Scheduling of the fixtures will prove crucial in the way PAOK’s UEL group unfolds, according to Angelos Anastasiadis, who spoke to Nova TV during the draw of the UEFA Europa League. “It seems as if our friendly preseason encounters were a rehearsal for such a draw”, he said as soon as PAOK’s name came out from Pot 2 to accompany ACF Fiorentina and then added: “We have already faced two Serie A sides, Napoli and Inter this summer, and got a taste of Italian football. Fiorentina however are more attack-minded and we have to study them further”.

Regarding En Avant de Guingamp, PAOK head coach said: “They lack the experience of the rest, but play in a top league. We have to study their potential this season and especially their form on the dates of our matches, but I believe they are within our reach”.

As for FC Dinamo Minsk, Anastasiadis underlined the added difficulty of the long trip before sentencing: “They are a good team, tough to beat. The calendar of fixtures is also important in their case”.

Maarten Martens also spoke about the draw: “As a first reaction, I am satisfied. It will be nice to play a good Italian side such as Fiorentina. I didn’t want us to draw any Ukrainian teams. I preferred a German or an Italian one”.

Regarding En Avant de Guingamp, the Belgian midfielder of PAOK said: “Considering that the 3rd pot included outfits like Everton, I am satisfied with our draw. They are within our reach. This is a good draw for the fans as well. We wanted a weaker opponent in our group, as we aim to qualify. I don’t know Dinamo Minsk and can’t offer any comment on them”.