Imanol Alguacil spoke of the need for himself and his staff to adapt as quickly as possible to the new circumstances following his appointment as head coach of Olympiacos, He emphasized that he would need to build on the strengths of the roster and gradually make his mark, while praising the work of Mendilibar, from whom he will… draw support.
Here are his comments to MagentaTV in detail:
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On how he made the decision to take over at Olympiacos: “I don’t need to explain just how big and historic a club Olympiacos is. Olympiacos is a massive club, and when they invite you to talk, you simply can’t help but listen to the offer. That’s what I did; we discussed the possibility of me coming here, and I accepted because Olympiacos is a truly great club that wants to develop even further.”
On the task ahead: “It’s true that the season has already started and time is short. But that’s how it is in soccer. Everywhere, all over the world, coaches get replaced midseason. So we’re forced to adapt to these circumstances. That’s just how it is. The first game is in just a few hours, and we need to adapt as quickly as possible. We need to make the most of our time to train as well as we can and, above all, use the break to get more work done. The thing is, we have a lot of new players and, unfortunately, many players who joined the team late. They, too, need time to adjust, and we all need to do our best to get to know each other as quickly as possible.”
On whether he’ll implement the same style of play he used at Real Sociedad: “As I said before, right now we need to adapt to the team we have, to the roster we have. There are a lot of new players, and of course we’re new here, too. We need to be smart and manage the roster as best we can so that we can quickly put our ideas into practice. We all need time. The players need to get to know the coaches, and the coaches need to get to know the players. The better we get to know each other, the more effectively I’ll be able to convey my ideas so that the team can develop even further and achieve its goals.”
On how he wants his Olympiacos team to play: “I have a few things in mind, but you’ll see them gradually on the field. Of course, it’s very difficult to see major changes after just two practices. The team needs time. My plan is to adapt to what I’m seeing here right now and gradually implement our own philosophy. Of course, I have ideas, but I’ll need to explain them to the players once I’ve assessed the abilities of the roster at my disposal. It’s a process that will take time. The goal is to be proud of what we see. We want to see the players giving their best. We want to win our first few games and, little by little, have the players internalize what we’re trying to do. I’m willing to adapt, discuss, and be flexible, depending on the potential within the roster and what works best for our team.”
On what he liked and didn’t like about the team’s games he watched: “Of course, I’ve watched all of Olympiacos’ games this season, except for the preseason ones. There are things I really like. Medilibar is a coach I know very well, and I have the utmost respect for him. His team did a lot of things well on the field, and I want to emphasize that it was difficult for him, too, with so many young players, to do exactly what he wanted. I’ll build on all the good things the team did, and depending on the team’s capabilities, we’ll try to improve even more.”
Regarding Olympiacos’ connection with Basque coaches and whether he spoke with Valverde or Mendilibar: “I haven’t spoken directly with them, but I know very well what they think about this great club called Olympiacos. I’m very proud of what my compatriots have achieved here. I know there’s a wonderful connection between the Basque coaches and Olympiacos, and I hope that when I leave, many years from now, all Olympiacos fans will feel just as proud of their team as they have felt with Valverde and Mendilibar. I’m here to work very hard. Everything will be achieved through a great deal of hard work. I’ll try to help Olympiacos rise even higher, and I’ll do everything in my power to represent my compatriots with dignity. I hope that Olympiacos fans will respect and love me as much as they do Medilibar and Valverde.”
*photo source: Olympiacos FC
