Panathinaikos FC presented today the new coach of the team, Dani Poyatos. In his first statements the Spaniard showed to be very happy with the Green perspective and explained that just the name, Panathinaikos, was enough for him to give immediately a positive answer to Xavi Roca’s proposal. He also strengthened that his target for the “Greens” is to play a football of possession and cleared that he knows very well what the word “pressure” means to him.
Dani Poyatos said at the beginning that: “I am a happy man and I am lucky to come to the best team of Greece. I would like to thank you for the confidence showed to me. I am inpatient to start, to learn everything, the meet the players and help them to improve, above all. I have seen many things and this constitutes an additional incentive for me. I want to thank you and our fans and would like to ask them to be a bit patient. There is no doubt that we are going to make a team they are going to enjoy to look at”!
Concerning his philosophy and the systems he uses or prefers he said: “I would say that my philosophy is clear. It is based on ball possession and on being dominant, which constitutes an advantage in the moment you don’t have the ball. This is basically my philosophy. I conversed with Mr. Xavi and with the President and we have all agreed on that issue”.
Answering a question regarding his will to continue with the project for the development of players proceeding from the Academy he mentioned that: “As you correctly said, I was always in favor of helping young players to go on and progress. We know Panathinaikos’ project. There are good players, I am not going to reveal names before talking to them but by molding and making them progress I am confident that in some years we could be able to create a wonderful team with players coming from “our” home”.
Concerning the reasons that made him take the decision to accept the Club’s proposal he was crystal clear: “Panathinaikos, that’s it! Nothing more was needed! I was following the Greek championship from …a distance. Listening to Mr. Roca’s proposal I didn’t think too much about it; he told me just a word: Panathinaikos!”.
On how competitive Panathinaikos could be in the coming season and which are going to be the team’s objectives: “That’s why I am here and we are going to work for: In order to present a competitive team, despite any difficulties that may arise and take Panathinaikos to where it deserves; above all. As I’ve previously said, the most important thing I want to achieve is victories. Football is victory but is also to find the way to do your best. We want our people to be happy with the team they are going to watch. To offer something that will remain to them in every match. Every game is an exam for us and I am going to pass examinations in every match and you will be able to evaluate me”.
Just before the end the press conference, Dani Poyatos was asked about the circumstances existing in the Greek league and if he has been informed about them. He clarified that: “Obviously there is no comparison and I would like to tell you that I started coaching 26 years ago. I have debuted from the bottom, so the word pressure is something that I know very well. Although I didn’t start as a footballer, today I am here. You, the press, are going to do your job and I am going to do mine. I want to make Panathinaikos even bigger. If I was not feeling ready I wouldn’t be here, but at home”!
