«Only Apollon on our minds»
Răzvan Lucescu shared his thoughts with Novasports TV ahead of the encounter against Apollon Smyrni. Here is what the Romanian tactician said in detail:
On the team’s condition:
«We only focus on the upcoming match«.
On the Moledo issue:
«I didn’t make a comment in the past, nor will I comment now«.
On transfers:
«We have a strong squad. Players are constantly improving, as well as the team as a whole. If there are helpful transfer moves to be made, we will go through with them. But we are not under pressure on that subject«.
On El Kaddouri returning to action:
«We have many players available. It’s a pleasant situation, yet tough to handle. All players want to start and that is normal. We have a good team. Omar returned to trainings with the same will and determination and has a high self-confidence. Cañas recovered from an injury that had been nagging him for ten days. Azevedo is training at a higher intensity. We are in good shape and we have many difficult encounters ahead of us«.
On whether the team’s fixtures condition his decisions:
«We want to plan ahead, but now we focus on the match against Apollon Smyrni. They are struggling to remain in the league and it won’t be an easy game. They have good players and a good coach. Their encounter against AEK Athens proved they are capable of good results. We need to remain focused and give it all for the three-pointer. Of course I am thinking about the games ahead, but the match against Apollon comes first«.
On whether the acquisition of a centre-back is a priority:
«No, we are not focusing on just one position. Regarding our defence, I have repeatedly said that we work at an impeccable level and that is obvious on the pitch. No matter which defender comes, they will need time to adjust, as all those playing now are responding perfectly«.
On Prijović:
«There is much pointless talk going on, regarding this issue. Our philosophy remains clear: every player is important and all must play and help us. They all have to be fit, physically and, above all, mentally. Sometimes players neglect that and we have to remind them of it. Prijović is an outstanding striker, scoring non-stop. We also have the main striker of Greece U21 in our ranks and he must integrate the team as well. There is perfect balance in our attacking players and a great atmosphere. However everyone wants to play –and such talk is normal«.
On the Macedonia issue:
«I am a foreigner. I can only say that Greece is a great country, I enjoy living here and I feel Greece as part of me«.
