"The fans must love the team, as they very well know, and support it both at good and at very difficult times," pointed out Antonis Ladakis in his exclusive interview for the website of Super League. The Panthrakikos captain talked about the team's effort to stay in the league by saying that: "We will exhaust every possibility and we want to be competitive in every match we play," and singled out the 2-1 victory against Panathinaikos during the 2013/2014 season. The full interview:
Question by Spiros Georgakis
Based on the difficult upcoming schedule of your team, do you believe that the club can stay in the league?
"Things are certainly very difficult for us now. Odds are not in our favour and whether we stay on the league or not does not depend on us only, but on the match outcomes of the other clubs too. Nevertheless, we will exhaust every possibility and we want to be competitive in every match we play until the end of the campaign."
Question by Pantelis Deltsos
What do you believe is the cause behind this difficult position the team is facing this year?
"This season did not start in the best possible way in general. We faced several injuries and we were left behind from the beginning by losing points in critical matches. At the same time, the fact that we did not take advantage of our home, as we did in the previous years, was also important and thus we lost many points in Komotini."
Do you believe that the attacking inefficiency of the team is one of the main reasons for the poor points tally?
"This is definitely one of our competitive problems, but of course not the only one. Our poor display is due to a combination of factors that resulted in not being able to reach our full potential, with very few exceptions, and this was not fair to us."
In case do you not make it and the team is relegated, would you play for Panthrakikos next year too?
"It's still too early to be having this conversation. Let us conclude the season, let's conclude our effort this year and we will then have time to think about the future, together with the club."
Question by Vassilis Tsakiridis
What is your highlight as a player of Panthrakikos?
"I would single out the 1-2 victory at the home of Panathinaikos during the 2013/2014 season. We played against a really good squad that at the end of the season won the Greek Cup. It was a highlight both for all members of the team back then, but also for the history of Panthrakikos in general. Also, the moment when, during the previous years, we mathematically secured our staying in the league was also very important."
Question by Sokratis Gemenis
In which match did you have your best display and why?
"I will say it was the match in the Komotini stadium against Platanias Chanion again during the 2013/2014 season. In fact, I scored the winning goal in this match, but this is not the only reason this match stands apart, but also because my side won the three points during an especially successful season."
What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of Panthrakikos?
"The fans must love the team, as they very well know, and support it both at good and at very difficult times. Panthrakikos have achieved many things in the last years and managed to be one of the first division regulars. I believe that even during the bad moments, there are always some positive things to see. So, especially now, the support of the fans is necessary for the team."
What are your hobbies?
"I mainly spend my spare time with my family, my wife and my children. We either stay at home or go to parks and gymborees! I also love fishing very much and go fishing whenever I have some free time."
Were you not a footballer, what would you rather be and why?
"I would have become an agronomist. I managed to attend three semesters in the agronomy faculty. I then had to stop due to playing football professionally. I love the land very much since I come from a rural area, Eratino Kavalas, and I spent all my childhood in farms."
THE WINNER OF THE DRAW FOR THE SIGNED SOUVENIR BY ANTONIS LADAKIS, OFFERED BY FC PANATHINAIKOS, IS MR PANTELIS DELTSOS.
