The Greek national team faces Serbia at Belgrade’s “Raiko Mitic” Stadium on Thursday evening (September 24, 9:45 p.m.) in its Nations League League A opener!
In remarks made during a press conference ahead of the match, Ivan Jovanović spoke about the many options he has regarding his team’s attacking line, while making it clear that Greece aims to improve through the challenging matches it will play.
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Here are his comments in detail: “We have four matches in a short period of time, and we have to take them one game at a time, depending on the players’ condition. The pace of each game is different. There may be adjustments, but not in terms of our philosophy. We want to extend our stay in the top division of the competition.”
On what it’s like to play against Serbia and how the national team will be called upon to play against strong opponents: “It’s my country, and I always feel good about it. It’s an emotional issue. I try to find a balance between emotions and patriotism. I’m still a professional coach who seeks what’s best for his team.
When matches are played at this pace, you have to consider many factors to manage the players. The players’ level of readiness plays a role in how I decide on the starting lineup. I’m afraid this format makes things difficult for the coach. We’re becoming selectors rather than coaches. These are the decisions UEFA has made. There is pressure from the clubs to reduce the amount of time players spend with their national teams. This will be difficult for the players as well, because even a minor injury could be a factor.”
On the strong attacking lineup and whether more players can coexist in the starting lineup: “I know all five players very well. I’m happy that we have a group of forwards who play for good teams and are performing well. I’ll try to make the most of this for the benefit of the national team.”
On the group favorites: “We won’t make any progress if we think we should limit our strategy to just Serbia. I don’t make calculations as a coach. We want results in every game. We want to get the best out of everyone. The expectations are at the highest level, and through these games we’ll build our competitiveness.”
On whether he might play with a three-man backline: “I don’t want to say anything on the eve of the match. Is it possible for me to reveal our game plan?”
On what he learned from the previous qualifiers: “When you fail to meet a goal, the analysis has to do with yourself and not with the players, because we don’t meet often. There was disappointment because we made consecutive mistakes in a series of games. This tournament will force us to improve against the opponents we face. We’ll be facing the best players. And Serbia was in the two previous major tournaments and has more experience. We need to build the right mindset.”
On the goal: “The goal is always a major tournament. Of course, I’d trade a distinction in the Nations League for a spot in a major tournament. Now. Yesterday…”
*photo source: KYPE
