Michel:
“We have had a series of five friendlies lately, against some strong opponents and we believe that our results have been good. All in all, we are happy with how these matches went.
Today, our display was not exactly the same. We believe that was partly due to the weather conditions and our lack of accuracy during the match that made things very difficult. If we had been more accurate, everything would have been easier”.
About the heat:“The heat is something we cannot control in football. It is something that actually affects the game a lot, however it’s something we cannot foresee. However, there are other things we can control and foresee, and this is what we will do”.
On supporting UNICEF via this match:“This is a very noble cause. We always have to be, apart from a great side on the pitch, a top “player” in solidarity and offer in such good causes when we can. The people responded to that. We really want to thank them; we are very happy with them. We’d say that their presence tonight turned it more into an official fixture rather than a pre-season match. We thank and are grateful to them”.
Ernesto Valverde:
“It’s always moving to return in this stadium, it’s always very emotional for me to be here with Olympiacos. The “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium is not just another place for me, Olympiacos is not just another team or a club. It’s something much more because of all the things that have happened during my spell in Olympiacos, the things that have occurred here and the love I have received by the fans. It’s always very special to be here and I am happy to have lived all that.
Match-wise, it was tough because of the heat and the circumstances. What I take out of this match was our first half, since we had difficulties after the break due to the heat”.
A wish for Olympiacos ahead of the new season:“I wish they proceed as much as possible in the Champions League, because I think they will most likely win the Championship; they are the favorite for both the Championship and the Cup. I’d like, however, to see Olympiacos having a bit of luck more in the Champions League, since I think they were a bit unlucky in their match against Manchester United”
Delvin N’Dinga:
On whether tonight’s match against Athletic Bilbao was a successful test for Olympiacos:Definitely, it was a hard test ahead of the championship. We played against a very good side, a strong one. We faced them before our crowd μας, whose presence tonight was great and helped us a lot. I think it enabled us to reach useful conclusions ahead of the new season”.
A comment for Olympiacos fans who had a very loud presence tonight:“Certainly, I am very happy myself, as well as my teammates, to have seen all this people at the stands; their presence was a good boost for us. Such presence gives us the strength to improve our display even more and give that extra something in order to thank them for joining us at the stadium”.
Watch the videoHERE.
