Giorgos Kostis appeared extremely pleased following Olympiacos’ 1-0 victory over Apollon in the 9th matchday of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
Speaking at the press conference, the 54-year-old coach congratulated his players on their huge first victory and described the “black-and-greens” as a great team.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On the other hand, Hernán Lozada admitted that his team was having an off day, focusing on their poor performance in the first half.
Here’s what was said in detail:
Giorgos Kostis (Olympiacos): “Sometimes, when our pride is hurt, something good can come of it. Over the past few matches, our soccer has shown just how unpredictable it can be. The team has the potential to play the best soccer in the league, but despite our strong performances, we haven’t managed to secure the wins we wanted, and there were also losses we could have avoided.
Today’s result is due to the fact that these players are like a family. They deserve huge congratulations. My players feel that Olympiacos is their home, and that’s the attitude they have toward the club. Olympiacos is a great team, and we’re called upon to prove it on the field. That’s where our strength lies. Despite the results we’ve had so far, we find ourselves in a position in the standings that doesn’t satisfy us.
Today, however, we took the first step toward leading the team to where we’d planned to be since the summer. The break will help us rest and allow some key players to return. We still have four or five very important games ahead of us until the end of the first round, and our goal is to make up for lost ground and earn the points we missed out on in the early matches.”
Ernán Lozada (Apollon): “It was bound to happen that we’d lose a game. I want to be a gentleman and admit that our opponent put in a great effort. I didn’t like the first half, but in the second half we started doing what we’ve been working on and began creating chances in various ways. I don’t want to make any excuses; we had absences, just like the opposing team. We have a break, and I hope that when play resumes, I’ll have all my players available. We win as a team and we lose as a team. I want us to improve in all areas; I don’t want to single out anything specific. Both we and our opponents can score on set pieces. Let my team have a bad day like today.”
