The account of his first months as his coach Olympiakou did the Diego Martinez. Speaking to “Marca”, the Piraeus coach had the best words for his organization Olympiakouwhile he pointed out that victory is in the DNA of the “red and whites”.
At the same time, the Spanish coach also talked about the derby with him Panathinaikos which was never completed due to his injury Juancar after the firecracker that fell, saying that everything that happens on the field should stay on it only.
At the same time, he also referred to Vangelis Marinakisas well as for the prospects he himself has for his career.
“Very positive start. I took over the biggest club in Greece, with many demands, which allows you to compete to win titles, to play in Europe. It’s a very enriching experience, although it feels like over five months have passed because of the emotional intensity and passion with which everything is experienced here.”Martinez first said, who then talked about Antonio Cordon.
“To come here and sign for a big club with these highest ambitions and demands, to be able to compete for titles and play in Europe was the most important factor and I thank president Marinakis for the trust. To be able to live this experience is a privilege, and also to be called by Antonio Cordon, someone I know well and is one of the best sporting directors in Europe, is the other factor that made it possible.”he emphasized.
On the transfers that took place in the summer at Olympiakos and the goals he has set: “It is true that last year the team finished third, this was a bad year for Olympiacos in terms of results due to many conditions, hence the change in the team, with 17 new players. This adds more complexity to our reality. But it’s exciting. This is a club where winning is in their DNA and here we have to win yesterday. That magnifies everything for the good and the bad, and makes this experience so intense and so enriching.”
About the derby with Panathinaikos that was interrupted due to the firecracker thrown that injured Juancar: “We will never condone any kind of violent act, in fact the club is working very hard in the process of finding those responsible for throwing flares in order to expel them. The matter is in the hands of the competent bodies, in the Appeal process and all I can say is to condemn these events. But it is also true that we are angry that we have been deprived of what we have won on the pitch, because today we would have been first. The field tilted in our favor, with that 1-1 that everything happened and we would have the feeling that what you win on the field does not take away from you on paper. That being said, let it be resolved as best as possible, and what happens on the field stays on the field.”
On how much the fact that Panathinaikos won the match 3-0 affected Olympiakos: “It’s difficult, until then our numbers were the best in points, goals for, goals against… They give us the game as lost 0-3 and it affects everything, because the margin of error is minimal and the average of goals general. But you have to accept it and adapt, although it is not easy. We have to keep winning and think about the next game and improve as a team. Mentally for the team it was a blow, a difficult moment. But the Olympiakos family tried to turn it into a positive action for us to be vindicated. Within the team and the club we say that to be Olympiacos champion you have to do more and better things than others. That’s clear.”
About his relationship with Vangelis Marinakis: “He is a person with a lot of charisma, he and the entire administrative body, he is the first fan of Olympiakos, he feels a lot for the club and the coexistence is productive. We are both temperamental, and I am grateful to him for this opportunity. A successful president in the business world, with multi-million dollar companies, a citizen of the world, who besides us owns Nottingham Forest and other companies of brutal size. That success is about intelligence, determination, charisma and knowing how to make the right decisions at the right time, which is what makes the difference.”
For Olympiakos goals in the Europa League: “We have already achieved the first goal, which was to qualify for the group stage after playing two qualifying rounds with Genk and Chukarski. Against Genk we hadn’t won at home in European competition for a long time, this was our debut, with its European tradition. And in the group stage we had better competition and a better performance than the points reflect. With Freiburg at home we played a very good game, we beat West Ham at home, the Conference League champions. The team has played very well in Europe and that is important because the group is very difficult. There are two games left and we’ll see what happens.”
About his prospects as a coach: “I try to improve every day, give my best level as a coach and be as prepared as possible for the next challenge without thinking about what it will be. Football and life lead you down paths that surprise you. If a year ago we did this interview, it didn’t even occur to me to be at Olympiakos today, on the contrary, we were in a medium-long term project with Espanyol under cases that were promised to us that later did not happen. met, and we had to get out within a few months of starting.
It’s true that challenges attract me, I love playing in Europe and so many games prepare you for another methodology. But we’re open-minded as a coaching staff and when we go out that’s emphasized, flexibility is key. I am open to return to Spain and train in other leagues, the important thing is to be happy where you are. Once outside, you feel prepared for all kinds of challenges and environments. What I want now is to be successful here and achieve the goals in terms of results and development at Olympiakos”.
Source: Sport Fm
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