Pedro Martins’ quotes on detail:
On preparing with this extraordinary situation: “I want to clarify my opinions. I wish the President a swift recovery and that he may be with us soon, because we need him. Secondly, yesterday after the training and having been informed of the president’s issue, the club followed all scientific protocols to safeguard our health and that of our fellow citizens. In recent weeks, there hasn’t been a single member of the club who has even the slightest symptom of being a carrier of the virus. These weeks of preparation were normal, without panic, with seriousness. We don’t like that the match will happen without spectators, but we must do everything that’s required to protect public health. We must obey the instructions of the competent authorities. Our fans are our strength, we wanted them on our side, but we have to follow the specialists’ instructions and make the match as required.”
On the difficulty of playing the match without spectators: “We have the will and passion to win. We’ll put our souls in this match. We have all the weapons to play as we should. We don’t like the empty stadium. We know our stadium has a warm atmosphere and we’ll miss our fans. However, we’re focused, we know the difficulties, we’ll face a difficult and very organized opponent, which has a strong spirit in all competitions. Karaiskakis Stadium is a very strong home ground, we’ll miss the fans, but we’ll do what we must, even if we don’t have that support.”
On his plans for the match and the players’ psychological preparation for the coronavirus issue: “I don’t believe there’s anyone who is thinking about this issue in the team, since we’ve taken all the measures. Sure we have to be careful and respect those in charge, but certainly panic doesn’t help anyone. We need to stay calm and take the needed precautions. On the lineup, you’ll find out tomorrow!”
On Wolves’ request for the match not to take place and whether it affects Olympiacos and his way of thinking: “Each one deals with the situation as they feel about it. We prefer to pass on the responsibility to those responsible. If we are told that we must play without spectators, we must respect that. If they say that the match can’t take place, then the same. We understand how the opponents and their coaches think, but we prefer the decision to be taken by those responsible. There are thousands of cases around the world. I don’t know if there was another club that examined all of its members and did what Olympiacos did. All of us came negative. We’ve made it clear that we have followed the protocol and trust the principles and guidelines of those responsible.”
On whether Wolves is stronger than the previous English teams that Olympiacos faced: “It makes no sense to compare those teams, since they’re different. The English teams we faced are good at long passes and counterattacks. In this feature, Wolves is better than the others. They may not have possession like Tottenham and Arsenal or the English style like Burnley, but they are very good at that. We played against Tottenham and Arsenal, teams with top players. Wolves relies on teamwork, has quality and is very organized.”
On whether playing behind closed doors is an advantage for Wolves and whether Olympiacos will ask that the match in England takes place without spectators: “Karaiskakis stadium gives us a lot of strength, our opponents understand that they are playing in a tough home ground, especially in the first 15 minutes. However, as I said before, we’ll do everything to fill that gap. We will respect the decision of the English authorities, whether they say the match must happen with or without spectators or even not happen at all. We’ll respect the authorities.”
On Podence and Nuno: “I know Nuno very well, we were teammates in Guimaraes. He was a young goalkeeper at the time. We have a good relationship, we don’t talk frequently, each one has followed his path, but there is a good relationship. Daniel has made a huge step in the last two years and he owes it to himself. His image has changed, since in Sporting and in the National Team he wasn’t in the usual lineup. This change happened in Olympiacos. He’s a great player, we know him well, tomorrow we will try to get even with him, if you’ll excuse my expression.”
Camara’s quotes on detail:
On the difficulties in preparing and on everything that’s happening: “It’s a great match. I want to wish our President and all those who are ill a swift recovery. We feel well prepared and committed, we have confidence in our doctor, who has done everything we needed to stay healthy.”
On whether English football suits him and on how he feels about his new role in the 4-3-3: “The most important thing is that I want to help the team in any role. If the team is doing well and improving, then everything’s fine for everyone.”
On meeting Podence and whether Olympiacos’ greater European experience comparing with Wolves will be a factor: “Daniel was very important to us, but now he’s not in our team and everybody is focused on his duties. We don’t even know if he’s going to play. We’re not thinking about what the opponent is doing, but about ourselves. Experience doesn’t matter. After all, Arsenal was more experienced in Europe than us. We’re only thinking about following our coach’s instructions.”
