Ferreira: “We must show great discipline to win”
Both Abel Ferreira and Dimitris Pelkas shared their expectations with the media for the upcoming duel against Besiktas in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.
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PAOK are ready to enter battle. Having finished in second place of the 2019/2020 Super League, the Dikefalos tou Vorra earned a berth in the second round of Champions League qualification, where they will meet Besiktas at the Toumba Stadium. The tie will be decided in just the one game as a consequence of the tight schedule.
Head coach Abel Ferreira stated that he expects a difficult match with Besiktas, despite the amount of problems which the Turks possess:
State of play at Besiktas: “They still have the same coach. Besiktas’ fighting mentality hasn’t changed, they have the same philosophy. The most important thing is how we perform. We really want to advance to the next round of the competition, so everyone has to fight for every ball. This is a big challenge for us, but the same can be said for Besiktas.”
PAOK’s situation: “We must show great football, discipline and talent to win. Our system is clear, and I really do believe in the players which we have at our disposal. We have had time to improve.”
Importance of qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League: “We want PAOK to perform in European competitions. This isn’t a two-legged tie, it is a final for us. During the entire 90 minutes we must fight, compete with discipline and display our potential. If we do this, we will qualify. We must play as a team and try to avoid mistakes.”
Poor relations between Greece and Turkey on the political front: “All I can say is that all of the coaches and players understand the importance of this match. We will be competitive on the pitch. In any case, we want to honour the PAOK emblem. We know how important it is to be worthy of this shirt and qualify for the next round of the tournament. We want to produce a good performance.”
PAOK midfielder Dimitris Pelkas also spoke about the team’s desire to fight hard against Besiktas in Thessaloniki:
Competing against Besiktas: “I want us to start the season successfully without receiving any injuries. Let the coronavirus leave our lives and the fans return to the arena. Of course, we feel the pressure for this game, but that is a good thing. We’ve learned to live with pressure. This is a final for us, so we will fight to remain in the Champions League. Our goal is to qualify for the group stage in Europe. Unfortunately, we couldn’t achieve that last year. Yes, it will be strange to play in front of an empty stadium in such a game, but we can’t use any excuses. These matches are decided by small details.”
Changes during the summer: “Last season we didn’t achieve our goals, even if we did improve towards the end of the Super League playoffs. We want to make a fresh start.”
Qualification against Fenerbahce in 2010: “I was in the academy at the time. I remember that I was happy that PAOK won.”
Besiktas’ state of play: “We are focusing on our own performance. We’ve studied the opponents and are preparing for a competitive match. We will give everything on the field, fighting from the first to the last minute.”
