The AEL press officer spoke to “SPOR FM 95.0” about the team’s preparations, the main phase of training, the roster, and the team’s next moves. Nikolas Leventis discussed Insigne, the Maseko situation, and season tickets.

Here is what he said in detail

On preseason training and fitness tests: “We essentially started this morning. Almost everyone has arrived in Cyprus. The fitness tests will be completed by tomorrow, and on Monday we’ll begin our preseason training for the new season. Of course, there are still some open positions on the roster, and we hope to sign two more players in the coming days.”

For which positions: “The main focus has been on signing center backs. We still need three more signings for that position, as only Diogo Gomes has been signed so far.”

If there’s a specific case: “I won’t get into names. One of the players hasn’t had his name officially registered yet. What matters is that we finalize the roster as quickly as possible. The planning committee has achieved all the goals it has set so far. It takes quite some time to finalize a transfer. We have confidence in Mr. Martins, Mr. Damahu, and Mr. Triskovski.”

The attack is set with Čataković and Gomis: “I believe you should never say it’s finalized. Gaps may become apparent during preseason. We’ll start with them and see how it goes. Čataković is coming off a full season with plenty of goals, while we already know Gomis. He’s familiar with the Cypriot league and is a leader in the locker room.”

Most contracts are for one year: “We announce the agreements based on the finalized contract. All of them include an option with different criteria for each player. It could be playing time or the achievement of specific goals. However, I want to point out that the option clause does not always apply. From a legal standpoint, the correct approach is to present the signed contract.”

Regarding the new signings and whether they’ve all arrived: “They’ve all arrived. At least half of them have completed their fitness tests. The players who were on the roster last year have also started their fitness tests. It’s a process that all teams follow. We hope everyone is in good shape, even though they’re just coming back from vacation.”

On Insigne: “He’s a huge name in European soccer. A proposal to sign him was on the table. We also tried to approach him in the right way. It makes sense for players of his caliber to receive offers from bigger clubs, and it was expected that he would continue his career elsewhere. It’s not exactly the easiest thing to bring players of that caliber to Cyprus.”

Regarding Maseko, if there are any possibilities: “The situation with Maseko is quite complicated. His club has made it clear to us that their goal is to sell him. If anything comes of it, it will again be in the form of a loan. AEL played a clear role in him being called up for the World Cup. However, it’s a difficult situation, partly because of his participation in the World Cup. Mr. Damahu is working on it and monitoring developments.”

Regarding Villanueva: “There’s no need to go into specifics. We’re interested in all good soccer players. Some players are further along in the process, while others are on standby. What seems ‘close’ one day can become ‘far off’ the next. The same goes for Manzan. The fans essentially share our view. We need players in midfield as well, but, as I said, the focus is on defense right now.”

On season tickets: “We expect the fans to stand by us for another year. We certainly hear their concerns and disappointment from the past year. But AEL belongs to its fans. We hope this season will be different from previous years. The team’s performance on the field will be what wins the fans over. Of course, AEL’s fans don’t need to be called to the stadium. They’ve proven that over the years.”

On Papafotis and Makris: “As long as they have a contract with the team, they are AEL players. As for Conceição, there’s a specific timeframe, and it doesn’t extend until the end of the summer. If any offer comes in, we’ll sit down and talk. Conceição, however, is in Cyprus, undergoing fitness tests, and is a player on our team. There is no offer.”

Regarding Poland: “In early August, we’ll be heading to Poland, where we’ll play three friendly matches. This will be followed by five more friendlies in Cyprus. I believe that eight friendlies are enough to get the team in shape before the start of the league season.”