THE Olympic will make fiesta tonight (04/05/25, 20:00, live from newsit.gr) after playing with PAOK In the crowded “George Karaiskakis”, where Panagiotis Retsos will lift the champion’s trophy as leader.
Having been a football man in Olympiacos, the Panagiotis Retsos He will make one of his dreams come true and talked about the terrible moments he lives with the Piraeus, in the match program of the match against PAOK.
The interview of Panagiotis Retsos
Panagiotis, in the evening you will lift the champion’s trophy in front of the Olympic world as the leader of the team. What feelings this fact causes you?
It is a special honor for me because I have been at Olympiacos for many years, as I come from the Academy and I came to play in the first team. So being able to lift the trophy as a leader is a time when I will definitely be etched forever. However, the fact that we have managed to win the championship in the 100th anniversary of the club is the most important for the joy we give to the world and to all the people in the team for this success.
After two years of absence, Olympiacos again won the championship for the 48th time. What were the reasons you consider to lead the team to first place?
This year there was a greater motivation to get back to the top, it was the 100th anniversary of the club. It was quite important to us and it was a great motivation that gave us confidence throughout the season. This year’s winning championship is something we had started making from last year, with the help of all the people of the team and the players we are. We have made a very good team with ambitions that we have always seen high, this was evident last year with the conference league, but this year with the 100th anniversary we wanted to get the championship from the beginning to give joy to all the people who have been watching him all these years.
Last year the team won the UEFA Europa Conference League this year, the championship and is in the final of the Cup. Do you think the team is at a very high level, possibly at its top in recent years?
I can’t say if we are at the top level, because in previous years the team was winning titles and had great marches in Europe and were very good teams. But definitely with the Conference League last year and this year’s championship and we wish the cup, surely this season is a huge success for the club and for all of us. But as we have said, we have always chased the tallest goals and this year we wanted to make a better run in the Europa League and we could with the quality we have as a team, leaves us with a bad taste, but we got the championship and we will try with all our might. Now if we are the top team in recent years I can’t answer, because each team can give something more every year and as always we aim for even higher goals.
Under the guidance of Mr Mendilibar, the team has radically differentiated and has returned to the path of success. What do you think has changed and what is your opinion on him?
Obviously it changed the team radically, especially last season because from where we were in a difficult time we managed to win the Conference League. Mostly we changed our racing track, because we had a goal, winning the victory, and this was done through his work, training and words. We had the ambition that in every match we could win and we were constantly showing it on the pitch. He is a coach that has offered a lot to the club. The humility and who has a coach to convey the trust and motivation to always claim victory, regardless of position and points is very important in a team. The goal is always to win and it is very pleasant to have a coach, because we are talking about a man who has constantly ambitions and this is an important element that has transferred to the team.
You grew up in Olympiacos and now in your 26 years, you continue to fight in the legend, wearing the leader’s armor. What do you feel when you wear the red -white jersey and especially in “G. Karaiskakis”?
When you have grown up in this club obviously these moments such as the Conference League, the fantastic atmosphere matches in Karaiskakis are situations that will never leave your mind. Especially when you wear the leader’s armor and for me it is a great motivation for my life, but for my career as a footballer and I could not imagine myself in Greece in Greece. Many times this is also moving, because I have grown up in this team, you see the love that people give you and I think it is the supreme pleasure and I could not ask for something better and much more when you lift up at the same time as a trophy not so as a leader, but in general as a footballer and a member of this team. In words, what I feel for Olympiacos are not described and I hope we live even more successes and win even more titles.