Blatt: «We want to make our fans proud»
David Blatt appeared excited and ready to do all it takes for Olympiacos to succeed in the new season. The 'reds' coach also stated to be happy having Vassilis Spanoulis and Giorgos Printezis on his side and not having to play against them!
"Good evening everyone. Welcome! We are excited to begin our pre-season. Actually, we have been active during the last 4 or 5 days, but this is our first official day in the pre-season. I'm personally very happy and excited and I'm looking forward to having a great season with Olympiacos", he said.
He went on to say: "As you know, we are at a stage to be building the team, that is a very good mix of the great Olympiacos players that have been here for some years now and have experience and the Champion's DNA. We have added enough pieces comprised of youth, athleticism and speed, so as to create a different team that will help us succeed. We'll be doing our best to for the team to succeed, to make our fans proud and we hope to offer a nice show for many people".
Talking about Vassilis Spanoulis and Giorgos Printezis, he said: "I have played against them on both club and National team levels and I can honestly and sincerely tell you that it's much better to be with them than against them. Together with Kostas Papanikolaou and Vangelis Mantzaris, they are players, that like I said before, have the DNA of a champion. They've been together for years with Olympiacos and will be helping us with their leadership, their skills and together with the new players they will be forming a successful team".
Asked on whether he's scared from the pressure, he replied: "For me, pressure and expectations was always an internal thing, not something that comes from the outside. My approach and my philosophy had always to do with the best work I can offer. To help those I work with do the best they can and perform at the top of their abilities. What happens with the results is what follows, it does not lead… When you have high expectations and pressure and this is your driving force, then your potential to succeed is lesser according to what I think. That's why I look a lot inside and put a lot of pressure to myself, I don't need anyone helping me with this".
On whether he's ready to cope with the challenge to bring Olympiacos back to the top, he said: "It's not something new to me. I feel lucky to be with a team of that history, of that DNA, just like I said before, with this potential that allowed us to build this kind of team. I can only be grateful and excited about it".
Asked about the young Greek players and his plan for them, he stressed that … "When you are with a team like this one, it is obvious that the competition you have to face, the challenges and the goals you set are a priority. However, at the same, time, I have the responsibility to build something that will transcend today. You mentioned the young players of this team and of course we are not talking about those we brought outside from Greece. Some of them have been here, like Strelnieks and Milutinov and some new guys. It's my job to do many different things here, not just try to win the next game, but also develop the program for the future. I have done this in the past and I believe I can do it again".