AEK, with an impressive 3-0 victory, thoroughly defeated PAOK and took another decisive step towards the title.
Marko Nikolic, in the press conference after the game in Nea Filadelfeia, after clarifying that nothing is over yet, stressed that his players are warriors and that there is tremendous chemistry between the team and the fans.
He also praised Pereira and admitted that the performances against Rayo and PAOK were the best this season, while also speaking about the injured Jovic, Mantalos, and Penrice.
Here are Marko Nikolic's full statements at the press conference:
In his initial comment, he stated: "On behalf of everyone, I want to express my condolences to Lucescu for his father. It was an excellent evening. I want to say what I told the players. It was an impressive performance. A performance less than 72 hours after the excellent display against Rayo. I express my respect, but nothing is over yet. There are still four matches and three days off. Also, my condolences to Tasos (Tsatalis) for the loss of his father."
Regarding whether there is a secret to the players' performance after Thursday's match: "It's internal. It's a team of warriors from the beginning of the season. We had ups and downs, but we showed this behavior due to quality. It's also about the atmosphere. There's tremendous chemistry between the fans and the team. Also, physically, we are fine except for Mantalos who is injured and a minor discomfort Jovic has. There is strength in the relationship with the fans, with which we overcome any physical fatigue."
Regarding the fact that he didn't have solutions on the bench on Thursday and about Pereira who is a... different player this season: "When I joined the team, I understood the recognition Pereira has. He is an excellent and experienced player. He has my full trust. He understands the game, and even if he's not 100% ready, he's extremely intelligent. I didn't complain about the roster, but Petros and Luka were not available, Zini hadn't played for a while, and today I kept Koita on the bench to have options. As for the list, it was an issue that made things difficult for us. We didn't have players from the Academy. We are now improving this. There are some strict rules, and it's not easy to predict how the season will unfold."
Regarding whether this victory was crucial for winning the title: "Initially, everyone was a contender. We remain grounded because we will have to fight in the upcoming derbies. We have an eight-point advantage. We have pleasant feelings, we have a rest as we don't have a match next week, so the players can recover and return with full concentration. We had prepared for an important night, and the upcoming matches will be equally important."
Regarding whether humility and daily work have helped this season's progress and if today's match was the best of the season: "The last two matches are among the best this season. It's very good that the team is in this form. It's the first time I'm competing in a league with playoffs. The players had an impressive performance, showed absolute dedication, pay close attention, and the small details make the difference. These elements played a role. Within a season there are ups and downs, and when there's a slump, the good thing is to recover quickly. Criticism is welcome and useful. I know we need to evaluate mistakes and improve through analysis. It's important to enjoy the moment, but when someone tells you well done, it's dangerous to become complacent. Criticism helps us and also motivates us."