APOEL coach Sofronis Augustis was invited to Cablenet's show “Without VAR” on Thursday night (13/1).
Read his posts…
For the fact that APOEL closed 2021 with the victory over Omonia: “It was a game that we never experienced again in Cyprus, we played 26/12, this was the first time in Cyprus that this happened. We both managed to offer a good spectacle and surely many people were happy. This has passed, I keep the good rhythm we had, to continue it because several days have passed and to be ready in a difficult seat on Saturday night and to get the three points “.
How he manages the situation and the absences: “It was a difficult moment for everyone, for all the teams. I hope we kept the players at a high level of readiness and we have to show it in the game with Ethnikos, that was our goal at Archangelos, we made some plans for these days when the players were absent and returned to the field, what I will keep is that through the games we have to find our good rhythm again and be able to get positive results, it is a difficult league, I think we are the team that used the most players, from now on it will play its own role then we will have two games per week and I believe with this roster we will meet in both tournaments “.
For not starting well: “I know very well where I have come from, I knew it would be difficult. Each coach works his own philosophy, puts his own things. It would definitely be good with my recruitment to get positive results, it did not come, we worked hard, people supported us a lot. Let's not forget I was a coach who had constant confrontations in recent years, we were confronted, what happened to me I appreciate very much and I want to thank them, from the first moment the people are next to the team and me. It is important to achieve the goals, since you are a great team, the goals are there and you have to claim them every year “.
For the people: “People are the big key, we said it in the locker rooms, when we manage to bring people to the stadium it means we are doing something well. Racing game-by-game improvement, people see and judge. Certainly in some games we could for better results, we did not succeed, the people supported the team. The championship this year is with fewer games and all the games from now on are finals, we want the help of the people “.
For the four consecutive draws that brought APOEL back: “These games kept us back in the standings because when you try to win, definitely when you get a point it is not the best. In all the games except AEK we were better and we deserved the victory. We know that this year if you do not give 100% until the end, a thin line, a detail costs you, we saw that there are no big differences, it is clear, in the rosters of the teams. They are all, even the last one from the first one, if she is not 100% focused she will hardly get the points “.
For the fact that they do not have enough loud names to offer the expected: “Some players followed the team in the preparation, some did not due to coronavirus, some came later. This affected the physical condition, when you lose days in the preparation you find it in front of you in the championship. We wanted to put the players in our way of playing, it was not easy but at the moment the team is on the right track, the players have believed that we can get the results, they do not have to envy any team.
There are several players who have not shown what they know. We have to be able to get the best out of here and beyond these players to help us then, it's difficult, we want the whole roster to respond. For me now the championship starts, it will be six point games. I believe very much in these players, all the players, to show a positive face and I believe that the quality is there, started and seen on the field, every game we have to improve. It is important to have continuity, the most important. Now the most important thing is with Achna. The National has been strengthened. We know how difficult Dasaki is. Small stadium. The details in this stadium matter a lot “.
For his start at APOEL: “It is a bet. As I started at Apollon and we managed and made these 3.5 years a very good course and we claimed everything, then when I came here to APOEL it is another bet, when the administration itself recognizes what you did in the past years, especially Mr. Fotiou who said that he is rightfully where Sofronis is, a competitor who beat us and came to APOEL, you are obliged to justify those who brought you and to convince people that the work you did in previous years you show this year at APOEL. This is my goal for me and my collaborators, to manage to show what they recognized then to APOEL “.
If he can achieve the goals from the first year: “What we said at the president's house was that I would come for a year, to see the job and then see if this job is good, respected by all and decide if we continue . Let's see if we can, and we know where APOEL has been in recent years and with the issues with the coronavirus. To take the team high and claim, because we can, I believe a lot in the players, be able to achieve the goals “.
For Joao Pedro and Essling: “I have a respectable image for many players who came and offered several things in Cyprus. And they will continue to offer. This example, when I found Akoran at AEK, many people told me about his age. And we see how much quality it produces and what it can do. I have a pretty good picture of Joao. Where he went he did not stop fighting and he comes ready. It will give us solutions with the rest. Because it's not just toys. In Archangelos there was an issue, there was no second right back, you are forced to change things in training, to put other players and the level is definitely not as high there. I want to have two equal elevens in training and a fight, the image you get in training you get in the games. With Joao and Essling we will have enough quality in defense from two very good players and they themselves will enhance the quality in training. It is important, they are two players who showed quite good data, for Joao I have a great image, I am sure he will give what I want on the field and I think we will start slowly, the quality and the roster of the team is quite good and will help. The roster will play an important role in the future “.
For what preceded the derby with Omonia: “When you take the players from the afternoon for training and then directly to the hotel, everyone leaves their families. When we went to training I saw from the beginning that they were in the mood, they were waiting for the game, you could not see anyone saying why you did not bring coaches the next day. Then followed the hotel, there the players themselves organized a nice game and we all had a good night together, we went to the rooms and the next day there was a mood. You see how important, how long they waited for this game. We do not know if there will be a game like this again, it was written in history, we managed and we wrote it positively “.
For the preparation: “Everyone there in Archangelos has made special programs for each player especially during this period, and those who got sick and are home. We all worked together all the time so as not to have long distances in the returns and not to lose ground, it is important how the footballer will return home after a few days, it is important to be able to work alone at home and come back as much as possible possible more ready. We are on a very good path, many have returned, we are on a good path for Saturday's game “.
Regarding his attack before Omonia that a team will pay for it and the fact that continuity is required: “Some may say that I took a risk in making this statement because it was a big game. I saw this upward trend, that the players started and became faster, simpler, more vertical, movement without the ball, they create problems for the opponent, more confidence, these are pieces that you get with the results. We wanted this result to help us, it gives you momentum for the future. “What we have to show on Saturday is to continue from where we left off with Omonia, to enter and be focused on the goal”.
The matches in view of the National Team and that Pedro and Essling are not counted: “We will wait until the last training session. We are on the right track, many have returned, we will be a strong team, we need the help of the people. “Let us all manage to get the three points that will give us momentum, we also have two games waiting for us in the championship, this game is very important”.
“Surely everyone thinks that we can not claim the goals, it is good, it motivates you to refute them. Certainly this year's championship is very good and this is due to the proper planning of the small and medium teams that brought many good players and have reduced the differences. We see Paphos and Aris that are high, especially Paphos for the first time has done good planning with a few additions, proper preparation, Aris brought many good players and they deserve congratulations, it is a pleasant surprise, a strong roster, it made all the teams difficult. And when we went through Tsirio, I said that many teams will not go through Tsirio easily and we saw that he won many teams because his roster is very high quality and he is rightfully there. We must in our own games manage to get the points to reach them. “When there are many teams in front of you, the mistake makes things difficult.”
“I will talk about the president, for the first time I have talked so much with the president, in previous years we talked 2-3 minutes before the games. Now that I have constant contact with him, he is an optimistic president, he works from morning till night for the team, he believes it, I believe it too, that's why I am here and what remains, to convince the players themselves that they can to do things and all together to show the good face of the last games, especially in the one with Omonia, to continue like this “.
For Satsias and the academies of APOEL: “There is a future, things are more difficult because these teams that are constantly in the socket do not give many opportunities. We see that Giannis has quite good data and a very good character as a footballer, he has a football education, he works very hard every day. We want to have two equal elevens because when there is a quality roster there will be more positive results. You will not be anxious that Sofronis is missing and Grigoris will play. The one who will come in to replace him will play even better than the one who was missing “.
For the arbitration and the VAR: “These have now changed. Technology has entered football a lot, everyone must help the sport from all sides, that it is for every team to give and continue. In AEK – Apollon, the young referee had a very difficult task and did very well. The players helped him even though it was a strong game and he made a difficult game. The closer the players get to the referees, the easier their job will be. We want to have Cypriot referees, difficult games are coming, I wish them to be in good condition and to overcome them because every team claims its goals, every detail counts and we hope that they will stand up to the circumstances and any team that shows that it can and wants more win it to win it. That must be the goal of both us and the referee, to get rid of the prejudice and to succeed from the moment he is the VAR and he can fix things, to convince the fans, who with all these shows have an opinion, to give him the positive image from all sides “.
“It will be a difficult year, it is demanding, even if many do not see it, when two teams come out in the Champions League it brings more competition and this is due to our teams that gave several points. Every team wants to claim entry to the Champions League in the new year, this is the competition since there are two tickets. “Even Aris, from the moment he is there, will want to claim this position.”
“Since there is this part with the foreigners, surely the foreigners offered a lot in the championship, what we should and we see that happened is the mentality of the Cypriot player who has changed, works more hours, believes more in himself, has he sacrifices more than before, he is a professional like the foreigner and when given the opportunity he offers to his team “.
“What we see this year at APOEL, in previous years would certainly not be acceptable, they support the players and the team very much and for this we are obliged to reward them who support us in difficult times. Competitive games are starting that will judge a lot, teams that are higher, AEK, Apollon, Aris, surely our team must win every game because we are not dealing with an opponent, they are high enough and six-point games follow, the a team that loses points will hardly catch up later “.
His message: “When I started my career it was a landmark day in '16, I lost my mother the day I took over Apollo. I am sure that these difficulties for me are small, I will implement them, I will try to give my best and together we will achieve our goals “.
