Friday Frappé: This is what international breaks are for!
In this week’s edition of the Friday Frappé, AGONAsport’s Peter Katsiris takes a look at how Greece head coach John van ’t Schip is certainly making the most of international breaks and the impact that will have on future campaigns.
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There was an ugly feeling in the pit of my stomach the other day when I saw a commercial promoting EURO 2020 and the thought of not being able to cheer for Greece at yet another final tournament crossed my mind.
By the time EURO 2020 kicks-off across Europe this summer it will have been six long years since the Ethniki managed to punch a ticket to a final tournament. Throughout that time the bitter taste of defeat in a penalty shootout to Costa Rica at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil remains the lasting image for Ethniki fans everywhere.
Falling miserably short in their quest to reach EURO 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and now EURO 2020 means that Ethniki fans will have to look towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for the Ethniki’s next crack at making a final tournament. Whether you’re a diehard supporter of the Ethniki like I am or just the casual fan hopping on the bandwagon during the final tournament, having your team in the final tournament makes a world difference once the tournament kicks-off. When that’s the case, the anticipation that builds with every article you come across or every time that TV network commercial airs is so contagious that you practically feel like you’re the one who will be suiting up later that summer.
Granted there has only been three tournaments that Greece could have qualified for in the space of the last six years, there is still that feeling that Ethniki has a long way to go on the road to redemption – a road that hopefully leads to Qatar, too.
Many scoffed at the appointment of John van ‘t Schip as head coach of the Ethniki last August. The Canadian-born Dutchman was a relative unknown to most Greek football fans having spent the majority of his career behind the scenes at European clubs or in leagues outside of Europe.
Although it’s still early in van ‘t Schip’s tenure as the Ethniki have played just six games since his appointment, the promise the team showed in the conclusion of a miserable EURO 2020 qualifying campaign couldn’t help but spark optimism for the future. Greece might have fallen short of this summer’s final tournament, but having racked-up three of their campaign’s four wins in the final three matchdays suggested that had van ‘t Schip been brought in sooner then perhaps things could have been different for the Ethniki this coming summer.
It’s easy to dwell in the past and what might have been, but instead it’s what van ‘t Schip and this version of the Ethniki’s coaching staff is doing that really suggests things might be changing for the better for the Ethniki.
UEFA’s introduction of the UEFA Nations League might have phased out the need for international friendlies during most international breaks, but there are still various windows where nations are free to schedule their own fixtures. The next of these windows comes in March where the Ethniki have one friendly against Mexico in Dallas, Texas confirmed and a second against Costa Rica in New Jersey. The Ethniki also have a friendly against the Netherlands schedule for late May.
It’s not to say that these friendlies are the be-all and end-all for the Ethniki, but these are key opportunities for tinkering with different tactics and different lineups instead of during qualifying campaign – a fact that didn’t occur to the Hellenic Football Federation and the previous coaching staff.
So, while these games will count for nothing from a points standpoint, it’s a perfect way for van ‘t Schip to see what sort of talent he has at his disposal. Even if he’s familiar with what’s available he can still use these opportunities to build chemistry within the squad, something that clearly has been lacking especially considering all the turnover and turmoil in the Ethniki ranks going back years. It might be a small and obvious thing to do but the mere fact that the Ethniki appears to have a coach willing to take the initiative is an encouraging sign for a fanbase that does not want to miss a fourth-straight final tournament come Qatar 2022.
