be the one to decide when I will return to action. My only wish is not to have the injury as an excuse for a bad performance when I enter the pitch«.
On the team’s progress:
«Lately, the team hasn’t such good results but has been performing well. The level, as I experience it since joining trainings, is very high. All players are giving it 100%. Bad results can be explained by various factors. It is a new team we are building, several errors were made during the summer, but we need to focus on the positive stuff. Being Greek and having been more time at PAOK, we speak all the time with the foreign players in order to convey to them the proper mentality. Everyone should realize that PAOK enter each match with the aim to win. There is no other result for us. PAOK fans and Mr Savvidis, who has contributed so much, deserve only victories«.
On the team’s effort to react:
«We, players, are still getting to know one another. That is the disadvantage we are facing. When there are many newcomers, it’s difficult to get chemistry right away on the pitch. But it’s our job to achieve that through hard work and intense training. We spend 5-6 hours together on a daily basis and that helps us evolve as a team. Even tensions and little quarrels are part of the game, helping us to know each other better«.
On his conversation with his coach and if it was helpful:
«I hope that everybody can gain positive feedback out of such conversations. We must all understand that being at PAOK means proving on a daily basis we deserve to be here. We are fighting every day in order to satisfy all those who believe in us. The team must solve the problems and prove it on the pitch«.
On the team’s results away from Toumba:
«I am not looking for excuses, nobody is. We managed to lose a game we owned –and have done so on numerous occasions this season. I don’t want to get stuck in the past. We must look forward, starting with the encounter in Xanthi. We must win and look ahead to our next matches«.
On his absence from action and how much it affected his character:
«Let me thank our fans who support me every day. I see myself more mature lately. I have often crossed my limits and learned to live with pain. I am trying to improve every day. I am interested in simple and basic things, such as walking without feeling pain. I wake up and I am happy with simple stuff. I find myself gradually, work hard with our medical and coaching stuff and try to cover for lost ground. My parents and siblings give me strength every day«.
On his fitness level:
«I feel fine. I won’t be ready for the match against Xanthi, but I believe I will be fully prepared at the start of next week. Hopefully that is what my coach thinks as well«.
On the league battle:
«Looking at things from afar, it’s a great league. Anyone can defeat anyone and that is exciting for the fans as well. It’s very positive to see the stands full. We focus only in our own games. From now on, no words are needed, only actions«.
How his off-the pitch perspective when watching the team:
«It’s all looks different from the sidelines. I am more stressed, when not playing. I have often caught myself being more upset than I would be if I played, or I have cursed at a team-mate –that is something I would never do. Those who haven’t played for PAOK cannot understand the huge difference between being on the pitch and watching from the stands«.
On his favourite position:
«I have no special preference. I like to play, to help the team, to create assists and to score«.
On the encounter against Xanthi:
«We always come up against a tough rival when we go to Xanthi. Our coach knows our opponents very well and that will help us. He has already provided us with important info and that gives us the upper hand. We must make the most of this advantage. We will need a bit of luck of course and the positive vibes of all those around the team«.
