Anorthosis press officer Charalambos Parpetas spoke to “SPOR FM 95.0.”
He began by discussing the victory over Omonia Aradippou and Barak Itzaki’s debut. He also denied a report in Greece that suggested Yiannis Maniatis was in talks with Panionios.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Regarding the refereeing, he mentioned certain calls which, as he put it, “came close to throwing the game into disarray.”
Here are his comments in detail
On the victory over Omonia Aradippou: “We’re certainly satisfied. It was a match in which Anorthosis clearly dominated. The changes Izzaki made clearly had the right effect. Anorthosis played with intensity, scored two goals, and kept a clean sheet for the first time. Obviously, the performance was satisfying, but as the coach said, we know very well that this is just one victory. We have a lot of work ahead of us to reach the level we believe Anorthosis is capable of playing at.”
On Itzaki’s debut: “He had very little time to work with the players. From those few training sessions, we saw that the players are capable and have even more potential. We believe that Anorthosis has the ability to get results and play better soccer. We believe it can satisfy its fans and play in a way befitting its history.”
On the areas that have improved under Itzaki: “He himself mentioned the players’ mindset and their increased self-confidence. The team created many chances, while the opponent had only one shot on goal. They didn’t create any scoring chances. We also saw players who, in other games, didn’t play up to their true potential; in Saturday’s match, they were exceptionally good. Beyond passion and determination, we also saw some other insights from our coach. The most important thing Mr. Itzaki emphasized is the fundamental principle of the game, not the formation. What he wants to instill in his players takes time for them to fully internalize his philosophy.”
On the second goal and the complaints about the refereeing: “It was a wonderful play by Marios Ilias, who dribbled past three players and set up the goal. It will help him as well going forward. And the first goal was beautiful; we created other chances that could have led to more goals for the team. There were some negatives as well, as certain refereeing decisions nearly threw the game into disarray. A clear second yellow card wasn’t given to an opposing player, and Anorthosis scored four goals, two of which were disallowed. I don’t want to go into detail; I’ll leave it at that. That is Anorthosis’s clear message.”
Regarding the fans: “I’d like to warmly thank the Anorthosis fans for their strong turnout. Their support is our greatest strength, enabling the team to perform at its best. Regarding the match against Aris, we’re facing a talented team with its own goals, so we must prepare accordingly. More generally, what I want to say is that, as management, we have clear priorities. We must resolve all financial issues, strengthen our organizational structure, and lay a solid foundation for Anorthosis’s future.”
Regarding the administration: “Without financial order, you cannot implement the plan and have a chance at success. This administration has been following it to the letter from the very beginning. This administration has paid off significant amounts of past-due obligations so that Anorthosis can free itself from the burdens of the past and focus on how to return as a leading contender.”
Regarding Yiannis Maniatis and the report that he is in talks with Panionios: “I want to be clear. There is nothing to discuss. It does not reflect reality. He told me in a conversation we had a little while ago that ‘as long as the president wants me, I’ll be here. We have a mission to carry out. I am fully committed to it.” Nothing more, nothing less.”
Regarding tickets for the Aris game: “Tickets for all our away games have sold out. There are very few tickets left to meet the high demand from our fans. We’ll wait until tomorrow to update our fans.”
On training: “Yesterday was a recovery day. Today is a day off. We’ll assess tomorrow to see if anything has come up. Setin has stepped up his training, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s ready to be included in the squad. Bergström and Van Neef are out. We’ll see how it goes this week; they’ll most likely be out.”
