The new coach of Olympiacos, Diego Martínez, appeared before the media on Tuesday (27/06). The Spanish coach spoke about the team he wants to create, making it clear that “we need to be an expeditious, mindful, energetic, intense team with a victorious quality that wins the matches.”
In his initial statement, he reported:
“Thank you all for being here today. I thank the president, Mr. Marinakis, and his family for the great opportunity to work at this prodigious club. When one enters the training centre and the offices, one understands that their DNA is that of a champion – passionate people who want to win and feel only joy. I also thank Antonio Cordón for the opportunity to collaborate and build something together; to continue to offer even more titles to the club and to imprint a positive image with our presence. My team and I feel ambitious and happy, deeply committed to this new challenge. It is a big step in our career and something that we accept with great motivation. We are here full of ambition and with an appetite for hard work. We want to work together and offer the team more impetus to go even further. That is why when we received the proposal to become members of the Legend there was no doubt in our minds. I am looking forward to working hard and taking all the steps that will lead us to becoming the kind of team that everyone wants us to be.”
You talked about DNA, and you realised it promptly. For Olympiacos, second place is not an option. Defeat and failure do not exist in their dictionary. Are you ready to meet this challenge?
“This is the reason why I was immediately convinced to choose Olympiacos as the next step in my career. We had been informed about the team’s DNA, the team’s demanding fans, and the need for the club to return to success and continue to add successes and titles to its history. My colleagues and I believed that, for our career, it was the right time to offer. We are full of ambition to meet this challenge and to generally help meet all the goals that have been set. This is exactly what brought us here, the ambition to win and achieve all the goals that the team sets constantly. To do this, we need to work from the starting point, to create a team that will meet the already existing requirements; with hard work and humility, to offer this DNA that is so characteristic of the club.”
How do you want to see Olympiacos in the new season?
“What I want from the players, as well as the team in general, is for everyone to be the best of themselves. Those who are already in the team and those who will join Olympiacos, should all share the same mindset; a mindset of wanting to bring out the best in themselves and improve daily, so that the team is competitive and able to face opponents not just locally in Greece, but also in Europe. We want the best out of everyone; to play to win and to compete under any circumstances, and to offer our fans excitement in the best way possible.”
Olympiacos has many players in their roster. Have there been any proposals for anyone? Moreover, what number of players do you want on your roster?
“At the moment we can’t give you the exact number of players we want on the team. It’s time to evaluate all the players we have. Naturally, we have done our research and we know everyone, but it is important to have personal contact with the players. When the time is right, we will make decisions without setting limits on the numbers. What is important is to be successful in our choices, no matter the number.”
Would you like to let us in the ingredients that Olympiacos should possess, in order to build a successful course in Europe, apart from the cup double in Greece which is the target? Also, in the roster you’re planning, will you include players of the academy with an active role?
“It is a new beginning today for all of us, not just for Olympiacos. We’re trying to get to the next stage. We want to build a team that has a future and continuity. We must take advantage of what we have at our disposal; more experienced players, younger players, old and new to the club. If you have followed our course, you will notice that the players who worked with us raised their level, especially those who wanted to help the team. I insist and I shall repeat that, with daily work, and as the president said, with a constant desire for improvement; this is the key – we all have the same philosophy, the same mindset, to work daily with the aim of improving. The competitions in which we are to take part require different things. We need to be able to respond.”
What characteristics do you want your team to possess? What kind of gameplay can we expect?
“We must always play to win and make the most of our players’ qualities and skills. We need to be an expeditious, mindful, energetic, intense team with a victorious quality that wins the matches and, certainly, able to respond to the variations between competitions. We’re talking about the style of the gameplay. However, in order to win, you need to apply many playing styles. Olympiacos, as a winner, must go all out for victory. There are many different scenarios that we could follow, but what’s important is to be a team and a smart one.”
