Riera: “Let’s enter the top six with OFI – We also want the Cup”

THE Adrian Riera after three years he left Asteras Tripoli and has been a football player of OFI for a few months now. The Spanish midfielder spoke to “Athletic SPORTS FM 104.2” after the very good start of the Cretans in the championship and referred to the team’s goals.

THE Riera set the bar very high, saying that in addition to entering the Stoiximan Super League playoffs, in OFI they also aim to win the Cup.

At the same time, he described “Jedi Koule” as a key for his team, which remains a very strong base for every opponent.

Adrian Riera’s statements in detail:

For this year’s goals of OFI: “As I have said, I think this year’s goal is clear. We want to be in the top six teams in the standings and then we want to win the Cup. This is the goal for us and we have discussed it within the team. And I believe that with the team we have created, we can achieve it and we work hard every week.”

For the image of OFI so far: “We learned, we saw the team that has been created this year, we know our potential and we have to show it on the field with games and performances like the one against PAOK. I believe we are on the right track, we have to improve, we definitely want to improve and the team needs work, but we are in the right direction”.

For the two victories in Heraklion against strong opponents: “It must give us confidence and then at home, with the help of the crowd and everyone here, to be a very strong team. We have to get all the wins we can and we have to work on even more motivation in the away games. With this combination it will be the key to having a very good year.”

On the fact that OFI must learn to win at “Jedi Koule”: “The exploitation of the headquarters is key. Because what OFI has, not many teams have. We are lucky to have it at “Jedi Koule” with the presence of the crowd and if we want to see the stadium as it was with Aris and PAOK to get the necessary victories. For us it is easier, the word may not fit but what I want to say is that we can win in Heraklion against all the teams we will face. The world gives us the motivation to be with the strength of getting the victories in all the games. This happened with Aris and PAOK and that is how it should be from now on. And then we have to continue the path that OFI took last year, to win away games which are more difficult. But the combination of these things is the key to achieving good things with the team.”

On his decision to come to OFI: “I have not changed my mind, I believe that by coming to OFI from Asteras Tripoli I took a big step in my career. Ok, we went to Tripoli where we had a not good first half and lost. I played for four years in Tripoli, I had never experienced what I am experiencing in OFI. Now I can say that the two teams do not have the same goals and I say it again that with my transfer I took a step further in my career”.

On the crowd’s applause in the game against PAOK: “It is very important to receive this support of the people. Playing in Greece I had not encountered this atmosphere at the headquarters of my previous team because you feel like you are a professional footballer. For me this is very important for an athlete and it is not easy to find in Greece. We have it in OFI, we have to keep it and take the power of the world”.

For the support of OFI’s friends: “It’s very important for a team. We saw it in Tripoli where we had on the bench John Toral who played a lot of games last year, Juan Neira who is very important for the team, Leroy Abada, myself and that is very important to have competition within the team. And it is also good for the coach who will push us to do the best we can for the team which is even more important for him. Because when you don’t have good players on the bench who can put pressure on the main players then it doesn’t work in favor of the team”.

Regarding the climate that exists at OFI: “It surprised me a lot because when I came to OFI I saw that the Greek players go with the Latin players, so do we. Vassilis Lambropoulos came and is like a Spaniard for us. We’ve got a really good group in the dressing room and that’s another thing you can’t find in all teams. I, for example, had not experienced it in Tripoli, as much as here. This is good for us so that we can play with more confidence on the pitch. My coach told me when we talked that I came to OFI that it doesn’t seem like I just came to the team, you’re like you’ve been in the team for four years. Yes, I told him that Juan, John, Felipe, Miguel made things easier for me and I’m happy to be here. Whether you play or not, but when you have that element in training, it’s the most important of all.”