Pedro’s power set to increase at Olympiacos
Pedro Martins’ extension will see him have a greater influence on the comings and goings of players at Olympiacos.
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When Olympiacos extended the contract of manager Pedro Martins a fortnight ago, it was not merely to keep the Portuguese manager at the club until 2022.
There were agreements made that did not necessarily show up in the contract between club and manager. The next two years will see the 49-year-old Portuguese coach have an even greater impact in matters off the pitch. Martins was already heavily involved in the club’s transfer dealings, however he is set to play an bigger role in the future. The manager will have even more say in which players come and go at the club. Francois Modesto, the club’s chief scout will continue to be a key figure after the successful acquisitions he has brought to the club over the last two seasons.
The understanding between the two parties means that Martins will have an even greater influence at the club with this new arrangement. There is a supreme trust by those running Olympiacos that the coach can bring the team to an even higher level in the upcoming seasons. The expectation is that Martins will bring in even more of his own choices for players and thus mold the team in exactly the manner he sees fit.
Veteran Duo set for another season
One of Martins’ first moves after the extension of his contract will be to ensure that the veteran duo Vasilis Torosidis and Avraam Papadopoulos remain at the club for another season. Both players have played during the current campaign, but not necessarily on a consistent basis (Torosidis has played 286 minutes in six appearances and Papadopoulos has played 923 minutes in 14 matches). Martins still believes that the players have something to offer, especially off the pitch.
When Martins took over the side, the atmosphere inside the locker room left a lot to be desired. Torosidis and Papadopoulos have been credited with helping to change that. The players came in and established themselves as leaders off the pitch and helped instill a “Greekness” back into the squad.
Both players are in their mid 30s with their careers nearing the end, but the hope is that they will stay on for one more season. The COVID-19 pandemic ensured that the duo cannot celebrate a potential league title in front of supporters this season so the goal is for the two players to stay on and do so with fans at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
Though their influence on the field has waned, there has never been any sort of problems raised by the players and they have been true professionals. Due to the mutual respect between the two sides, it is reported that Evangelos Marinakis is looking at both individuals to stay with the club in other roles after they decide to retire.
Soldano future uncertain
One player who looks as though he might not be in Piraeus next season is Argentine attacker Franco Soldano. The 25-year-old is surplus to requirements at Olympiacos if reports from Argentina are true. Journalist Martin Costa recently wrote that Soldano’s situation in Greece is highly uncertain and that is a boost for any club who wants to bring the player in at the end of the season.
Soldano is on-loan from Boca Juniors and Costa went on to state that when the Argentinian powerhouse begin looking at their plans for next season, the Soldano situation is one that has been tabbed to be sorted out with the player expected to be loaned out or sold again.
Soldano’s impact this season for the Erythrolefki has been minimal. The former Union de Santa Fe forward has featured in only nine matches for Olympiacos this season with six league appearances and three in the Greek Cup with one goal scored.
