“My players are worthy of congratulations. The final developed as expected. It was a well balanced match. Asteras turned out a worthy adversary. We started well in the opening 15 minutes, but then we gave space to the opponent. Things got tough after we conceded the goal. Fortunately, Fuster stepped in and helped us level before the break. During the second half, there was fatigue, we have spent energy and things became very difficult. However, the more the fatigue, the better our display and performance would become. I am proud of my players”.
Subs played an important role the way the encounter evolved. Now that the match is over, would you have changed something at kick-off?
“Now that we know the result, I reckon that we did the right subs since we were lacking ball possession. One of the subs was obligatory, since Machado has a fitness issue. We also had the problem with Cholevas. I know that, after the match, people like chatting about selections of players, but I prefer talking about the players themselves. My players displayed such a composure, especially during overtime, that fills me with satisfaction. Our squad featured a specialist, our goalie, an injured player, that is Cholevas, and the others did everything”.
What are your feelings now that the campaign is over?
“I am happy that we won the double during my presence in the club. This is our objective for the coming year; to keep on the same path, but performing better in Europe”.
Will you be coaching Olympiacos next year as well?
“If you know something that I don’t, please let me know. I hate surprises (laughter)».
Are you satisfied with Olympiacos performance? Do you have a promise to communicate to the fans?
“Even if we were fully satisfied, there would still be -and always is- room for improvement, especially in Europe”.
