Angelopoulos on bwinSPORT FM: “That’s why we chose Garcia, we will claim 5th place”

Optimistic how the upcoming championship in Stoiximan Super League will be one of the most competitive in recent years appeared o Giannis Angelopoulos to News Bulletin 247.

Specifically, its technical director Fearless he emphasized that the three categories of the playoffs/playoffs will give extra motivation to each team, as none will be indifferent next season.

As far as Peristeriotes is concerned, he explained the reasons why they chose Pablo Garcia, the elements that stood out in him and of course he talked about the particularly careful transfer planning.

Details of what Mr. Giannis Angelopoulos stated to Michalis Tsochos

For the new format in the league: “Look, the truth is that our transfer planning had started before the new format was announced, but this specific development was important, since now the position of Europe is open and our league will become more competitive at all levels. As you said, this played a role in the development of our design».

For the goals of Atromitos in the new season: “Clearly, the goal is difficult, despite the great success of Olympiakos, we will produce a 5th team in Europe. The new format gives us this possibility, if we consider that in previous years we did not manage to enter the playoffs. If we take out 2020, we have always been in 7th and 8th place. In what we believe and want to achieve, the new format gives us the possibility to claim the 5th European ticket.

In recent years the league has been highly competitive and exciting as far as the top is concerned. Of course, great battles were fought in the relegation places as well. With the new format, I believe there will be no indifferent team. As the league has been decided in recent years, in the last matchday, so will it be decided for 5th place, but where I think it will be exciting and important will be the relegation places and there will be no indifferent team and the fans will watch an exciting championship».

For the reaction of the team’s transfers this year: “Trust us, we missed him more than anyone. We had learned to star. In recent years the team has been eight times in the European Cup, has played twice in the finals. Twice we finished in regular time in 3rd and 4th place. In the last game of the playoffs we failed to qualify for the Champions League qualifiers. We also missed these marches. Every year we have goals and ambitions, but they don’t come true every year. This year we start with dreams and ambitions and I believe that we will have a primarily competitive team and I believe that the past has shown that if the team likes us first of all, at the end of the day we will achieve our goal».

For the selection of Pablo Garcia on the “blue and white” bench: “Indeed, Mr. Garcia was our first target. He was the first coach we spoke to. We tried hard enough and really wanted to bring him to our team. In his first year, in a newly enlightened team, he left his mark. This is very important and was one of the reasons we chose Mr. Garcia. It is important to see in a team that it has a competitive orientation, that it has ideas and a beginning-middle-end. We saw all this in Panseraikos. He is a methodical coach, with clear ideas and a staff that has been working together for the last few years and they are all serious professionals. I now understand closely, after a month and a half, that Panserraikos’ course was not just by chance».

For the acquisition of Carlitos, Van Weert, Ouedraogo, Warda, Kini, Houtesiotis and others who followed: “Everything went according to plan, we were able to close Mr. Garcia very quickly and that’s how the team works. All transfers were made after consultation and desire of the coach. We sat and talked, he developed his plan for us. How he wants to play, both as an approach and as a system. We moved pretty quickly and were able to lock up some good players. It was in our plan, because several players left the team’s roster, and it was our choice to have them be players who know the Greek league. It would be very difficult if all the players were from the foreign market, and in our design it was a priority that they be good players and know the Greek league».

For the work done in Ptolemaida and the friendships that follow: “The good thing is that we have already started 15 days, with two or three double trainings per week. We have no injury issues. All players follow the schedule. We have a perfect training center that provides all the amenities. Team preparation is going well, despite the difficult and strenuous training, all players are consistently doing well».

For the next pieces of the roster: “We want a right-footed central defender, after the arrival of Mansour who is intended as a left stopper. He can give speed to the defense and there is a quick recovery of the ball, while there will be space and one of the two defenders must have such elements. Then, a defensive midfielder with a bit more displacement, one taller than the others we have and a winger, with different characteristics from the existing ones, we want to give speed and be able to play in the open field. These are the three sure cases we are concerned with, but something may be found in the last option».