The coach of Olympiacos, Diego Martínez, spoke at the press conference after the match against Panetolikos and the victory of the “red-and-whites” 3–1 at “G. Karaiskakis.”
In detail, what the Spanish coach of Olympiacos said:
What stays with you from this victory? A question regarding the second half, we saw Iborra as a stopper, is this a thought for the match against Freiburg?
It really was a difficult return following the National Teams and in an empty stadium. When you see something like that it gets you down. We conceided the goal due to a mistake, but the team reacted well and our reaction was positive. We played with footballers who hadn’t played at a high level for a long time, such as Biancone –about a year and a half–, ass as a starting eleven that had never played together before. Considering all these difficulties, it was a positive result. In our last training session, Scarpa injured himself in an individual effort – this was something that got us thinking. The fact that we used Iborra in the centre of defence is one solution, but it is not the only one. The team has solutions and that’s why we are satisfied, because we have players who can meet the requirements and the team will always be able to respond. It’s what can happen in a week that you can’t know about. But I believe with all the problems we had, our response was good and we got the result we wanted.
How did the opponent seem to you, regardless of the result, did you also distinguish some units of Panetolikos?
They are a team that has improved a lot in recent games and creates enough problems in the second ball to any opponent. We saw with PAOK that they can take advantage of their phases and [ ] is a player who can do that. It is one of the games in the championship that we have a lot to offer to, and we must be careful and focused. I am happy that my team was not stressed when we conceded the goal and made a reaction. Of course we want to avoid such moments, but when they happen we want to show our personality and be calm and patient to overturn the result.
Olympiacos seemed somewhat vulnerable in their transfers and thus conceded the goal. Also, if you would like to make a comment on the fact that, at first, you played with a player of a somewhat “9,” Jovetić, and then you switched to El Kaabi, a forward in the area.
In relation to the second question, it does not depend on who the striker is but who is available. We always want to have the top players in any situation. It depends on whether you have a player with depth like Masouras, or if he can keep the ball longer, like Carvalho, or if it is someone who can play more internally like Biel – the strikers do not play alone. You cannot decide who is best for home and who is best for away, but you must always look at the opponent and the conditions. Now, for the fact that we conceded the goal, there was a wrong pass, and looking at big teams in Europe such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern, they all concede phases. We have managed on other occasions not to concede chances or goals. But it is a situation that can happen and we are working to avoid it. Perhaps this is because we are an offensive team and this is the philosophy of our defenders, such as a moment with Biancone who came forward on an opportunity. There are many factors that one should always take into account.
