Jose Anigo is preparing to make his debut on the Olympiakos bench, with the Frenchman succeeding Mitchell, after the resignation of the Spanish coach. The 61-year-old, a few hours before the derby with PAOK for the 3rd matchday of the Super League playoffs (21:00), spoke to the subscription channel about taking over the “red and white” technical leadership, but also about his relationship with Mitchell .
“I have to do what Olympiacos asks of me. I have been close to the team for a long time. I’ve seen and learned a lot during my time here and I’m ready to do what the club asks of me,” he said of his new duties, while also referring to the collaboration he had with Mitchell all these months. “I got to know him very well and I want to express my utmost respect and appreciation for him. The fact that we have come within three points of the top says it all and proves how good a job he has done. I also want to say that I’m thinking about him and I love him a lot.”
As for the derby that follows with PAOK, Jose Anigo characterized the game against the Northern giants as a “final” and emphasized that his players will have to give everything for Olympiacos to win, while for the battle for the title he emphasized: “No one can predict who will win the championship. The one who succeeds will surely be the one with the most stability and the most consistency.”
In detail what he said on Cosmote TV:
For Mitchell:
“First of all I want to say that for 7-8 months I have been working with Mitchell. I got to know him very well and I want to express my unbounded respect and appreciation for him. Mitchell has worked really well with the team and has contributed a lot both himself and his partners. The fact that we have come within three points of the top says it all and proves how good a job he has done. I also want to say that I’m thinking about him and I love him a lot.”
On whether he ever expected to sit on the Olympiakos bench:
“The truth is that I never imagined this. I never expected this moment to come, but many times life surprises us. The circumstances of life bring things this way. Right now, since I work for Olympiacos, I have to do what Olympiacos asks of me. I have been close to the team for a long time. I’ve seen and learned a lot during my time here and I’m ready to do what the club asks of me.”
On whether he thinks he needs to change and what that is:
“Definitely what needs to change is the spirit of the team at the moment. The team needs to believe in itself again. There are still 8 games to go and most likely the big games of the year haven’t been played yet. There are four teams that are all contending for the title with many chances and we believe that we can succeed. The players just have to believe it and try it. So, we will have to give our best and that depends on the players as well as the coaches who will have to transmit this spirit to the team”.
For the match with PAOK:
“Of course this is a final and it is not the last one we will give. If we play well in this game and not in the next one, it won’t be worth anything. We have to treat all 8 games as finals and give every game our best until the end. Otherwise it doesn’t make sense.”
What does he think about PAOK:
“I’m trying right now to concentrate on my own team. Obviously we all understand that all four teams, AEK, PAOK, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are very good teams and at the moment nobody knows, nobody can predict who will win the championship. The one who succeeds will surely be the one with the most stability and the most consistency.”