Panathinaikos struggled, but ultimately overcame CSKA 1948’s resistance in overtime and secured a spot in the Conference League playoffs!
At the postgame press conference, the “Greens’” head coach, Jacob Nystrup, described his team’s victory as a great one in a game where the pressure was intense, emphasized that at this stage, it’s the result that counts, not playing beautifully, noted that he has high expectations for Levi Garcia, and thanked the Panathinaikos fans for their impressive turnout in Sofia.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Here’s what the Panathinaikos coach had to say in detail:
On what he’s taking away from tonight and what he’d like to change: “First of all, I agree that qualifying is what matters now. That’s what I’ve been telling you since day one. We have to start somewhere and work our way up. We have to find our own way to win these games. A great victory today. Qualifiers are tough games. There was pressure. You knew how many players we were missing. We were missing three fullbacks. We had to play with five in defense for the first time, which isn’t usual. But the players did well with the task I gave them. We want to see better performances, but we’re not there yet. Now we have to take the steps to climb the European… ladder.”
On his decision to field players who hadn’t played for the team this season: “The biggest risk I took today was not starting Jagiusic, who had scored in two consecutive matches. It was hard for anyone to understand. We didn’t choose to play with a five-man defense because of the opponent, but because of our absences at the fullback positions. If we’d gone with a back four and Katri on the right, and a player had gotten injured, things would have been difficult. As for Desers, Tetei, and Garcia: Bringing Desers back earlier was very important for us. The medical staff helped a lot. Both he and Garcia are key players. Levi, in particular, was outstanding in training and in the match, and I expect a lot from him, whether as a forward or a winger.”
On the 11-out-of-11 qualifying record and the most important factor for teams to achieve this: “Experience and staying calm. Yesterday they asked me if this would be my last game, and I replied that I still have many games left. My experience in these matches tells me that you might not play beautifully this season, but in the end, it’s the result that counts. There was a game against Copenhagen that we won 5-0; if that hadn’t happened, the matches usually go the way they did today. The toughest and least glamorous performances are those in the qualifying rounds. I know everyone is aiming high—and rightly so—and that there will be criticism if we don’t play well next week. The team will come into its own in the League Phase. I respect your work and what you write. It’ll be tough next week. I don’t care if it’s Besiktas or Hradec.”
To the Panathinaikos fans who traveled to Sofia: “A lot. And I want to say, on behalf of myself, the players, and the team, to the roughly 2,000 fans who left their families behind and came here by any means possible—we are absolutely grateful. I can’t promise beautiful soccer right now, but I can say that everyone in Koropi is currently working to get the teams on track for the many matches coming up this season. Given the situation we’re in right now, we’re going to need them. I hope we can also give them their first home win in Athens.”
*photo source: KYPE
