The coach of Olympiacos, Diego Martínez, was satisfied with the victory and his team’s appearance against West Ham at “G. Karaiskakis.”
The Spanish coach spoke at the press conference following the UEFA Europa League match and highlighted the appearance of the “red-and-whites” against the UEFA Conference League holder.
In detail, Diego Martínez’s press conference:
At the press conference, you said that you wanted to win. Maybe you should say that more often. Also, do you think that Olympiacos have wronged themselves in the group and could have earned more points?
I wish everything depended on what I said at the press conference. The hard part is making what you say a reality. Our team deserved the victory and it is a result brought about by our effort. It was a fulfilling game against the Conference League holder. It was all very nice – both the team and the atmosphere on the pitch. I also said this in the press conference ahead of the match, that the fans always help us. They had told us about the beautiful evenings they experience with Olympiacos. But tonight we were thrilled to experience this beautiful European evening in this stadium, because of the opponent’s value and our will to win. We are delighted to have enjoyed this evening.
At which point do you believe that the game was decided, what elements did Olympiacos bring in for the victory? We would also like a comment on the three midfielder composition: Camara, Alexandropoulos, and Hezze.
Those of you who have followed my course will know that I do not stick to one system. I change constantly, depending on the opponent as well. In this case, the opponent demanded the trio in the centre and these players stood well on the pitch. The wingers found the depth on the field. However, the whole team stood up to the demands and responded to the match. When things are going well it is not only due to the structure, but also due to preparation, talent, self-confidence. The system worked, but all these elements together brought about victory.
Do you think that, based on the team’s appearances so far, you deserved more points in the group? Was it your biggest European night at Olympiacos?
It was the most fulfilling game we played regarding the official European matches, both in terms of the opponent’s level as well as our game needs. It is of no value to deliberate at this moment whether we deserved more points. We said it following the matches against Freiburg and Topola, it has no value now. What counts is today. The fact that we achieved this today does not guarantee that we will repeat it tomorrow. There is no point in talking about what happened in previous games. It’s important to be able to do your best in every game like we did now. I will say it again, it is important that everyone is ready at all times. Porozo hadn’t played enough until now, but now he was asked to be ready to help the team. They are all important, even those who were in the stands tonight and helped in other games. We need everyone; the time will come for everyone. Porozo was working all this time and the message is this: we are all indispensable to the team and we are happy that this worked in this match. I also want to focus on the players who came from the bench as substitutions. The minute they entered was crucial for the team and they were also important and decisive for the victory. They had to be concentrated and they were and their participation was important in the game. Even those who did not play and were in the bleachers were equally important. We all helped bring about this success. Let me repeat that we need to be calm in our good and bad times – even with great successes, to celebrate but not to get carried away. We keep working because we have a good future ahead of us.
Did you say something to Porozo about this very demanding game? Also, was it the defence that lead to the victory, or the moments that the team took advantage of during offence?
We had good moments in the offence, we scored two goals and we could have scored a third in the first half. We had good moments in the second half as well. We were also not particularly threatened beyond the one goal we conceded. We defended well in the fixed moments, despite the fact that we had a height difference. We also did not make unnecessary fouls, as we did in other games, which risked risks our defence. In general, we were balanced both in defence and in offence. We had the correct mindset and reduced the number of mistakes compared to previous games. And I’m quite happy for Porozo’s performance, because in Rentis he worked hard and calmly, and he was ready when we needed him. The truth is that he has only had a few minutes of participation so far – he was a new player. We only have five substitutions and the 11 in the first line-up, and sometimes it’s hard to choose. But we’re happy because everyone needs to be ready, and now that Jackson’s time has come, he’s ready. I want to add that we usually focus on the player who is not on the pitch and this is something that happens all over the world. I want to exchange the praise you are giving Porozo now, with your comments when a player does not do so great at some point in the future.
