Mr. Jardim spoke before all Media representatives who have travelled to Achenkirch with the team and here is what he said:
“These first three days have been very important to us, in order to help us organize the team our way and see how we react on the pitch and in training. It is very important to get to know each other really well, as it will be easier for us that way, to work better in the future. During this first stage of our preparation it is essential to improve our players’ physical condition as well as their technique. It is of course just as important to play in two friendly matches close to the end of our preparation here, so that we can have a general idea of our players and of what we are after. In the end, we shall review everything and make decisions.”
About the players of Olympiacos: “It’s very hard to have an honest opinion on everyone and on the team’s level in just a three-days-time. At the moment I am working so as to help the players improve their physical condition and only by the end of the first stage of preparation will they be able to show us their real selves. That’s when I will make up my mind about them.”
About his way of training: “I have always been keen on working on physical condition, combined with tactics and technique. There are no separate sectors on which to work. You should work on all three at the same time, although I must confess we have been working more on physical training at the moment.”
About the time frame and his first conclusions: “I believe that the two games we will play in during our stay here will be very important and will help me make get a first impression on the team.”
About Nikola Gulan: “I believe that by the end of the preparation’s first stage I will be able to have an idea on the player and make a decision about him also. It’s important to remember that we are currently concentrating on the players we already have. Later on, the international players will join us, we’ll get to know them too and we’ll take it from there.”
About his time on Chaves and the fact that he made his players watch the movie “300” in order to show them unity: “It’s a true story and it happened five years ago while I was training Chaves. I made them watch that movie because they had no bonds between them and I wanted to show them my idea of a group; one for all and all for one. Of course, every team is a different chapter, but it is very important to have the notion of unity and work together, as an item.”
About the formation he prefers and thinks of applying on Olympiacos: “I am fond of the 4-3-3 formation. However, I think we should put all of our players’ skills into good use. Therefore, we should keep in mind that the formation might change depending on the players we have and what they can do best. One thing is for sure though; I want a dynamic “triangle” in the midfield. Whether it will be formed by two defensive midfielders or if one of them will be a bit further ahead is something we shall see. I don’t wish for my players to be firm in the middle. I want a dynamic triangle”.
About the way he prefers to see his team play: “Usually, a defensive team playing against an offensive team closes in and tried harder in the middle of the pitch. Therefore, I want to work on the evolution of our game at the wings.”
About whether he would prefer a «1-0» win or a «4-3» one: “I just want the victory; plain and simple.”
About his thoughts on the team’s defensive line: “In the centre of our defensive line, we are currently lacking very important players, such as Papadopoulos, Marcano or Mellberg. Just like in the midfield, where we have Orbaiz and Makoun no longer. We most definitely need to look for a centre-back. The best thing would be for us to have a left-footed and a right-footed stopper play at the same time. That would make it easier and faster for the ball to reach the sides; the left-footed towards the left and the right-footed respectively to the right.”
About the number of players he wants on the squad: “The only thing I can definitely say is that I can’t keep all of these players. We want a good and well-calibrated team. That’s why we musn’t have too many players on our disposal. However, it’s still too soon to talk about this. We still need to know what we have before deciding what to do with it. On the other hand, we must also have more than one solution for each position. It is common knowledge that in football, there may be contingencies, such as injuries etc. So we must be prepared by having more than one player for every spot.”
About the offensive line and where he plans to put Mirallas play: “I will use Mirallas according to the team’s needs. I’ve seen Kevin play on the left and he was great and I have also seen him play as a central striker, like in the Champions League, and he was great there too.”
About teamwork and individual attempts: “I love teamwork. Within our game though, there must also be some individual attempts, personal efforts. The essential is to work as a whole, as Olympiacos. The closer we get to attack, the easier we can play individually. While in defense though, closed to our own goalpost I mean, we need to reduce personal efforts.”
About the public’s adoration towards the team: “I was expecting that. I know that Olympiacos is the greatest team in Greece and what goes for all top European clubs in their countries, also goes for Olympiacos. Wherever they travel, they always have fans on their side.”
About Par Zeterberg, who once said “if you make it playing for Olympiacos, you can make it playing anywhere”, meaning that Olympiacos is a club with high standards for victory combined with good performances: “Obviously this is a great motive. Not just for me, but for any professional in the football world. Everyone likes to win while playing good football. That’s something I took very seriously prior to making up my mind to join Olympiacos.”
About the team’s middle line: “I believe that we might need a player there. We shall see. We musn’t forget that we don’t have Makoun and Orbaiz on the team any longer, so we might need a player there.”
About his goals and dreams with Olympiacos: “I like winning. Winning and celebrating the Championship, the Cup as well as to make it out of the Champions League group stage. That’s the greatest dream in my career so far.”
About the goalkeepers and whether they are starting from scratch in his eyes: “That goes not only for the keepers but for all players. They are starting from scratch. That’s why they’re all here. In my eyes they all are on the same level and in the end, I will choose those who can give the club better quality.”
About having spotted a leader among his players: “Many players are not with us at the moment, so I am currently using the most experienced ones as a link between the coach and the rest of the group. However, last year’s captains were very important and I am looking forward to having all of them back.”
About his thoughts on the club’s opponents: “At this point, what’s most important for me is my own squad. I want to have a good idea on Olympiacos and then I will take the time to watch the rest of the Superleague teams. Currently I want to dedicate myself to my team.”
Leonardo Jardim did not fail to send a message to his players:
“I would like to take this opportunity to send my players a message. I know that they are putting in a lot of work and great effort during this preparation stage in order to understand my style of training and I would like them to know that I think they’re doing a great job at it.”
Watch Leonardo Jardim on camera by clickingHERE.
