Ivan Jovanović came across as thoroughly realistic following the Greek national team’s historic back-to-back wins in Germany, emphasizing that the victories over England and Germany raise expectations but do not automatically mean a “leap forward.” He spoke about discipline, proper management, mental toughness, and the character of the new generation the team is building.

Here is the press conference in detail:

On the big wins against England and Germany and whether the national team is raising its level: “I think
we’re often too quick to jump to conclusions in Greece. What matters to me is that, throughout this process over the past two years, a great many young players have been involved, and, as I told you yesterday, there are so many young players who will represent the national team for at least the next decade.

The victory in England and today’s win over Germany are a tremendous gift for them. By participating in these games, the emotions they feel afterward are the best guide for their future. But winning these games also raises expectations.

That’s the challenge: how ready we are as a team, over the course of the season, to live up to the expectations we’ve set. Soccer isn’t always easy. Right now we’re very happy because we beat a very strong opponent, but we still have a lot of work to do before we can say we’ve taken our game to the next level.”

On what he asked of the players and how he rates their performance: “We wanted
to play better than we did in the first half. It was a given that Germany would have more possession, but we had to be very disciplined in our positioning and in taking advantage of the opportunities the game itself would present, so that we could play the way that suits us best.

In the first half, we struggled a lot; we weren’t able to create opportunities to threaten Germany. In the second half, I think we managed to improve on those opportunities and be a little more demanding of ourselves. When we had possession, we needed to take advantage of the space and time our opponent would give us.

The second half was different from the first. We had more energy, we were more dangerous, and it seemed like the moment might come in the game when we’d capitalize on it—and that’s exactly what happened in the end.

I give them top marks in every category. And for the fact that they can endure a lot and, on the other hand, that they can turn around a part of their game that wasn’t good and make it much better during the match, regardless of the opponent.

Let’s not forget that we were playing against a very good team.”

On the importance of the successful substitutions: “For
me, it’s important. We were all happy about the goals by Tassos and Dimitris. But for me, what matters most is what my players represent on the field. If everyone has to suffer, then everyone will suffer. Whatever opportunity they can create, they’ll take it.

Right now, I think they’re very happy. We’ve been together for a week now, and we have one more to go. The games are getting harder and harder, more demanding, and more exhausting for us, because these teams have much larger rosters. But these victories are important because they give the team a psychological boost, encouraging them to persevere and compete in the other two matches against the Netherlands and Germany, regardless of how difficult they may be.”

His message to the fans: “I’m
happy for everyone who came. Their presence today—especially when we weren’t playing well—was truly immense. And in the second half, when we started fighting for the game, it was incredibly important. I understand how important this game was for Greeks in Germany, let alone for those in Greece.

The national team has always had fans on its side, and our job is to keep them with us. Because, as in every country, when things are going well, everyone shows up at the stadium. If things get tough, we’ll have problems.

I believe this generation of players deserves a lot of support based on the way they’ve conducted themselves.”

On the pressure ahead: “We’ve
accomplished a great deal so far, yes. Two away games with two wins are significant achievements. But as we’ve said in recent days: the home games against the Netherlands and Germany will be difficult, given the frequency of matches in such a short period of time. Our roster is small, and we’re already feeling the fatigue. But it’s also a major challenge to see how we can respond when the qualifiers come around.

It’s important that our first appearance in League A is a positive one—we don’t just want to be there for the sake of it. At least these two matches have shown that we deserve to be here, and I hope that in the upcoming matches we’ll have the same presence and spirit as we did in the first two.”

On the national team’s standing at this new beginning: “I was a little
worried after Fotis’s chance, because it’s the kind of game where you don’t get many opportunities. And Germany’s style of play gave the impression that we wouldn’t have many chances. I was a little worried.

We haven’t yet reached the level where we can choose how we’ll play. Because of all the changes that have been taking place recently, with so many new players joining the team, I don’t think we’ve reached that level yet.

What interests me is creating a style of play that the fans will enjoy and, by gaining more experience from games like today’s, being able to handle situations better.

Today’s result wasn’t in our hands. It was certain that we’d struggle and that they’d have more possession. The fact that we remained disciplined throughout the game is, in my view, a positive sign on the players’ part. Because in most of the matches we’ve played, we’ve been in control, regardless of the results. But it’s good that, even though we didn’t have possession, we maintained the right competitive attitude at critical moments on the field.”

*photo source: KYPE