Football is quickly evolving into a sport for… bionic athletes. It calls for muscular, pacey and enduring footballers. There is however one element that remains unchanged and characterizes the sport: mind power. Thinking outside of the box and making the unpredictable work for you can pack stadiums and increase spectacle.

Christian Noboa is neither the strongest nor the fastest player. He doesn’t need to be. He has learned to have a quick mind and encounter the solution when the rest are still pondering the problem. The Ecuador international midfielder produced such a moment of magic in the encounter against Veria, earning the distinction for Best Goal of February.

Before heading off to join his national team, Noboa was presented with his award and then talked to paokfc.gr about the specific goal, his tough first weeks at PAOK and the prospectives of the “Double-Headed Eagle”.

Christian, this is the second award you land for the goal against Veria…

“I would like to thank the fans for voting for this beautiful award. It’s important to feel accepted by the fans, because football is for them. I am glad to be helping PAOK and hopefully we will do better in the future”.

About that… There has been much talk about the team’s displays in recent weeks…

“It’s only natural. Our results and performances are far from good. We are very disappointed and want to turn things around through hard work. We need good results to gain back our self-confidence, even if we remain far from spectacular. Now our goal is to win and be ready for the play-offs that will determine our future in European competitions”.

I will not ask you about what led us to this point, because I know I won’t get an answer out of you. Do you believe however that things can turn around and that you can earn the UEFA Champions league berth?

“Of course we can do it. Were we not confident, we shouldn’t even be on the team. It’s our obligation to lead PAOK as high as possible. UEFA Champions League is a huge motivation for all players. I believe there is time to bounce back. Our new coach works hard, has solid ideas about football and he will help us to be ready when we need to. Despite the absences, the international break is a good opportunity for us to work together and produce on the pitch what our coach wants”.

What does PAOK need to change in order to achieve their remaining goal for the season?

“I am not qualified to answer this question, our coach is. He determines the tactics and our philosophy on the pitch. We players need to be 100% focused, give it all we’ve got and help achieve our common goal”.

How many awards would you be satisfied with until the end of the season?

“The spot for the UEFA Champions League would be enough for me. PAOK are a big club, accustomed to high-level pressure and I came to help them be a contender and go after distinctions. If people think me worthy of an individual award through my effort to help my team, it would be even better. It’s a nice feeling to feel recognized, but football is a team sport, therefore personal distinctions are not the main aim”.