Fresh out of the Greek championship with Olympiakos, Pedro Martins looks around the world with pride for the achievements of his fellow Portuguese coaches. Blocking is a rare possibility to catch up with many of them in detail.
“This pandemic is creating something special with this challenge: we only have the computer and we have Zoom,” Olympiakos coach told The Associated Press – Zoom – from Athens.
“We communicated more with those two months with the coaches. I’m talking to the players who played with me 20 years ago, 30 years ago. It was so smart to see them again.”
There have been discussions with Luis Castro, who has just emulated his compatriot Paulo Fonseca by winning the Ukrainian name with Shakhtar Donetsk. Venezuelan coach José Peseiro called. And there was a meeting with Chinese Super League champion Vator Pereira with Shanghai SIPG and before that also with a name-winning coach in 2015 with Olympiakos.
“We have so many, ” said Martins. “You communicate like this open.”
One coach, Martins, did not approach Nuno Espirito Santo, a former Vitaria teammate a quarter of a century ago, whom he replaced Rio Ave in his home country in 2014.
The closure of the coronavirus put on hold a cash clash between Martins’ Olympiakos and Nuno’s Wolverhampton.
On the last night of action before the suspension of UEFA competitions, Olympiakos drew 1–1 with the Premier League team in Athens on 12 March. Central England. The winner qualifies for the eighth condensed final in Germany.
“The Wolves and Nuno have had an amazing season at Array,” Martins said. “They fight and conquer everything special and were so close to entering the Champions League because they have quality and then they do a job.”
Nevertheless, the wolves have finished seventh and therefore depend on the Europa League victory to return to the continental festival next season. However, lifting the trophy would earn him a spot in the Champions League with Olympiakos.
At the champions league organisational level this season, Olympiakos tied with 2019 finalist Tottenham, a loss to North London in November helped Spurs, then led by Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, to succeed at the knockout level.
Upon entering the Europa League, Olympiakos eliminated Arsenal – “it was a magical night” – to host a third attack of the crusade with a Premier League team in the Wolves. This gives Martins the thirst to drive one day in the richest league in the world.
“Yes, I’d like to have a team in England, ” said Martins. “It’s the world’s. Everybody has to go. I need to take a look at it because natural football is there.”
For now, bet on Olympiakos after renewing for two more seasons and regaining the title.
“This year was amazing, more vital than the results, I think we conquered something special, our prestige,” he said. “We’ve lost that kind of SpiritArray … that kind of magic. We won it again.”
This gave Martins his first lead name in a training career that began 14 years ago at Unao de Lamas in 3rd point in Portugal. He joined Lusitania, Espinho, Mariatimo, Rio Ave and Vitaria Guimares, but had to move to Greece to check his luck with a renowned competitor.
“With such groups (in Portugal), it’s not impossible, but it’s very complicated because the budgets we have for Sporting, Benfica and Porto are huge,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve had the situations to be a champion.”
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