Konstantinidis: “The national team must become a priority again”
In an interview with SDNA, technical director of the Greek national team Kostas Konstantinidis spoke in detail about the current situation.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
In August, John van ‘t Schip was hired by the Hellenic Football Federation to become the head coach of the Ethniki Omada, while Kostas Konstantinidis received the role of the technical director. However, they didn’t enjoy the best start with Greece, picking up one point in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Finland and Liechtenstein last week.
When speaking to SDNA, Konstantinidis shared his initial impressions from his new job, while also touching on future plans:
Early thoughts from working with the national team: “The decline began in 2014 after the FIFA World Cup. We only began working with the Ethniki in August, so I can’t say exactly what is to blame. We must focus on what we can do now. Analysis of the situation has to take place. The Ethniki isn’t just the current senior team, it also concerns players who will represent the team in the next few years. We have to be concerned when we can’t beat Liechtenstein, but we will create a plan.”
Current set of players: “The footballers themselves know it’s bad that they couldn’t defeat Liechtenstein. Concerning the mentality, everyone must understand that the Ethniki is something special. If someone has a different opinion, they don’t have a place in this team. The national team must become a priority for the players again. Yes, you don’t earn money from representing your country, but you can win things which can’t be achieved at club level.”
Expectations for the remaining Euro 2020 qualifiers: “As the coach has already said, we must look to the future. We need to see which players have a future with the Ethniki, and our first task must be to create a team. I must stress that during our first week with the team, we had no problems with the players. There was a very good atmosphere within the group. Our preparation was good. The results weren’t what we wanted, however, so we have to make some changes. Let’s look ahead to the next UEFA Nations League. The next four games will be tough, but we want to see new players and achieve positive results at the same time.”
Limit on the amount of players in the team: “All teams have a core base of players. I don’t want to specify the number, but there must be a core base of players which make up this team. I agree that this must be created. Those players worthy of the Ethniki have to be called up.”
Psychology of the players: “This was clear to see in the match against Liechtenstein. You don’t need a lot to defeat this opponent. However, our players look rather average because of their mentality. When you are a professional footballer, you have to find a solution to this problem. Confidence is earned on the pitch. We must work hard while having confidence and respect for each other.”
Problem of a Dutch coach working with a country which is used to playing defensive football: “Just because the coach is Dutch doesn’t mean he wants to play attacking football all of the time. Some players who were signed from Ajax are defensive. We need to create a team in which the players are able to use their strengths. Football involves playing in both defence and attack.”
Issue of playing at the often empty Olympic Stadium: “No one likes the fact of the national team playing inside an empty arena. If the match against Liechtenstein would have been played at a full stadium, the result would have been different. It is very difficult to create a great atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium.”
Young players: “The coach has already called up Vangelis Pavlidis, Marios Vrousai and Dimitris Limnios. The under 21 national team is the first step before the senior side. Every player should work hard with the U21 team. The process of restarting can’t be completed by pressing a button or calling up 15 new players, it must be done gradually. Our goal is now to create a team core, starting with the Nations League.”
You can read the full interview (in Greek) on SDNA here.
