Imanol Alguacil called for a victory over Rennes at the press conference ahead of Olympiacos’ match against the French team in Matchday 4 of the Europa League group stage.
“There are no easy games; we have to perform at the same level as we did in our other matches against Jagiellonia, Marseille, and Sparta. We’re Olympiacos; we’re here to go 4-for-4, and we’ll do our best to make it happen,” said the 55-year-old coach from Brittany.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Olympiacos has shown that it can rise to the challenge. We’re playing back-to-back games, and we’ve shown that we can handle it. We’re a team that can rotate players,” emphasized the 55-year-old coach. Before beginning his remarks, he said: “I want to send my condolences to De Miguel’s family. I want to send my condolences to the soccer community.”
Here is what he said in detail:
On which way the scales are tipping ahead of the matches against Rennes and PAOK: “Olympiacos has shown that it can rise to the challenge. We’re playing back-to-back games, and we’ve shown that we can handle it. We’re a team that can rotate players. We hope that this week, too, we’ll be just as competitive and able to rise to the challenge before the break.”
On whether he focuses more on defense or offense: “Both. Rennes scores a lot of goals, but they also concede. The bar is set high; teams in Europe have strong defenders who take effort to beat, but also strong attackers who must be effective defensively. There are no easy games; we have to be at the same level as we were in the other matches against Jagiellonia, Marseille, and Sparta. We’re Olympiacos; we came here for a 4-0 record, and we’ll try to make it happen.”
On Olympiacos’ tendency to target specific players in Europe: “It has nothing to do with the competition; we’re playing in three competitions. The selection depends on how we approach each game, as well as the upcoming ones in general. We field the most competitive starting 11 based on the demands of each opponent and manage our roster so that we can be competitive in all competitions.”
On Rennes’ match against Nice: “We’re a different team from Nice. Rennes switches between formations, playing with either two or three center backs. They concede goals in both setups, but they have quality on offense. They have their strengths and weaknesses, which we must exploit. Our home field puts us in our place; it determines the outcome of the game. We’re playing with the utmost respect for our opponent, but also with every ambition, because we’re here to go 4-for-4.”
Remo Froiler’s comments
On the three wins in the first matches and whether that might lead to complacency: “No, absolutely not. That would be the worst thing we could do. We have the right mindset, and you’ll see that tomorrow. There’s no complacency.”
On his assists and whether he plans to break his own record: “I hope so; I want to keep it up. I don’t mind setting up more goals instead of scoring them myself—I want to help my team. I don’t mind how it happens.”
On the team’s fans: “I thank them because it wasn’t easy for them to come after the changes to the date and time. They had to change everything to make the trip. Tomorrow we’re playing against a tough opponent. But we’re Olympiacos, and we’ll try to beat them.”
On the coach’s instructions and his playing style: “That’s my style of play. If you look back, that’s how I’ve always played. I like to help my teammates.”
On what’s needed tomorrow and for Olympiacos to advance in the Europa League: “We have the quality to advance in the Europa League. The fact that we have three wins proves that. We know tomorrow’s game will be tough, as will the rest of the schedule. We know we didn’t play well against Kifisia. Tomorrow, we need to show our quality and win.”
