“In my language there is a saying according to which “finals are not played, they are won”. This is meant to describe the difficulty of these games. There were moments in today’s match, when it seemed that there were no prospects for us. Luckily we managed to win in the last minute of the extra time. It was a very emotional game for me, as it was my last one as the coach of OLYMPIACOS F.C. One could only wish to end one’s cooperation with a club in such a way. This is the reason why today, most of all, I want to say a big “thank you” to the fans. Not just those who were here in the stadium today, but everyone who supported the club and me. They showed it today in a very special way and it was very emotional for me. As for the match I believe we played well in the first half and could have had a wider difference. After netting the goal, though, our rhythm dropped, as we saw that we faced no great danger from our opponent.
We behaved as though the match had ended. That should not have happened, because our opponents could have caused us great problems at any given time with their shots. And this is what happened. After that moment, we seemed to have great confidence. I believe the fact that Atromitos FC equalized is the result of great work being done within their club. They played well in defense and in counter attacks, though they had no great opportunities. I think it was obvious that during overtime we were struggling against the clock. Atromitos FC seemed like they wanted to make it to the penalty shoot-out and all we hoped, on our part, was to score in one of our attacks. We did not succeed after two opportunities that Kevin Mirallas had, but we did so with David Fuster’s chance. That was a great play by David, a footballer whose work on the pitch is not “evident”. He is persistent, though, and usually, when everyone else thinks that the match is over, he manages to score.”
Are you thinking of getting David Fuster a gift? And which is the match you will remember the most, from your time in Greece?
“I am not planning to get David anything, as I strongly thought that we would win, even if it came down to a penalty shoot-out. Nevertheless, Fuster deserves a lot, as he is a player that provides great help for the team and kept us from going to the penalty shoot-out. He did not win the trophy for his coach but for the team, as a whole. When asked about the game I most remember from my time in Greece, I always think that it doesn’t have to be a game we won. So, one of the matches I enjoyed very much was the one against Arsenal FC in London, as well as the one against Panathinaikos FC at home. I am a very lucky person for having some good games to remember, even though we have had some unfortunate games as well.”
After the end of this match, we saw you point your heart and then to the fans in the stadium. What message would you like to send to these people?
“What I meant by putting my hand over my heart and pointing out to the fans, was that these people have “touched” me. They have filled my heart with great emotions. Whether you are a player or a coach you always wish that the fans will love you. I had never expected that the fans of OLYMPIACOS would be such an experience and I don’t think I will come across something of that sort ever again.”
You won championships, titles with OLYMPIACOS FC. What do you think you are leaving the club with and Greek football in general?
“I always try to do my job in the best way possible. I try to give my team a style of play that the footballers and the fans will enjoy and one that will bring results, as well. No matter how much the coach wants to do see some things on the pitch, it is the players who decide how to do things during the match. The coach shows them the way, but if the players don’t want to or can’t do certain things on the pitch, then it makes no difference. It’s the players who bring the results. This is where we put our focus on. When you win, though, it’s even more obvious.”
If tomorrow you decided to write your autobiography, regarding your career, what would be the title that you would chose for OLYMPIACOS FC?
“I enjoy coming to the Press Conferences, as the questions the reporters pose are usually easy to answer. This is a hard one for me. The only thing that is certain is that I would have to write a very big chapter about OLYMPIACOS FC. I am repeating myself by saying that coming to OLYMPIACOS FC exceeded my expectations. When I decided to join the club I could not even imagine that I would live moments like these.”
