Aris’s press officer, Kostas Papadopoulos, spoke to “SuperSport 104,” referring to the Cup draw, the team’s friendlies, Hambou’s return, and the draw with Karmiotissa. He also commented on complaints about the refereeing and the possibility of foreign referees being assigned to VAR.
On the Cup draw: “We were drawn against Ethnikos Achna, a traditional First Division team. The good news is that the game will be played at our home stadium, and we’ll need to take it seriously to achieve our goal of advancing. Of course, we need to be careful, because the pressure will be on us. There’s still time to think about the match, since the date hasn’t been set yet. Other things take priority, such as the match against Olympiacos when the league resumes.”
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Regarding the friendlies against Omonia 29M and Riga: “Tomorrow will be the first friendly, and next Saturday we’ll face Riga, a team competing in the UEFA Conference League. It will be a good test, one week before the league resumes.”
On Hambou’s injury: “He’s gradually returning. He’s training but is being cautious with physical contact. I estimate he’ll be available in two weeks. We have no other issues and hope everyone stays healthy. Against Olympiacos, the suspended players Yago and Sarfo will be absent.”
On whether the team will sign an unemployed player: “I think it’s unlikely, though I don’t want to rule it out entirely.”
On the draw with Karmiotissa: “Yes, it’s a negative result. The essence of soccer is to score. We have a problem with our efficiency, and we need to fix it.”
On the complaints raised after the game: “There’s no point in dwelling on it. I had emphasized that we don’t believe we lost because of the referee’s decision. We simply pointed out that this particular referee wasn’t up to First Division standards.”
On the possibility of foreign referees being brought in for VAR: “The reality is that the quality of Cypriot soccer has improved, and all aspects need to continue improving. This was the first time we discussed refereeing. The draw wasn’t the reason, and I want to be clear about that. We want referees—whether Cypriot or foreign—to come and go unnoticed.”
