"I thank Sevilla for firing me"

Olympiakos coach Jose Luis Mendilibar said the Conference League semi-final tie against Aston Villa is "not closed" despite having a two-goal cushion and ironised Sevilla's dismissal last October because "otherwise I wouldn't be here" within touching distance of a European final.

Olympiakos, with a two-goal cushion from the first leg (2-4), are seeking their first-ever European final against Unai Emery's Aston Villa, who will be hoping to come from behind in Athens to reach the final after the first leg setback.

"Twenty years ago, we played as rivals for the first time. I have changed less than he has. We have played many times and the matches were evenly balanced. I don't think the differences were that big. Now the issue is that Emery thinks he can shut us out and that's a weapon in his favour," Mendilibar told a news conference.

"We know that Aston Villa will play hard to qualify, as we want to do, and we both have a chance," he said.

The Basque coach said he knows how to "manage situations of pressure" of this kind. "I'm grateful to Sevilla for firing me because otherwise this wouldn't have happened. If I hadn't left, I wouldn't be here and none of this would have happened if our players didn't deserve it," he confessed.