Evangelos Marinakis set his sights on more silverware as a “crazy dream” became reality after Olympiacos beat Fiorentina to win the Europa Conference League. Ayoub El Kaabi’s extra-time winner secured Olympiacos’s first major European trophy in an otherwise uneventful match at the Agia Sophia Stadium, the home of their fierce domestic rivals, AEK Athens.
“We are very happy and proud,” said Marinakis, who also owns Nottingham Forest, to the Greek media. “The people of Olympiacos have been singing about a crazy dream for 99 years. Today is not a crazy dream; it is reality, here in Greece. These are moments of emotion and great joy. We continue not only to dream but also to soar high. We’re moving on. Here we go, the Europa League could be next.”
Marinakis was confident about Olympiacos’s victory over Fiorentina in the final. He added, “What I told the captains, the coach, and my colleagues was that we should all concentrate and not think about anything else, only the victory. If you focus and want it bad enough, you will achieve it. We would never lose today, especially in Greece. I was sure, I broadcast it to everyone, and you saw the result. We have made a start, and I am sure that in the coming years, other Greek teams will achieve it as well. The next dream is the Europa League.”
Marinakis hopes to replicate this success at Nottingham Forest, who are about to start their third successive season in the top flight. Forest aims for more stability as they seek to establish themselves as a Premier League force. The Reds have faced relegation battles under Steve Cooper and then Nuno Espirito Santo in their first two seasons, but Marinakis wants to see progress at the City Ground after significant investment in the club.
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