José Luis Mendilibar, the head coach of Olympiacos, thanked the club’s supporters in his own way in the press conference after the 0-4 away win against Panserraikos.
At 0-3, you were still giving instructions with intensity. Was there something you weren’t satisfied with?
You always have to keep performing well because the game isn’t over until the referee blows the final whistle. We weren’t asking for more goals, but we wanted to maintain our level and deliver a strong performance until the end. Under no circumstances did we want to drop our intensity.
Despite the rain, the fans in Serres never stopped chanting for Olympiacos. It seemed like they were your own reflection, since you have been standing in the rain and giving instructions non-stop.
They are truly amazing. Even in this weather, they endured and supported the team until the very last minute. We know that some of them traveled from far away, from Athens and Piraeus, while others came from Northern Greece. But together, they became one to support us. My job is to always be there for my team until the final whistle.
The unbeaten streak continues. Is making history and reaching the 30-match mark on your mind?
We are happy and satisfied with our consistent good results. It’s a long unbeaten run, and we hope to keep it going. We have another league match ahead, followed by European and cup games. We want to continue like this, but we also know that no matter how long a streak lasts, a loss will eventually come.
Have you thought about your tactical approach moving forward to keep Olympiacos at the top, given the busy schedule?
We have been managing this for a while now, except for these past two weeks. Since Christmas, we have been playing continuously in both European and domestic competitions. We’ve done quite well, and I believe this kind of schedule suits us. We enjoy competing on all fronts. The key is to avoid injuries and give our players the necessary rest in back-to-back matches. That’s why squad rotations are essential—to prevent excessive minutes on the pitch, which increases injury risk. So far, we’ve handled this well.
Do you have any update on Chiquinho’s condition?
We can’t say anything until the medical tests are done. He felt some discomfort at the back of his leg, but once he undergoes tests, we will provide an update.
We saw Palma as a starter today. What did you think of his performance?
He is a very good player, but he is also too relaxed in his game. He needs to contribute more as we move forward.
