Sokratis speaks the truth on OPEN TV’s Total Football talk show
In a recent appearance on Open TV’s Total Football show, commanding Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos shared his thoughts on the situation which the Greek national team is in, while revealing he won’t return to Greece to finish his career.
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On Saturday, the Greek national team will begin the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a duel against Liechtenstein on the road, before the players then travel to play Bosnia next Tuesday. Ahead of the upcoming matches, 30-year-old centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos appeared on Open TV’s Total Football talk show, giving his views on the current plight surrounding the Ethniki Omada and stating where he would like to end his football playing days:
CURRENT NATIONAL TEAM SITUATION
“To be honest, if we do not qualify for UEFA Euro 2020, this will be my last year on the international stage. I do become tired, and going forward, maybe it’s time for the younger players to take centre stage. At this moment in time, the biggest amount of pressure I feel as a footballer is with the national team, but right now, we do not have the quality of the players like in the past. The attitude towards the Ethniki in Greece has also changed. In comparison to 7-8 years ago, the fans back at home do not care about the national team as much, that’s certainly my belief.
The Greek league has become worse in quality in the past 10 years. The same can be said for our national team. Still, we have no right whatsoever to lose against countries like the Faroe Islands. With the new coach, we have a good atmosphere within the team, and these players do care about the national team. When we fail to achieve the desired result, not only the coaches are to blame. The players, coaches, and management are all at fault together. I am a part of this group, and as a leader, I say that we have a responsibility.”
STADIUM ISSUE
“For me, the best arena is the Karaiskakis Stadium. I don’t like playing at the Olympic Stadium (OAKA). The point is that there is a serious problem in Greece. It’s clear that the national team is not a priority. We will lose out if we play at the OAKA. Why not play in Crete? It might even be better to play in Germany, anywhere where there are patriotic Greeks. We would at least fill the stadium more!”
HELLENIC FOOTBALL FEDERATION (EPO)
“The EPO and the Greek mentality must take responsibility for the fact that people in Greece do not care as much about the national team. Nevertheless, we must all understand that this national team does not have the quality like five, seven, eight, nine or ten years ago, and we have to accept that we are not a favourite to qualify for the European championship. However, we will give our best in every match, and there are games to be won.”
UPCOMING MATCHES AGAINST LIECHTENSTEIN AND BOSNIA
“Our national team defence is good, even without Kostas Manolas who is a big loss for us. Vasilis Torosidis is also an important absentee. We have no right to lose to the likes of the Faroe Islands or Liechtenstein.”
POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING TO GREECE TO END CAREER
“No, I will not come back to Greece to play. Three or four years ago, I was thinking of travelling to my home country to end my career, but now, I would not choose this option. Personally, I would prefer to go to America, China or somewhere else, but not Greece. Yes, I understand that many AEK supporters will be disappointed by this news, but I will not return to Greece.”
2018/2019 SUPER LEAGUE TITLE RACE
“I think that PAOK will fairly win the championship. This year, PAOK have been the best team, they’ve been the most stable, and they deserve to claim the title. Looking at other clubs, PAOK have appeared the most hungry to win, and in the last 3-4 years, this set of players has largely stayed the same with little changes. They have a very good team.”
Full Total Football show on YouTube:
