Stelios Kozanidis appeared satisfied with his team’s
performance, mentality and, above all, the persistence they showed until the
very last minute, speaking at the press conference after REA’s 2–1 victory over
Trikala. The REA coach referred to the difficult weather conditions, his team’s
reaction after conceding the equaliser, as well as the importance of Lea
Renoux’s winning goal, and also spoke about the upcoming Cup second leg against
Asteras Tripolis. On her part, the scorer of the “golden” goal spoke about the
importance of teamwork and sent a message of confidence for what lies ahead.
KOZANIDIS: “WE FIGHT IN EVERY MATCH UNTIL THE END – THESE
GIRLS DESERVE A LOT OF PRAISE”
“I want to congratulate the girls from both teams, who
played under very difficult weather conditions, with strong wind. We saw a
competitive match. We are very satisfied both with the effort and with the
performance and the victory.
We showed that we are a very good team and that we fight in
every match until the end. Every match is different and we fully deserved to
reach a second goal against a very tough opponent. We knew before the match
that Trikala desperately needed points and we expected them to make things
difficult for us.
Even though we were playing against the wind in the first
half, we created chances to score a second and a third goal, so that we could
go into the second half more comfortably. We conceded a goal from our own
mistake, which made us anxious, but it did not change our belief and our desire
to fight for the win. In the end, the girls were rewarded for this great
effort.”
About Lea Renoux and the winning goal:
“As a coach I am doubly happy, because she is a player we believe in a lot, she
is a true professional and she was out for a long time due to injury. She came
into the game and helped us with her goal, which is a big gain for the team.
Now we know that we have one more quality player active in our squad, and this
goal will give her strength and confidence for the future.
I also want to congratulate Trikala and their coach for
their performance. They are a very good team and I am sure they will fight
until the end to stay in the division.”
About the Cup second leg against Asteras Tripolis:
“Of course, when you win a match before such an important game, the psychology
is better. However, for me it is a completely different match. We have played
one ‘half’ against Tripolis, we played a different match today, and whatever
had happened, we would still have to find the strength and the mentality for
the second leg.
It is a very difficult match against a very strong team and
it will definitely be a derby. If we manage to qualify, it will be a very big
success for REA.”
About how he feels being the coach of this team:
“For me it is a joy and I am truly happy to work with these girls. They are
professionals and I feel satisfied every day to be with them. We are a family
and that is very important for REA.
The team has earned everyone’s respect and that is the most
important thing of all. These girls deserve a lot of praise.”
LEA RENOUX: “THE WIN AND THE GOAL ARE THE RESULT OF
TEAMWORK”
“*I am very happy about the victory. It was a deserved
win, which came from our persistence and our teamwork. We were under pressure,
but football is played until the final whistle and we managed to take advantage
of that.*
*Of course I am happy that I helped with the goal, but it
is the result of a team effort and it certainly gives me an extra boost, since
I was forced to stay out for a long time due to injury. Without my teammates I
would not have been able to do it.*
*Now comes the second leg against Tripolis. It is a very
difficult match, but we have the quality and the desire to manage to secure
qualification*”.