Martinez: “We are Olympiacos and we will do everything to qualify”

Olympiakos is ready to give everything to qualify for the Europa League groups, according to what Diego Martinez said, ahead of the first match with Chukaritsky in the playoffs (24/8, 22:00).

The Spanish coach emphasized that there are no favorites in double matches, however, he emphasized that the “red and white” constantly show signs of improvement.

What Diego Martinez said in detail:

For the fires in Greece: “I want to express my condolences and wish strength to all those fighting the fires. It’s scary and I want to wish strength for those who are going through this nightmare. This worries me at this time».

Regarding the statements of the Serbs that Olympiacos is the favorite: “In football and in doubles matches there are no favorites. It all depends on the details, we experienced it recently. They are demanding matches, you need maximum concentration, one phase can deprive you of the result. There are no favourites, we will give everything, we will be true to our tactics in both games. We are Olympiacos and we will do everything to win every match».

For the character of Olympiakos and if this is his goal even though the team is not ready: “A winning spirit and good organization are needed. If you don’t have organization you can’t succeed. I am happy because the team is improving. We need time to get to know each other. There is a lot of progress in these eight weeks. Young people need more reassurance. I believe in the word “team”. The personalities and the talent can be seen in the big teams. When a player feels good in the team, he performs better. We are also thinking about the development of the players in the future, how it will be next. We have laid the foundations and we are improving».

On the line-up and Rodney’s replacement: “I want to say something. We build a team and we have to win, like building a bridge and walking on it. We have to think a lot, in which positions we have to change things and find the players. There are players who need some time in terms of preparation, we don’t want to expose them in terms of fitness compared to the team. We look to win but also to the horizon. There are many parameters that determine our decisions. I like to make changes. Even if it was Rodney tomorrow, I might have done. Depending on the opponent and the tactics. The system. I want us to have alternatives. Everyone seems to want to be there, to follow directions. We do tests, in a team everyone must be ready for whatever is asked of them. Everyone could play in Rodinei’s place, I have many solutions except of course… Paschalakis. But even if we asked him, he would be the first to want to play. A player with exemplary behavior».

For the world and for the new… arrivals: “We missed the crowd in the empty stadium. We look forward to having him with us, especially now that the team is being built even more. Now that we are quite young and building something new. We want everyone to bond together, to be by our side in every pass, in every ball. Emotional control in the match is important and we need the crowd very much for that. For arrivals, ask Cordon (laughs). We are who we are, we are making something special, we are focused on today».

About the stuffy atmosphere problem in the last training session: “In today’s football you have to perform at a high level even in conditions that are not ideal. All professionals play in all conditions even if there is always a problem. This happens in every case, before every game. We have a lot of obligations in the season, there will always be problems. Players will change in every situation and will always have to adapt. Conditions will never be perfect so it is important to have the mindset to find solutions to everything. In the atmosphere today, in everything else that exists and will exist during the period».