Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – published Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 08:00 / Updated Wednesday, August 27, 2025 08:01
Juan Carlos Mărcedo (52 years old), the coach of Pafos, showed Fair Play, after his team defeated the Red Star Belgrade with 3-2 general, qualifying in the Champions League.
Juan Carlos Mărcedo, Vlad Dragomir's coach, said what this remarkable performance means for the team that just ticked the first qualification in the Champions League in the Club History.
He admitted that the goal scored by Jaja in the last moments of the match was a lucky one. The surprising lobe sent by the host footballer did not give any chance to the opponent's goalkeeper.
Juan Carlos Mărcedo was Fair Play, after Pafos – Red Star: “The goal was lucky”
“It is a dream, it was hungry, we fought for it, my players are amazing and I thank them for this incredible gift. We will enjoy the group and give everything we can against some great opponents.
I would love to meet a team from my country, Spain, but it doesn't bother me with whom we play. We grow as a team and as a club in general. We are in the Champions League and it is historical, we should stay with our feet on the ground, as we are in general. It's an amazing feeling. The whole city came to support us and that gives us energy. People were also at the hotel.
We saw a lot of people on the stadium, buses coming, the whole city has supported us, and that made us feel very good. I don't know if I was the best team in Cyprus, but you have to be competitive even if you are good or mediocre.
We had a strong personality today as a team, we had opportunities, we fought together, we were fortunate to score that goal of Zaza. We will enjoy this phase at this level, we will try, to see what we can do with all the players, said the coach, according to Sporttime.
