Imanol Alguacil has thrown himself headfirst into his work at Olympiacos, trying to make the most of every day of the break to get to know the team he’s taken over as well as possible.
The Spanish coach and his staff spend endless hours at Renti, constantly glued to their laptops, watching games and training sessions, taking notes, and analyzing each player’s individual characteristics. They don’t limit themselves to the impressions they gain from daily work on the field, as they’ve also gone back to footage from the José Luis Mendilibar era, aiming to get as comprehensive a picture of the roster as possible.
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Training sessions these days are taking place with several players absent due to international commitments, with players from the reserve team participating in the program. Meanwhile, Bailey and Gustavo Sa are continuing with their specialized training programs. The new coaching staff is in constant communication with the players, as the goal is twofold: for Alguathil to get to know his players as quickly as possible, and for the players to adapt to the new coach’s demands, ideas, and philosophy.
The “Red-and-Whites” will hold their final training session before a three-day break, and their return to Renti is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. A similar three-day break is also planned for next week, with the international players gradually beginning to return starting Tuesday, October 6. Until then, Al-Ghuathil will have to work with a significant portion of the roster absent, which also affects the planning for the days of the break.
In this context, there has been no change so far regarding the possibility of a friendly match. Al-Ghawathil does not consider it necessary to schedule a match next week—even behind closed doors—since he will not have a large number of international players at his disposal. Priority has been given to daily training and to working as effectively as possible with the players currently at Renti.
What’s noteworthy is that for Al-Ghuathil and his staff, the players’ three-day break does not mean a break from work. The coaching staff will remain in Greece and continue analyzing matches, training sessions, and players, making the most of even the days when the team is not at the stadium. The 55-year-old coach is also in the process of settling permanently in Greece, but at the moment, most of his daily life revolves around Olympiacos and his efforts to implement his own coaching philosophy as quickly as possible
*photo source: Olympiacos FC
