At the press conference ahead of the match between the Greek national team and Germany, which will take place on Sunday evening at Toumba Stadium, Ivan Jovanović he focused particularly on reports in the international media regarding Dortmund’s request for special treatment for Konstantinos Karetsas.
He spoke at length about the fact that no such request exists, while also addressing the pressure that is always present, the cohesion fostered by the extended “window” of national team commitments, the differences between the two halves of the match against the Netherlands, and what he expects from the Germans.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On the players’ side, Kostas Tsimikas spoke and commented that the back-to-back matches against such formidable opponents help the “blue-and-whites” prove their worth.
Here are Jovanović’s comments in detail:
On the team’s fatigue: “There is fatigue, but we’re a team that has worked hard. Our morale is high. We’re having discussions to assess the players’ readiness, and we’ll base tomorrow’s lineup on that.”
On whether pressure will play a role and what happened with the Netherlands: “We’re definitely under pressure. We always are. The reason is that when you want a good result—especially when it comes to the national team—you have to live with the pressure. In the second half against the Netherlands, we didn’t play at the same level as in the first half, which was fantastic. But that can happen. We need to understand why it happened; we talked with the players about why there was a lack of balance, so that it doesn’t happen again.”
On whether he agrees with Tsimikas that determination trumps fatigue: “One of the defining aspects of soccer is psychology. That stems from performances and results. But tomorrow we’ll face a new Germany, different from the one in the first match. They put in a good performance, played an excellent match against Serbia, and won easily. They’re fresher than we are.”
On whether these matches help the national team find cohesion: “Certainly, the four matches help the major federations that have plenty of options. For us in the smaller federations, it creates a problem. In two weeks, we’ll play four matches. The major national teams don’t have these issues.”
Regarding Karetsa and Dortmund’s… request that he play “in moderation,” as reported by German media: “There is no request from Dortmund regarding Karetsa. There’s been some exaggeration. We’re in weekly contact with the players’ clubs. The teams are cooperative. When the players join us, we keep the clubs informed about the situation during the national team’s training camp, as well as afterward. This issue is being blown out of proportion for no reason. What applies to Konstantinos applies to all the players. As long as I’m in charge, no team has asked for special treatment. The players’ desire to play for the national team trumps everything else and cannot influence my decisions. Whatever decision I make is based on the players’ commitments and after I’ve spoken with them. We don’t discriminate. The same applies to players from the Greek league. We make no distinctions.”
On Germany: “Greece didn’t win because they underestimated us. No one is going to underestimate us, so don’t do that by slacking off. Germany is an excellent team. They were very strong against Serbia. They play with power, and Klopp is trying to build a team with his own philosophy. I’m sure he’ll succeed. They play more directly and take more risks. They’re becoming a modern team, regardless of the results.”
Here are Tsimikas’ comments in detail:
On playing in a packed Toumba Stadium: “It’s important for the national team to play at every stadium in Greece. It’s been a while since we played in Thessaloniki. The fans embraced us in the previous match. They were always there to motivate us. It’s always a joy to see Greeks celebrating together. As a native of Northern Greece, I’m happy to have played in my home region.”
On whether the string of big games has helped: “100%. We’re proving our worth as players and as a country. We’re close to competing for a lot of things. Everyone wants to play in a major tournament. We’re training hard, and those three games definitely helped us. They were a stepping stone for us to get here, and they made us better prepared to perform as a team.”
On managing the games: “First of all, our determination outweighs our fatigue. We all talk about how much we want these matches. Sure, there’s fatigue, but that’s why we’ve been training all these years. We sleep well, eat well, get plenty of massages, and everything’s great.”
On the fact that an entire nation is eagerly awaiting them: “It’s important to see the stadiums full. I remember when we played Liechtenstein at the OAKA in front of 1,000 people. We all earned that. It’s a joy to play in big stadiums where everyone wants to see you. We had a sellout at Toumba, while in Germany there were thousands of Greeks. I remember seeing a lot of blue in the stands.”
On Germany, which is coming into the match more wary: “It’ll be even harder than the game in Germany. The players currently on the roster haven’t played much together. That’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s the last game, and we want to end this break on a high note. May the best team win.”
On Klopp: “Germany has exceptional talent. My friend Wirz is playing more. I spent years with Klopp; he holds a special place in my heart. We celebrated together. I cherish those good times. I’m glad I’ll see him again and see some familiar faces.”
