Apollon’s press officer, Fanourios Konstantinou, spoke to “SPOR FM 95.0.”
He first addressed the draw in the derby against Paphos, then analyzed the team’s current situation, emphasizing that due to several absences in the upcoming match against Olympiacos, they will field an… experimental starting lineup.
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Regarding Asoro’s injury, he stated that the incident was missed by VAR, since, as he put it, it was a clear red card. In closing, he emphasized that the “blue-and-whites” have one of the best teams in recent years this season.
Here are his comments in detail:
On the draw with Paphos: “We were the better team for most of the match; we paid the price for our moments of inactivity—that’s how derbies go. We’ll take away the performance, the energy, and the support of the fans, who remained proud of the team’s progress but disappointed by the result. No one can beat us easily, whether at home or on the road. We’re a team that imposes itself on the field; we have nothing to be envious of, even when compared to teams with bigger budgets. We’re in the mood to score; the opponent’s few chances led to their goals. We need to be more focused at certain moments—the little things are costing us points.”
Team News: “The improvement in some players is noticeable, but we’re waiting for others—such as Baloyannis, Asoro (rib injury). It slipped past the VAR; it was a straight red card for the Paphos player—fortunately, the player avoided the worst. It’s unlikely he’ll be ready for the next match. Suspended due to yellow cards are Malekkidis, Rodrigues, Veisbek, Asoro, Andreou, and Leuvenberg. Rodrigues is being evaluated daily; I don’t think he’ll be in the lineup for the next match. If he doesn’t complete 2–3 full training sessions, he’ll be out. Four of our five wingers are out. Eskritse is a great player; he constantly surprises us. His quality is outstanding. We’ll field an experimental starting lineup for the next match.”
On the fans: “We’ll sell out all the tickets we have for the Olympiacos game. The crowd in the stands will grow with every match. We have unlimited potential.”
On what’s next: “Apollon has a lot of potential; they’re among the best teams of recent years. Once we’re at full strength, we’ll be more competitive. The gap between the teams is small; eventually, it will become clear from the early stages which teams will be in a position to contend for the top honors. It will be a competitive league.”
