On his thoughts after the encounter against Chelsea:

«They haven’t changed since last night. It was a difficult encounter against a tough rival. We ran and fought a lot. Unfortunately we went up against one of Europe’s top teams who happen to be in excellent form right now. We knew it, we analyzed them, we tried to hold on to the ball in order to have control. However Chelsea were impeccably organized and didn’t allow us to play our game. We decided a different plan and closed down spaces. However they managed to find room, scored a goal, created chances and that’s the story of our defeat. We tried to keep the scoreline low and, when Chelsea slowed down, we attempted to move forward. It was our time to take risks. With a clearer head, we might have taken something out of the game».

If he were to do it again, would he still choose to play without a clear-cut forward?

«I don’t know how to answer that. It’s pure supposition. There are various “realities”. That Prijović has been out of action for eight days. That we have a strong derby ahead of us on Sunday. That our rivals had excellent midfielders and defenders who build up play from behind with their incessant passing game. I really don’t know how to answer».

On the encounter against AEK Athens:

«We prepare for this game just like we always do. We prepare in all aspects, both on the pitch and on a mental level. This is our toughest game in the Greek League and it demands maximum concentration».

On last season’s respective encounter and whether it affects Sunday’s game:

«Guys, that’s life. One gets the opportunity to play 7 to 10 title-deciding encounters in one’s career. We played one such match and won the league title on the pitch. They did their tricks behind our backs and deprived us of our achievement. That won’t change nor will it be forgotten. It happened. It happened and can’t be erased. We know it and our rivals know it. As for this season’s match, things are different. It’s a different season for both sides. No matter how many times you will ask me about last season’s events, you won’t get a different answer. We won, they stole. When I am asked, it goes without saying that I will answer».

On what kind of game he expects on Sunday:

«AEK are an organized and compact team. They try to give spaces to the rival and look for counterattacking opportunities, adopting a more defensive approach in order to make the most of their transition pace. They have players with strong personality and it’s the most important game of the Greek League. Both teams are good, but totally different, with a different match mentality».

On the fans escorting them all the way to the stadium and the atmosphere in Toumba:

«We really love them. It was an outstanding experience to go all together to the stadium. We felt them by our side and they gave us extra motivation. Our fans boost the team’s morale and have the opposite effect on our rivals».

On back-to-back encounters:

«Why shouldn’t we be ready to deal with that? It’s normal. We are working on a daily basis, we can introduce new players on the pitch all the time and there is excellent challenge ahead with beautiful and tough encounters. We need all our players, even in trainings. We must train well, because that will help us play well. It’s normal».

On the new team benches in Toumba:

«I didn’t like them. They felt weird. But don’t always look for negative things. In most European stadiums, the trend is to put coaches as high as possible, so that they will have a better vision of proceedings. We do the inverse, we go underground!»