Olympiacos President Evangelos Marinakis spoke to UEFA regarding our team’s Europa League draw.
Olympiacos were drawn against AC Milan, Olympique de Marseille, AC Sparta Praha, Stade Rennais F.C., Jagiellonia Bialystok, NK Celje, TSG Hoffenheim and SC União Torreense.
Mr Marinakis said:
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The President of Olympiacos also spoke to Cosmote TV about the draw, stating the following:
“As you may remember, we have played Milan before and we managed to qualify. Milan are a big club, as are Marseille and Rennes. It is a draw that includes at least four big teams, and we need to be particularly careful. There are also another four teams that I believe Olympiacos can beat. Since we are out of the Champions League, I believe Olympiacos have the experience, and by the end of the transfer window we will bring in whatever the team is currently missing. Our dream is to go all the way in the Europa League. I believe we have experienced players, as well as a coach who has done it in the Europa League and the Conference League, and as you know, history repeats itself, so why not?
What everyone in Greece needs to understand is that Olympiacos may be a big club, but unfortunately Greek football is considered to be, and the reality is that it is, low in the European rankings. Whether we like it or not, for very good young players, playing in the Greek league is not their first choice. People need to understand this because various things are being said by people who have no idea how a transfer is done or how European football works. What I want to tell you is this: there is no top player aged 23, 24, 25 or 26 who, in June or even July, wants to come and play football in Greece. That is why we have to wait until the final two weeks of the transfer window, so that certain players who have not been able to secure a move to one of the major leagues can come to Greece.
Olympiacos also have an advantage. We are the owners of Nottingham Forest, and for many players, their dream is to play in the Premier League, which is the best league in Europe. So they say that if they play well for a team like Olympiacos, they have a chance, and this is something that helps us with a great number of players. But everyone needs to understand the level of our league and that every day we are trying to exceed expectations. Not only Olympiacos; I see it with other Greek teams as well. Panathinaikos and AEK are also trying to exceed expectations, and it certainly isn’t easy. Supporters should not take anything for granted. We paid Puerta’s €16 million release clause and he still does not want to come because, for example, he prefers to go to Benfica. What else can you do?
Olympiacos need to play attacking football; we need to press constantly. You saw the pressing when we won the Conference League, and it was a key element of our success. In other words, you press, win the ball and can score an easy goal from your opponent’s mistakes. Olympiacos should not be playing long balls from the goalkeeper, nor from the centre-backs, because we saw that last season as well. I believe everyone has understood that we need to play differently, and we also have the players who can play differently. They need the right guidance, and I believe Mendilibar knows better than any of us how to do that.
We trust him because a lot is being said. We support him, he supports us, and from there we move forward together, united, to win the league and to win the Europa League. That is the objective; we are not hiding it. Today fewer people may believe it, tomorrow more will, and when everyone believes it, we will achieve it. I was saying the same thing in 2010 when I took over. Many people laughed, others didn’t believe it, then there was one more, then another two, and eventually we were all together. I also said it to the boys in the Youth League after their first good matches. When you have beaten big teams, and you didn’t beat them by defending but by playing good football, you can do it. If you believe, anything is possible”.
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