The head coach of Aris, Fotis Katsikaris, spoke about the special conditions of the match against Olympiacos, for Day 1 of the Hellenic Championships 2009-2010.

'There are positive and negative elements in starting the championships with a derby at home. It will be an extra challenge for our fans, as well as for us, to begin the competition against one of the best teams in Europe', said mr. Katsikaris, who can not count on Nikos Argyropoulos or Dimos Dikoudis -both injured- but he will be able to use newcomer Aaron Miles: 'Miles is a smart player, who fits perfectly in our team. He will need time to adapt himself, but I think that he's ready to play against Olympiacos'.

The head coach of the 'yellows' also mentioned the importance of the fans' support: 'I've been many times in Alexandrio Melathro, but this will be the first time that the fans will be on my side! Their support is very important for all of us. They are especially needed if things don't turn out well at some point of the game. I hope that they will create a wonderful atmosphere and help us'.

Regarding the game itself, mr. Katsikaris acknowledged that 'I don't expect to see my team 100% ready. What I expect is to see from my players is effort and will to fight for 40 minutes In addition, there are some tactical elements, which I would like to see them apply in the game'.

Moreover, he spoke about Olympiacos: 'They have become stronger thanks to signing players in the exact positions where needed. It's a team with more depth on the bench than Aris, and also a taller team. Another thing is that Olympiacos is trying to go on fast breaks more and more this season. We should try to control this'.