Anigo: “The results of the K19 are the fruit of all the departments of the Academy – We are not here by chance”

H K19 of Olympiakos got a great pass over Lance in his ‘8’ UEFA Youth Leaguewhich of course highlighted the very good work being done at Academies team’s.

The Director of the Olympiakos Academy spoke about this fact, but also about the generally remarkable work being done at the youth levels. Jose Anigoin the match program of the showdown between Olympiakou and Volos.

In detail what he said:

You are one of the unsung heroes of the academy, working at Rentis behind the cameras. How do you feel when you see successes like that of Youth in Europe?

“When we came in with Thomas Benedet, the mission that the President gave us was to perform well in all categories of the infrastructure departments. This has been achieved as all our teams are performing well. From K10 to K19. The success of the Youth brings to light the work of an entire Association. It starts with the administration, the scouting, the medical, the athletic department. Everyone in the Academy contributes to the good results of our teams. This is the key to success for us.”

How far do you think Olympiacos Youth can go in the UEFA Youth League?

“There are no limits. We have a good team, everything remains achievable. We are not here by chance.”

As an experienced person in coaching and having seen hundreds of football players so far in your career, do you think that there are any children who can offer the future to Olympiakos and to Greek football in general?

“Yes, we have many promising players. I can tell you that some will become professionals quickly, because they have the potential and the qualifications for such a thing.”

The Youth team won the qualification against Inter, while they had to finish the match with a numerical disadvantage due to expulsion. He won the qualification against Lance, having racing problems and falling behind in the score with 0-2. Do these show the character of the team? What does Olympiacos represent?

“Indeed, the U19 group is a team with talent, but above all with character and a fantastic mentality. But you will find the same spirit in all our categories, because this is how all our teams are trained at the Olympiakos academy.”

The Academy is not only the Youth, it is also the other departments. Tell us about the work done in Rentis.

“The Academy is a family in which we managed to create a healthy atmosphere. As I said before, success is shared and driven by collaboration. I can say that the results of K19 are the fruit of all the departments of the Academy. There is seriousness at all levels. The scouting is doing a good job, the Academy administration is on top and the sports and medical department are efficient. With Thomas Benedet we are proud to be part of an Association and to work with all these departments in the Academy”.

How do you see the new effort that has started in the first team?

“The first team today has a good and experienced coach and in addition with Darko Kovacevic, the daily cooperation is perfect. I am sure that the men’s team of Olympiakos will do very well in the play-offs in the championship”.