Paphos General Manager Haris Theocharous made remarks on “SPOR FM 95.0.”
He commented on the important “away win” against AEK as well as the team’s overall performance, noting that they are currently at the top of the standings. He then addressed the possibility of signing an unemployed center forward.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
As for the refereeing and the complaints from the Larnaca team, he declined to comment.
Here’s what he said in detail:
On yesterday’s victory and taking first place: “The fact that we’re in first place doesn’t mean anything. We beat a very good team; we played well and displayed the kind of beautiful soccer we haven’t seen in a long time. We beat a very good team on their home turf. All the players, as a team, showed that we wanted the three points more—I think that’s what this victory was built on. I think we could have scored even more goals given the chances we created.”
On the convincing performance: “Ten days ago, we won the Super Cup against a top-tier team; then came the draw with Olympiacos; and just a few days later, we secured the victory at the Arena, which changed the landscape. Players aren’t robots; other results will follow, and unfortunately, in Cyprus, we have a tendency to write things off as a total failure. We tell the fans that the league is a long season and requires a strong stomach; criticism doesn’t affect us—let them criticize. But let’s not write off players and coaches only to praise them to the skies three months later.”
On Dragomir: “He has a history of success at AEK Arena; he scores often. He came on fresh and made some great assists. He’s crucial to the team; he’s come into his own here.”
On the outlook: “It’s good; we’ve also brought in young players. Some are just returning from injuries. We also saw Zague play in a different position. It was a stopgap measure, but he’s capable of handling it. We’re fortunate to have versatile players like Sema. We’ve also tried to bring in players from the B list who can help us. Brito, Afonso, and Mamantov are players who can step up for the team and become long-term members of our squad.”
On signing a forward: “We need to appreciate the players we already have. If something exceptional comes up, we might make a move. If we find someone really good, but we won’t make a move just for the sake of it.”
On Lele: “He’s the easy scapegoat when we don’t score, but we have to recognize the work he’s putting in—the goals will come.”
On Maé: “He was on the roster, even though he’d been given time off. He traveled for his father’s funeral and returned the next day—that shows his character and that he wanted to be close to the team.”
On the refereeing: “I don’t want to comment. AEK is a team that commands respect. Everyone looks at the plays from their own perspective. I won’t get into a debate. I think everyone can draw their own conclusions, and some plays were blatantly obvious. I won’t get into the process of commenting on specific plays. Last week, I congratulated the referee on a match where we dropped points, and I said that Pafos’s goal was indeed legitimate. VAR showed that there was a foul. The exact same play happened yesterday, and nothing was called. This inconsistency in decisions—that’s what bothers us.”
On the match against AEL: “It’s a top-of-the-table clash, given how the standings look, so we have to take it seriously. There are no easy opponents. They’re all strong teams. If you don’t take it seriously, you’ll pay the price.”
