Marinakis knows a lot about football, that was an extra motivation.

Sotiris Silaidopoulos, Rio Ave’s coach, in a press conference after the defeat (4-1) at home to Sporting, in the 33rd round of the League . The Vila do Conde coach praised the team’s performance, but lamented the lack of effectiveness. The Greek coach also addressed the presence of Evangelos Marinakis in the stands.

Did you feel powerless?

I’m disappointed, but I don’t want to criticize the decisions; I’ll leave that to you. It was a great game to watch, and when that’s the case, we have to maintain the level to improve the league. The Portuguese League is spectacular, with competitive games, good players, and good coaches.

Rio Ave built up play with quality from the back, relying on the role of their attacking players.

We wanted to make the center-backs uncomfortable and we did well, we created a box with Blesa and Tumble and attacked the spaces with the wingers. We managed that very well. If you analyze our last few games, it’s all about the final decision. We had good opportunities in the first half. We were competitive. That’s how I want my team to play. If you analyze our process, how we’ve progressed in the last month, I’m satisfied.

Penalty incident and red cards

I’m very proud of Rio Ave’s performance, of the way our players managed the game. I have to respect the decision; those are the rules of the game.

The team is in good form, and what was it like having Marinakis in the stands?

I’ll start with the second point. Marinakis has everyone’s respect, he knows a lot about football, and we’re very happy to have him here. He’s a great leader and motivator, which was an extra boost. Regarding the first question, when we talk about values, we’re talking about work. I’ve always shown that I’m very stable in how I behave and I believe in myself and my team, in the confidence I have from the players, the management, and the fans. Rio Ave is heading in the right direction, and I’m very optimistic.