On the atmosphere and status of the squad after the victory over Aris at the «Kleanthis Vikelidis»:

«The team is in good shape. We won the two derbies with Olympiacos and Aris. We are very tired, the guys have put in a lot of effort, a lot of running; they gave it their all. We are happy, the work is not over though, we keep looking forward since we still have many games to play.»

On the benefits PAOK have gained after the two derbies with Olympiacos and Aris:

«The main benefit is the positive psychology. The guys have all got a boost psychologically. We won both games, we didn’t concede goals, and that’s important. We can beat any opponent when we are focused on our plan. We can do great things and both we the coaching team and the players know that.»

On what has changed and how much the new formation has helped PAOK to keep clean sheets in both derbies:

«The new formation helps. We have an extra defender and the players feel more confident, it does not mean that we will play with this system every time from now on, however. We want to be different, and we work on these aspects. A derby is difficult and always the main goal is to keep a clean sheet, this is the secret.»

On the plan to manage the players in view of the match with Panathinaikos and the cup game against AEK that follows:

«We will definitely make some changes, because some players need a breather. They have played a lot of games. Some have played three consecutive games with their national teams too. We will make changes, some players need a rest. But I am not afraid of this because we have a big squad.»

On whether he believes that with a victory over PAOK will finally book a place in Europe:

«It is an important game. We have a good series of games with victories behind us. We need another victory, and if it comes tomorrow it will increase the gap between us and Panathinaikos. The difference will go to ten points and I think that will be it. But as always we need to do this on the pitch, because everything seems easier with words. But you do not win anything with words.»

On what PAOK need to do to get the desired result in the next derby:

«The 3-0 defeat we suffered there still hurts us a lot. It was not a fair resukt for me. We must concentrate on the defensive part of our game, that is the ‘key’ for this game.»

On the situation with Ingason and whether the absence of Crespo affects the plans for the possibility of keeping the trio in defense:

«Yes, Crespo is out. We are talking to the medical team and Ingi about his condition. He wants to play, he is available, but we have to know how ready exactly. We also have the cup match and we have to be careful what we do if he plays or if we plays only for part of the game. We have not yet made the final decision whether to start with him or not, we have to think carefully.»

On the status of Andrija Zivkovic and whether he will be available:

«We still do not know.»

On how the coaching staff are handling Tzolis:

«Christos gave us a lot this season. He scored many goals, he was very useful for the team and still is. In the last few games he did not play as a starter, coming on from the bench instead as a substitute. He still has some pieces of his game to improve; I am referring to the defensive part. In football, as the coach has also said, he needs to have both the defensive and attacking aspects to his game. We are working on it with Christos and little by little he will improve this part and he will become an even better player for PAOK and for Greek football.»