Olympiacos coach José Luis Mendilibar expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance and their 0-2 victory in Agrinio. The experienced coach emphasized during the press conference that the “Red-and-whites” had opportunities to score even more goals.
Here is what the Basque coach of Olympiacos said in detail:
“We knew it was going to be a tough match in a ground where the opponent rarely concedes goals. We also knew we had to approach the game with respect for the opponent and play well. It was a balanced match because Panetolikos made a strong start, and we knew it would be challenging to be aggressive. The game remained balanced until the red card incident”.
On what the team’s position at the top of the table means for their confidence and a comment on Velde’s performance, as he started in the lineup.
“Ours was the MD’s last fixture, so we already knew the results of our opponents. Since Panathinaikos had overtaken us and were at the top, we had to win this match. Of course, this could have caused us some stress about losing first place. However, we played well against a tough opponent. The penalty was called, the second goal followed, and we had other chances to score more. I believe it was a well-deserved win for Olympiacos because we weren’t threatened by the opponent, and we stayed focused on achieving our goal, which was to secure the victory”.
On why Carmo was substituted early in the previous match and his return as a starter.
“Now that you’ve asked about Carmo, I’ll also answer about Velde. He’s a player who entered the match with a renewed mindset to help the team. He’s very talented, played a good game, and I believe he contributed significantly. Regarding Carmo, in the last match, he was subbed off early because I needed to make a change. I could have substituted more than five players in the first few minutes of that game, but Carmo came off—not because he was solely at fault, but because I needed to change the game’s dynamic early on. Everyone knows he’s a quality player. Last season, he helped us a lot, and we always trust that when he steps on the pitch, he will deliver, as he did today. We’re pleased with him”.
