Olympiakos outclassed and disgruntled
A fine line separates heroes and villains in Greek soccer, especially when they are in the coaching position. Olympiakos’s latest failure to translate the team’s domestic dominance into European progress has increased the pressure on coach Trond Sollied, the Norwegian hired by the Piraeus club a couple of seasons ago to bolster Olympiakos in Europe. His predecessor, Dusan Bajevic, lacked what it took, administration and fans agreed. Now, following the team’s latest Champions League debacle, the same old story seems to be simmering, with the coach looking the most vulnerable. Playing at home to a packed Karaiskaki Stadium, Olympiakos was outplayed by its relatively uncelebrated Ukrainian opponent Shakhtar Donetsk in Tuesday’s Champions League 1-1 draw, which was enough for the visitors to secure third spot in Group D and a place in the UEFA Cup. Olympiakos, the front-runner in this season’s domestic league and winner of nine of the past 10 Greek league titles, ended last in the group to bid a premature farewell to Europe. Olympiakos also ended at the bottom of its group last season, but, making the early exit even more burdensome this season, there was not a single win in the team’s campaign, which is unprecedented. The Greek club has failed to advance from the group stage for eight successive years. With Bajevic at the helm, Olympiakos had reached the Champions League’s quarterfinals in the 1998-99 season and had come extremely close to overcoming Juventus for a semifinal berth. To date, that campaign stands as the team’s European highlight. Three seasons ago, Bajevic’s last at Olympiakos, the Piraeus team had won all three of its Champions League group-stage home games, and there was a draw away. Even so, despite the accumulation of 10 points, Olympiakos was narrowly deprived of a place in the next stage. The administration, numerous fans and sports journalists swiftly concluded that Bajevic lacked European quality, which set the stage for Sollied’s arrival. The Norwegian was given the demanding task of lifting Olympiakos’s standing in Europe with a roster of players budgeted at far less than other leading European clubs. The lack of class was obvious Tuesday night. Underscoring the gap separating Olympiakos from the continent’s elite is the Piraeus club’s reliance on the flashes of brilliance from its aging Brazilian star Rivaldo. There is no doubting his talent, but at his advancing age as an athlete, Rivaldo would not be getting full games had he been with one of the Champions League’s powerhouse clubs. Yet at Olympiakos he is the main man. And Sollied, given a squad that lacks the talent, cohesion, spark and imagination of European rivals, is expected to work wonders. Volatile mentality here will certainly lead to the Norwegian coach’s reputation being questioned in the coming days and weeks – if the ax hasn’t fallen already. Looking more bemused than upset by a row that broke out between journalists at the post-match news conference, when asked if he would resign after two unsuccessful Champions League campaigns, Sollied replied: «The answer to that is simple. Ask the management.» Sollied was, however, more defiant when talking about Olympiakos’s future in the competition. «Rome wasn’t built in one day,» he said. «Even Chelsea needs time.»
