Simon Banza, the new forward signed by PAOK, arrived in Thessaloniki promising to score plenty of goals and help the club win a title, in his first comments since joining.
The forward, who plays internationally for the Democratic Republic of Congo, was photographed at the port of Piraeus before speaking to PAOK TV about the new challenge in his career.
Banza said the move felt legendary to him, since everyone in Greece knows PAOK and it is a big club with fanatical supporters, which made it a great joy for him. He said he now simply wanted to play, score plenty of goals and help the team and the club.
PAOK is one of Greece's most successful football clubs, based in Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city, and is known for its passionate fan base.
His style of play
Asked about his characteristics as a player, Banza described himself as a scorer who enjoys setting up goals as much as scoring them himself, saying the two feel the same to him. He said he plays with intensity, considers himself smart and technical, and likes to have close contact with the ball.
He added that he saw himself as a fairly complete player but still needed to improve his understanding with his new teammates, since football always comes down to how well a team plays together. He said he and his new colleagues would discover that together.
Ambitions for the season
On how he is approaching the coming campaign, Banza said he saw it as a major challenge, noting that PAOK wants the title this year and that he shares the same ambition because he likes to win.
Asked about his personal targets, he said his goal was to score many goals, though he never likes to name a specific number. He said he wanted to score frequently, help the team collect wins, and ultimately win the title.
Advice before joining
Banza said he had spoken with Soualiho Meite before making the move, since he did not know much about the Greek league. He said the conversation covered how the two of them might need to adapt, as well as the team's and the club's ambitions.
He also said Meite had told him about life in the city itself. Banza described Thessaloniki as a beautiful city and said he had been very happy and enjoying life there since he arrived.
A message for supporters
Asked if there was anything people did not know about him, Banza said he might come across as quiet but that he considers himself a very fun person.
He closed with a message to PAOK fans, thanking them for their support and promising to give everything for the club, ending with the rallying cry "Pame PAOKara," a chant used by the club's supporters.
