In tomorrow’s rematch with Bruges, in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, PAOK has a date with its history and its coach Razvan Lucescu publicly shared his thoughts on the big game.
«My psychotherapist advises me not to look at the past, but to see only the present and the future. It will be a good experience for us and this game in Europe. We want to qualify for the semi-finals of the European competition for the first time, that’s our goal to get there.” said the Romanian coach initially, who added:
«We did well against Marseille in the quarter-finals of the competition two years ago when we met again. Then we were eliminated with our heads held high. Every game is different. Each game has its own story and we will try to qualify for the semi-finals of the competition».
– Did PAOK fear Bruges more in the first match? Do you feel that way?
«They were pushed by their audience at that moment in the first match. As I say we tried to fight. We didn’t fall down. We reacted. The result could be different. We could have equalized at the end of the game. Football is about details that determine the progress and the score in every game”
-For the data that has been configured…
«Listen, I don’t like this kind of talk. And we had players out. It was not easy to manage. We had our own problems before the first game. But we didn’t make it an issue. Brugge didn’t play last week in Belgium, before our first match, while we did. I know we will have good support from our people. The opponent will not feel the fear. But the world will give us energy. This will be a great advantage for us. In the difficult moments when we will press Bruges, the atmosphere of Toumba will create problems for them”.
– Are Brugge better in the sports part compared to Dinamo Zagreb?
«I never compare the two teams. Both have experience from PAOK. But I don’t like to compare. Dynamo has its own characteristics, its own quality. But you can’t compare what happened five months ago or two weeks ago. It is important for us to reach the state we want. Tomorrow our goal is to go on the field and win. We play with a strong team. With less pressure than it’s not impossible.”
– How important is it for PAOK that the players had a week to prepare? Is it a more difficult match than the start of the season?
«I already told you about the team situation. Overall we don’t have the advantage. Before Bruges we played difficult games at a high level in the Greek league. Bruges was more rested then, before the first match. Now we were able to bring some players back. Tomorrow is a game of mental preparation. For some it will be a game of life. It will give us the opportunity to play in the semi-finals of a European competition. It’s not the most important match. There have been others more important. No one gave us possibilities to get to this point. Certainly the level of quality and experience is different. We have to be 100% ready.”
– Do you feel like an ambassador of Greek football, even though you are Romanian?
«My work is here in Greece. I have coached teams for eight years. I am part of Greek football and I am very proud of it».
**The Elite Italian referee, Davide Massa, will officiate PAOK’s rematch with Club Brugge (first match 1-0 in favor of the Belgians), assisted by his compatriots, Filippo Melli and Stefano Alasio. Marco Di Bello will play the role of 4th, while Alejandro Di Paolo and Luca Pireto will be in the VAR.
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