Martinez: “Deeds and not words…”

Mission to Austria: Heraklis Antipas. “I want this team to be remembered for the work and performance on the field, regardless of results. I believe in actions rather than words». Diego Martinez, speaking to media delegates in Austria, made it clear that his big goal is to create a team that plays attractive football and fills its fans.

He broke down his philosophy, the reasoning by which prospective transfer targets are selected, but to…help with names he didn’t. In this piece, he follows the same path as Antonio Cordon. Which he characterized as “one of the best sports managers in Europe».

Have you decided what you want to do in official matches but also in the upcoming friendlies and especially the important ones with Rangers and Norwich?

“I want to win. I want the team to win. There are players who will come to the team, they haven’t come yet. There are players who are in the team and we don’t know what will happen with their situation. I definitely have a clear picture of the base of the team when these games come around. My job as a coach is to get the maximum performance from all the players but also from the team so I have to look at the profile of the players we have available to determine how the team will go. Because what we want is to drive each player to their maximum performance to help us win. So we have to look carefully at the qualifications and data that each player has and act accordingly».

Since you talked about moves, and since Duarte’s name has been in the news for the last 24 hours, although we know of course that you don’t like to talk about them, should we expect something immediately?

“Many names are heard, names are heard loudly in the last few days. I can’t deal with all the names. Everything changes, it depends on the day, just like the weather here. I understand your question and the interest in names, but we can’t think of non-squad players at the moment. Above all, it’s Olympiacos, it’s not the names».

Yes, but you had Duarte… a pillar in Granada.

“The pillars are in the… stage (laughs). OK this is a joke, I’m not being sarcastic, my job is hard anyway and I won’t overdo it».

Are there any players who pleasantly surprised you?

“Overall we are very happy with the performance and the way everyone worked in preparation. But above all, the best… player is always the team itself».

In relation to what you had in mind to do here in Austria when you came, how satisfied are you? What percentage of the work was completed?

“As I said, as a coach my job is to find the maximum performance for our players. I can’t imagine now if I could have done anything differently. I look at the players I have at the moment, looking for their maximum performance so that we can make a competitive team to win games. Right now we are seeing team progress. We are in the hands of one of the best sports managers in Europe, Mr. Antonio Cordon. We have confidence in the team’s plan. We look ahead, we are calm, we will definitely move (meaning transliteratively) and take the right steps. He wants calmness and little by little we will build a team that will be as we want».

Aside from the team winning which you obviously want and you’ve said it before, what is the main thing you want this team to have. How would you like the team you design to be remembered years from now?

“I believe in actions and I want to see the work we do, what we convey to the players come out on the field. In the end the title will be up to you and I want this team to be remembered for the work and performance on the pitch regardless of results. I believe in actions more than words that come before actions. That is why we all work hand in hand footballers, coaches, sports director and management to make our fans proud. Because our fans are important to us».

How close is the team right now to what you have in mind and the things you’re asking for like pressure?

“We’re on our way there, but we’re not close. We want support in the tactical part. We also want some things because in some matches there will be different situations and we will need help and different solutions. We see details of what we want but not as strong as what we want. The progress is clear but every day we have work to do. We are making progress but we still need more possession, to be strong in it, for more than 90 minutes in the game. In preparations it is difficult to find what you want because there is always fatigue. The important thing is to prepare for the future and the official events and in this part I am very satisfied».

Will we see Ibora and Kini in the last friendly?

“I don’t usually give 11s. I motivate you to research and have something to do. It is clear that the preparation for us is also individual for each player. After all, we have a training session ahead of us before the friendly with intensity before the match. We have tension, we have contacts, we are focused in training. It is very good, because we are preparing for the official games to be competitive. But there is also a bad side that we have so much tension. Any hit or contact with another player, so we have to be careful in the friendly. That’s why I can’t tell you names».

Give us an insight into what we should expect from Ibora and Kini at a competitive level.

“They are players who will definitely contribute to the team, they are experienced and will provide help both on and off the pitch. I don’t want to keep just that. We brought them in because we know they will help the team to be a better and stronger team. They will help with their experience and performance on the field. They will help regularly, but also outside with things that are not seen as in the locker room. And this is especially useful for young people who want to improve».

Since the presence of Olympiakos in Austria coincided with the Wimbledon victory by your compatriot, Carlos Alcarath, how much of an inspiration is or should it be for young footballers and how many… Alcaraths would you like in your 11?

“What position does Alkarath play (laughs)? What an attitude of his. Both Antonio Cordon and I are looking for players who, beyond the football part, have brains. Players with a winning, hard-working, ambitious mentality. Players who work silently. Alkarath is a great example for them. This is not easy to find. That is why Mr. Cordon and his team and we are looking for special people. The mind is what makes the difference at the high levels of any sport. Obviously the talent too. If Alkarath didn’t have talent in addition to his mind, he wouldn’t have reached this high».