Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar, along with player Chiquinho, spoke at the pre-match press conference ahead of the UEFA Europa League match against SC Braga on Thursday, 03/10, at 19:45 at the “G. Karaiskakis” stadium for the second round of the league phase.
Detailed comments from Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar:
In matches against Lyon and Atromitos, we saw some young players in action. Is this an indication of how you’ll manage the youth players?
I value all the players equally, whether they’re veterans or younger. I take them into account because they’ve proven they deserve to be part of the team and have the necessary skills. We have a large roster –31 players, including goalkeepers– making it difficult for everyone to get their chance. However, we do factor them in, and when they don’t play with us, they compete with the youth team to stay match-fit. But they’re always part of our plans.
You’ve watched SC Braga’s recent games, and one former Olympiacos player, Bruma, stands out. Do you have a specific plan for him, or will you focus on the whole team?
We often talk about André Horta and forget about Bruma. He’s indeed a great player, but SC Braga has many quality players. Our plan is to face the entire team. We need to be particularly cautious with our defense and stay true to our plan, as they have significant attacking power. Bruma is a quality player, and we know the problems he can cause. We respect all their players and the opponent overall, but we are Olympiacos, and we’ll give our best to achieve a positive result.
What’s the condition of Martins, Masouras, and Pirola? Rumors suggest they’ve recovered. Will they play?
All three trained on Monday, and we expect the same today. They’re ready to play.
Will your focus be more on the match against Lyon or the one against Atromitos?
Against Lyon, nothing went right. We changed our system and made a different appearance, though we didn’t change our overall concept. It was the first time we played with a different system. With Atromitos, we reverted to our system and improved. We still have a lot to work on, but if we consider the strength and determination we showed, we were certainly better against Atromitos than in those two games.
This is your first home match in Europe after winning the Conference League. You often speak about the philosophy behind Olympiacos’ play. Are your players ready to bring that idea to life on the pitch?
This is the time to take a step forward and improve, as everyone expects. We began our preparations with some players who weren’t with us from the start. Now we’re all working together to become a cohesive team like last year – competitive and efficient, pressing high and with more offense. Of course, when you play a team like SC Braga, you also need to be solid defensively. We respect SC Braga and aim to be effective with the chances we create while staying focused in defense. Our fans always give us a boost when we play at home, and we will count on that support.
SC Braga comes to “G. Karaiskakis” with a solid record under coach Carlos Carvalhal. Does that concern you?
We’re more concerned about the team in general, not something particular. We know they’re a strong team, and their results speak for themselves. It’s not about the team’s statistics; we just know they’re a good team.
Following this game, there’s a match against Panathinaikos, and SC Braga also has a game with Porto. Do you think your players might be thinking about that?
I don’t think so. The players are focused on the match with SC Braga. We know the importance of Sunday’s match, but if we want to continue in Europe, we need to start winning here. I believe all the players are fully focused on Europe. They understand the significance of this match and will give their best to win it.
Chiquinho: “We Are Olympiacos”
You know SC Braga well. How do you feel about meeting some of your friends, including Horta, and what’s the key to the match?
They’re a good team with players we know well. I don’t think they’ll rely on one or two players, but rather their entire squad. However, we are also a strong team, and we are Olympiacos. If we show our quality, I believe we’ll be the team to win.
This is the first home match in Europe after winning the Conference League. The coach frequently talks about his vision for Olympiacos’ play. Are the players ready to implement that on the pitch?
Yes, of course. The players are always here to listen to the coach’s instructions and execute them. Everyone wants to give their best and win. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m sure all the players are always striving for victory. There’s a lot of pressure at Olympiacos, but it’s the kind of pressure we welcome because we always play to win. Against Atromitos, we gave a good response, and we want to give the same against SC Braga. We want to follow the coach’s instructions to secure the win.
SC Braga’s coach, Carlos Carvalhal, and Horta are well-known at Olympiacos. Does that add something special to the match? Carvalhal said he had a good time at Olympiacos and expects an exciting game.
I have a good friendship with Horta. He helped us a lot here last season, and we still communicate. But we’ll be opponents for 90 minutes, and we’ll both give our best. I wish him all the best, but not during those 90 minutes! After the match, we’ll continue our friendship, as I will with other players. I know SC Braga well, I spent some time there, and things didn’t go well for me there. Here, I’ve won a European title. I’m connected to the team, but I hope we come out on top.
