Entering group stage with a sense of calm
Olympiakos begins its new European adventure tonight at the Karaiskaki Stadium, facing the might of Italian club Lazio at 9.45 p.m. on the opening night of the Champions League, Europe’s top soccer club competition. Coach Takis Lemonis has asked his players to enjoy their participation in the competition. This, combined with the fact that Olympiakos will play tonight’s game behind closed doors due to a UEFA penalty from last year, means that the Piraeus team will have considerably less pressure on it than other years on their curtain night in Europe. «I was reading an article saying that this is like a final for us. If we see it in this light, we will not do well. What we have achieved is our peace ahead of the game and a separate approach for each game,» Lemonis told a press conference yesterday. «There is also something that has not been highlighted: Olympiakos has laid the groundwork for creating a team with a present and a future. From a journalist’s point of view, it may look like a final, but from our viewpoint it’s not all. We say we want to enjoy the game and that is important. We are going into it quite calmly. That does not mean we do not have a wish for victory,» explained the Olympiakos manager. Influential midfielder Predrag Djordjevic stated that «pressure is not what we need, as the past has proven. This year we start with greater peace, knowing of course that many new players have come to the team. We need more time to adjust to the turf as well. The fans recognize real effort.» Lazio coach Delio Rossi said: «We are not lambs going to the slaughter. We will play to win, as this will lift our self-confidence and make us stronger for the future.» He went on to praise the Greek champions: «Olympiakos is in great physical condition and has two or three players who can make the difference,» and added that «playing behind closed doors is a defeat for soccer.» Luciano Galletti has recovered from his injury and is set to start in the Olympiakos midfield, with Lomana Lua Lua being used as the sole striker up front.
