Olympiacos head coach Imanol Alguacil reflected on his team’s three wins out of three in Europe, as well as their six consecutive victories in domestic and European competitions, stressing that these achievements are the result of the hard work of the “red-and-whites”.
The Basque coach’s press conference in detail:
Olympiacos have made it three wins out of three. How important is that for the remainder of the competition?
We have indeed secured three victories, and that is not easy, but we have also won six matches in total. We are satisfied with the work being done and with our performances. It is not just the players in the starting line-up, but also those who come on as substitutes and those who do not play. Everyone is working hard. It is pleasing because we can see that we have plenty of options, that everyone can contribute to the team and that we can achieve the results we want.
Your substitutions helped break the deadlock in the match. What were you thinking, and what did you see when you brought on the full-back who provided the assist and the striker who scored the goal? Also, when you took charge of the team, did you expect Olympiacos to be so close to reaching the next stage of the UEFA Europa League in such a short time?
Coaches often need to make decisions and choose which players to bring onto the pitch. This time, those were the ones who succeeded. However, it is not the coach who wins matches, but the players. I have said this before in other press conferences. Coaches are there to give instructions, and the players are there to follow them. But it is not just the players you see on the pitch. It is also those who do not play. The supporters, you and I can all see that everyone is committed and playing with great passion to achieve these six consecutive victories. It is not easy. However, it has come through hard work and dedication. What we are missing so far is scoring more goals despite creating chances. We are working on that, and it is the element that is missing from our game. I am satisfied not only with the players who are playing, but with everyone in the squad. It is not easy to win six consecutive matches. However, when I arrived, I did not expect anything different. I came to Olympiacos, I knew where I was coming and I knew the expectations. I wanted us to achieve results through hard work and succeed through determination and commitment. But we must now forget about those six victories, not dwell on the past and focus on our next match, which is on Sunday.
What is the secret to solving the problem of converting chances into goals and making your own job easier?
I completely agree with you. As in our previous league match, we created many chances, but the goal was not coming. These things happen, but it is something we are working to improve. What we need to do is keep trying, as we did tonight against a strong, quality team that made things quite difficult for us. We managed to get into goalscoring positions on many occasions, but we could not score earlier. What we need to do is keep working and continue creating chances until we achieve our objective.
Ortega has attracted attention for his saves in recent matches. He is a goalkeeper with considerable experience, having played for Manchester City. Tonight, however, we also saw his ability with the ball at his feet. How crucial do you consider his role to be in the style of football you want your team to play?
It is true that he helps us a great deal with his performances. He is an excellent goalkeeper and has kept five clean sheets. However, it is not just about him. Our defending starts with our forwards and continues throughout the entire team. Everyone contributes to making us effective. Tonight, our defending started with Chiquinho, Jota Silva and Yaremchuk pressing the opposition. The same applies to our attacking play. We are all united in helping one another. No one has just one specific role; everyone plays for the team. As you mentioned, Ortega played under Guardiola at Manchester City and has great experience and quality. He contributes to our attacking play, just as our forwards contribute defensively. All of this is the result of a united team working together to achieve the result.
How important is it to not concede a goal? Also, how important is the contribution of your full-backs to your style of play, and do you rotate them frequently to keep those positions fresh?
I am very satisfied with the performances of all my players. The players you mentioned, those playing out wide, are no exception. Sometimes I need to make changes, but it is not a rule that I always substitute those particular players. We freshen up the team and give opportunities to other players as well. That does not mean I am dissatisfied with the work of Saliakas, Bruno or any of my other players. These were simply the decisions I made this time. I may be very satisfied with a player’s performance but still want to give him a rest. It is not a rule that we always change those players. Keeping clean sheets helps us. When you have scored only one goal, it is important not to concede. I would like us to score more goals in some matches so that we do not have to take so many risks, but keeping a clean sheet is important because that is what has helped us secure these victories.
