Aris’s press officer, Kostas Papadopoulos, spoke to “SPOR FM 95.0” about everything related to the Limassol-based team.
First, he addressed the friendly loss to Union Berlin and commented on the team’s most recent signing, Juraj Bandeli.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
He discussed pending transfer matters and analyzed the current situation regarding the injuries to Vana Alves, Paze, Gausthad, and Lukubar.
In detail
On the friendly against Union: “We faced a very good team. The game was played in three 45-minute halves and was a tough test. We saw several positive aspects, but also some negative ones that we’ll need to work on. That’s what friendly matches are for.”
On Bandeli’s debut: “Both coaches wanted to give all the players some playing time, and everyone got at least 60 minutes. Badelj got his minutes. He’s a young player, a left-footed center back, who trained with the Romanian champions and is theoretically ready. We’ve signed a five-year contract with him and believe in the player, which is why we moved forward with a long-term deal.”
Regarding the amount spent on the acquisition: “I don’t want to get into specifics, but we did indeed sign the player, who had a contract through 2028. This is also proof that we don’t just sign young free agents, but we also seek out and invest in players we believe are worthy.”
Regarding the remaining roster needs: “We’ll move to sign a forward and, at the same time, continue our search. It’s not out of the question that, if any other need arises, we’ll act accordingly.”
On Vana’s injury: “We were unlucky again. During the friendly against Union, Vana collided with an opponent and fell to the ground. He tried to continue, but he was in pain and was substituted. The problem is with his shoulder, and I believe that by tomorrow we’ll know the extent of the injury and how long he’ll be out. We hope it’s not anything serious.”
Regarding Paze: “He underwent an MRI, and fortunately, the diagnosis wasn’t particularly bad. We avoided the worst-case scenario, and he’s expected to return to the team in 8–9 days.”
On Gausthad and Lukubar: “Both are dealing with some issues, and we’ll have to wait a little longer for their return. They’re dealing with ankle problems.”
On Foderigam: “He remains out of the plans and isn’t even with the team.”
On the next friendly: “The next match is this coming Thursday against Liefering. They’re a team from Salzburg and play in Austria’s second division.” The game will again take place in the early afternoon. Next week we’ll return to Cyprus, after a difficult preseason that included quite a bit of time abroad.”
