Presser by the Olympiacos coach:
Antwerp’s coach said this morning that he is to make many changes in the lineup. Is this a trap for you? A leap into the…unknown for you? Will this affect your plans for tomorrow’s fixture?
“We do not know what Antwerp’s coach is planning exactly, whether he will go for their championship lineup up or the one against Fener. We are getting the squad ready for the best-case scenario. We expect to be the best we can, with quality, focus and sharpness and be as good as they will be. We do our prep for the match like we always do; nothing changes. We have studied our opponent; we know they may use 2-3 different formations. We will be ready for all possible scenarios. We expect Antwerp to be stronger and let us not forget that when a non-regular player is capped, then he wants to prove himself to his coach. So, it is going to be a tough match”.
Reabciuk has registered amazing progress since the Antwerp home match onwards. Do you share that?
“I knew Oleg very well already and I had no doubt this would happen. Joining us meant a new reality for the player, but we knew he would deliver. I had no doubt about his skills and professionalism”.
What are the keys so that Olympiacos gates the desired result in the match?
“I have said many times that, since day one, I considered this group to be well balanced and all matches open. Many of the fixtures were decided in the closing minutes. Eintracht won most points from 90’ onwards. Antwerp lost points in the end. All matches are competitive. Tomorrow, we expect a match like the one in Karaiskakis, with both teams going after a good result, being competitive enough and ready to produce a beautiful and open match.
Against OFI, your side made their best performance for this year’s championship. Do you believe they ate the level you desire, following your summertime hardships with injuries and Covid cases?
“I have said many times that our teams have a great room for improvement. We have produced some good performances in the past 1,5 month. We played well against both Fener and OFI. The same in the Eintracht tie. We also played well against Atromitos as reflected in the number of lost chances. All in all, our side may become far better and its shows. We are taking steps forward and there is scope for improvement. We got players, like Oleg, with great potential to grow more. This squad will adapt all the time and ever evolve“.
Top position is not up to us; do you believe Fenerbahce will do what they have to do against Eintracht?
“I truly believe so; yet, we have to pay attention on our own match, do our own thing and win. I believe Fenerbahce may defeat Eintracht. I know the Fenerbahce team. They are people of integrity; they want to honor their club. Their players will do everything to underpin the club’s prestige and see off Eintracht”.
Presser by Oleg Reabciuk:
Since the Eintracht goal, your progress has been amazing. Do you see that also?
“I do feel that things are going better. That goal motivated me to keep on trying. I am a person who works hard. The only thing I cand do is to work more in order to improve more “.
Although you are no more than a year with Olympiacos, you have become one of the favorites for Greek fans. How do you perceive this love?
“Indeed, I am a guy living away from my country, my family and friends; I get so much love that empowers me to play well. I would like to thank all Olympiacos fans for their love to me”.
What has changed in you that made you display such an impressive improvement?
“I think there is great room for me to improve; I am not yet at the top of my game. I have ameliorated my performance in finishing, that is the last third of the pitch, and generally speaking I have raised my levels of fitness and persistence in my game”.
You give the impression that you never get tired. Are their matches in which you can hardly make it back home?
“It is true that at the end of several matches I feel dead tired. Of course, I feel tired but I can make it for 90 minutes, and I give everything I got in these 90 minutes”.
The thing is that you recover so quickly and then you play the following match as if there hasn’t been a difficult 90-minute match before.
“It is not just about my work, but also how we recover, what we eat, the way we rest; all these deliver good results”.
