“A Sporting fan forever” – Wolves’ Daniel Podence on his Benfica past, leaving Lisbon and how Olympiacos changed his life
Daniel Podence has been speaking to Greek media 15 months after leaving the country, and reveals the extent to which his time with Olympiacos shaped the player he is today.
Reflecting on his departure from Sporting following the infamous fan invasion at Alcochete, the Portugal winger says he was always aware the Lions would be compensated for his transfer and believes the decision to move to Greece has proved the correct decision.
Like many Sporting players, Podence rescinded his contract at Alvalade in 2018 after a large group fans attacked the club’s training ground and violently assaulted players and staff. Nine players initially rescinded their contracts following the incident, with some making a swift U-turn to remain with the club, but Podence joined the likes of William Carvalho, Gelson Martins, Rui Patrício and Rafael Leão in heading abroad.
"From the first moment, all I wanted was to go somewhere far from Lisbon,” Podence tells Greek paper Gazzetta. “But at the same time I wanted to give something to Sporting for all they had done for me from the beginning. As soon as I learned that the legal dispute would end with Sporting getting a sum, I immediately said yes [to Olympiacos] so I could go there without any issue.”
From Benfica to Sporting
The decision will likely forever represent a controversial one for many Sporting fans, but Podence insists the club remain dear to him. Having emerged from a family with allegiances elsewhere in the 
capital, Podence says his 13 years spent with the lions after leaving Belenenses forged a lifetime bond.
“My childhood was playing football for hours in front of the house, trying to do tricks with the ball and my brother taking videos of me from the fourth floor. Yes it’s true in my family that my siblings and cousins are all fanatical supporters of Benfica. And before I was 8-9 when I went to Sporting I also supported Benfica because of them.
“They had made me a Benfica supporter, but over time and after wearing the Sporting colours and representing their values I became a fan of Sporting. And I always will be.”
Greece move the perfect decision
The move to Greece, which was settled out of court between the clubs the following year with Sporting accepting a €7m fee, saw Podence play under the guidance of former Vitória de Guimarães boss Pedro Martins. Podence became a fan favourite in Piraeus and admits that after some early doubts the switch proved a huge success.
“[The Olympiacos director] Karembeu had spoken kindly about me a year or two earlier and I never forgot that when my agent told me of their interest. At first I was a little scared and hesitant. Not because of the team – I knew Olympiacos as the best team in Greece and being respected in Europe – but hesitant because of the league and it not being ranked highly in Europe. It took me ten 
games to realise I had made the perfect decision.
“Olympiacos is the team of my dreams and the beginning of my international career. Without Olympiacos I cannot imagine my life today. They made me a better person, a better footballer and stronger in every aspect of my life.
“Outside Greece people don’t see the team with the respect and appreciation the club deserves. But when you become an Olympiacos player and you live the daily life at the club, you realise everything Olympiacos is. They have everything you would find in the biggest clubs in the world: the facilities, stadium, fans, president, staff. Olympiacos did a lot for me.
“At Olympiakos I met very good, very good people, very good guys. [Rúben] Semedo obviously because we played [at Sporting] at 14-15. Omar Elabdellaoui, Kostas Tsimikas (now at Liverpool), Guilherme. I continue to have good relationships with some in the team, as well as the physio and other staff. I still speak with [Ahmed] Hassan and the nutritionist, Hernani. Would I return one day? Let there be no doubt about that.”
Pedro Martins “special”
Olympiacos coach Martins is increasingly gaining a strong reputation for his work at the club, where he has recently succeeded in leading the team to back-to-back titles. Martins has begun to see his name linked with clubs in the bigger European leagues, with Nice reportedly considering him as a potential summer appointment in France.
"Pedro Martins is a great coach,” Podence says. “Part of who I am today was built by him. The way he prepares the games tactically and the way he prepares the players mentally is something special. He does not forget anything. It gives the player freedom and at the same time responsibility. Our personal conversations and stories I prefer to keep to myself.”
Wolves come calling
Podence, who admitted he likes to pour cold water over his head before every match to “feel alive and ready” for the action, opted to make the move to the Premier League and Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2020. A €20m deal took Podence to Molineux, where he plays under another Portuguese manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, and the winger remembers the build-up to his transfer to England.
“I was injured and a week before a match against AEK I started training. Pedro Martins wanted me to play and I told him: “Yes of course”. I travelled to the match because the coach wanted me there, because I was important to the team. He decided to leave me out of the game because the negotiations were almost over and he was afraid that maybe my mind would not be in the game.
“I have always made my point clear. Olympiacos will always be bigger than most teams in the world. But the Premier League in this case is something different. It allows me to play every weekend against big teams, in big stadiums, against big players. The quality here and the fact that all eyes are on me make me feel better.
“My life in Wolverhampton? Things are not easy. From my second month in Wolverhampton onwards the lockdown started, so it’s a little hard to describe my life. But every weekend is a good challenge for me and I’m happy about it.”
Seleção ambition
The interview ended with some quickfire questions, during which Podence chose Cristiano Ronaldo over Messi (“my personal friend who never stops and inspires me every day”) and said his dream in football is “to win the Ballon d’Or one day” before assessing his chances of making Portugal’s squad for the European Championships.
“I have had two bad injuries this season which diminish my chances, but I still believe I can be called up for the national team. Yes, we’re one of the favourites. We have great players and a good team. We’ll fight in every game.”
By Sean Gillen