Europa League
Kurtic: ‘I have no doubts Atalanta will rule Olympiakos out’
In an interview, Jasmine Kurtic spoke about his presence at PAOK but also about the matches between Olympiacos and Atalanta.
interview in ““Gazzetta dello Sport” was held by Jasmine Kurtic due to the matches between Olympiakos and Atalanta as she knows both teams well.
The PAOK midfielder was clear in his prediction for the pair, stressing that Atalanta will qualify: “Olympiacos has a very good team with good and experienced players like El Arabi, Embila. It will be a difficult game but I have no doubt Atalanta will pass and continue in Europe“+.
When asked about his compatriot Jozip Ilicic and the problems he is facing, he said: “I don’t want to say anything about Joseph. He’s a champion, a super player. What I know and believe is that if Atalanta were to play Dortmund in the 2020 Champions League game, they would continue in the tournament.”
About his presence at PAOK he said: “I have no complaints against PAOK, everything is going very well for me and the whole team. “We didn’t start well but we improved a lot and had a good run,” he said, while discussing the fact that he’s the league’s top scorer, he said: “The secret is one. Hard work every day, without drumbeats. We’re back in second behind Olympiakos and we’re going on in the Cup and in Europe. “I feel good at PAOK and you can see that in my performance”.
Finally he was asked to recall his presence in Atalanta and stated: “I had an unforgettable time at Atalanta and will always be a fan of the team. When I left there I cried with my wife. We had a team with little magicians there. Papu Gomes, Ilicic, Freiler and the other guys.” We had great company there. We finished 4th in the league in 2017-18 and the incredible thing is last season we had a struggle to stay on the bench with Eddie Ray.
The one who made the difference in the team is Manolo Gasperini. He has the way of taking 200% from every player and giving the team things even you didn’t know you could give! He’s a prep monster and leaves nothing to chance. This does not prevent him from intervening during the game. He’s a top coach and with a bit of luck he could do even more. I enjoyed working with him. He is demanding and challenges his players to fight until the last minute.
Jessica Martinez is an author at Sportish, a publication dedicated to sports news and analysis. She covers various topics related to sports and provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the world of sports.