Stefanos Kapino gave an interview on SPORT24’s show “Box2Box by Betsson” on SPORT24, discussing his time at AEL, his aspirations with the “Lions,” and his decision to continue his career in Cyprus.
The Greek goalkeeper spoke about the level of the Cypriot league, the love he receives from the team’s fans, as well as his desire to remain at AEL and compete with them in Europe.
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Here is the interview in full:
On his new role as a father:
“It’s the most wonderful thing that can happen to you. If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t understand it or feel it. My wife is amazing at balancing everything—work and our child.
I try to be involved in our child’s daily life. We’re 100% dedicated to our child all day long. My wife even more so, because I have training sessions and games.
I’m really excited and very happy. Sometimes I even sleep on the couch, but I feel very lucky in that regard.”
On whether his child helps him get through a tough night after a game:
“I think it’s something I’d worked on beforehand. The one setback we had this year, in the match against APOEL—and I hope it’s the only one—definitely bothered me a lot.
It’s not easy at all to bounce back after such a heavy defeat, especially when so many fans had come out to support us. Expectations are high, and the team didn’t perform the way the fans would have liked.
I was definitely upset, but when you see this little face, everything seems a little brighter. It takes some of the weight off your shoulders. Of course, then you go back to your daily routine. There’s training, analysis, and preparation for the next game.”
On his decision to leave Switzerland and continue with AE Limassol:
“In Switzerland, my seasons were good on an individual level. I had offers from both Swiss teams and clubs in other countries abroad. For me, however, my priority was my family and my child.
I felt that Cyprus was a good choice. We speak Greek, it’s right next to Greece, and it would be much easier for both my wife and me during this new phase of our lives as parents. From the pediatrician to the way you’ll coordinate with the team to get help with any issue, all of these factors played an important role.
When AEL came along, I looked at their plan and spoke with the coach and the technical director. I liked that it’s a historic club with a very supportive fan base. It’s something that excites me—to be able to bring the club back to where it belongs.”
On what would constitute success for AEL Limassol:
“I don’t want to play to the fans; generally, I bond with whatever team I play for, and I think that’s how it should be—and that’s the right way. I think you have to come here and experience it for yourself to understand what we have. To see how much the fans love the team and how much they support it, even when we’re not winning titles. To experience the atmosphere. Our goal and success for this year is to make the playoffs, to finish in the top six. From there, to make it into the top five and qualify for Europe.
I think everyone has realized that the team is good enough, and that’s why expectations are rising.”
On whether he had missed playing for a team with high goals:
“I missed it a lot. My first year in Switzerland was very difficult. In the second year, we approached it with a different mindset, aiming to do better. However, I could see from the team’s moves that we weren’t heading in that direction. It was evident at the end of the season, which was a failure.
I definitely wanted to play again for a team that has overall goals.”
On the level of the Cypriot league and the differences compared to Greece:
“I expected it to be much lower, especially when it comes to the teams ranked sixth or seventh and below. It’s actually quite a bit higher than I expected, though. I see well-organized teams that know what they want on the field and are very athletic. The pace is up and down; the soccer is faster than in Greece.
When I was with Panetolikos last season, the game was a bit more tactical. There was more of a focus on getting a 0-0 draw. Here, the game generally goes back and forth, and I think the level is quite high. Cypriot soccer is in very good shape. In fact, I think the top six teams are a notch above the Swiss league.”
On what has impressed him most in Cyprus:
“I didn’t expect all the teams to be so competitive. Even in the games of other teams that I watch, I see that the team considered the favorite on paper doesn’t win easily.”
On Cypriots’ love for Greek soccer players:
“I think I experience it firsthand. Generally speaking, things are a little different in Cyprus in certain respects, but I believe that all Greek soccer players feel this love. It’s easier for players coming from Greece to adjust. If you come with the right mindset, you’ll feel right at home.
I feel great; I’m happy, and everything I’ve experienced so far has been positive. The atmosphere on the team is really good. I’m the only Greek here, but everything is fine. The guys from Cyprus are great, and I love the banter we share.”
On his personal and team goals:
“My goal is to be the Stefanos I know I am—the one who has found himself in recent years and who I’ve always envisioned as a goalkeeper. Beyond that, there are also the team goals. We want to achieve something great as a team.
All the guys are great, the coaches are working really hard, and the front office is doing its best, even without the resources that other teams have. And for the fans, of course, I’d like us to have a successful season and continue at the level we’ve set.”
On the possibility of returning to Greece:
“I can’t say I haven’t thought about it, but my relationship with Greece has cooled off a bit. It’s something I don’t even want that much anymore. I feel a pang every time something comes up in that regard.
It wasn’t something so appealing that I’d say I’d push for it any harder myself. Cyprus was my top priority from the start. From the way they spoke to me, that’s what I wanted to happen.”
On whether he follows developments in Greek soccer:
“I don’t really have that much time. I try to keep up with what’s happening in European matches. These days, by 10:00 or 10:30 p.m., I’ve started to fall asleep. So, I won’t be watching the show tonight!
I’ve been watching as much as I can. I don’t know as many players as I did in previous years. I have a general idea of what’s going on and how the teams are performing, but I’m not as focused as I used to be.”
On Olympiacos’ Ortega and the goalkeepers of Greek teams:
“Ortega is at a very high level. He exudes confidence for the Olympiacos team, and I think he’s a tremendous addition overall.
Since I haven’t been following them very closely, I don’t know exactly what the new coach wants—whether he wants the team to play more from the back—because under Medilibar, the style of play was more direct.
Thomas Strakosa is injured, and Brignoli has performed very well, if you exclude the mistake against Shakhtar. It’s only natural for a goalkeeper to make a mistake now and then. We tend to have this mindset that a goalkeeper isn’t allowed to make mistakes.
Overall, Panathinaikos’ Peña is also a very good goalkeeper, from what I’ve seen so far. He’s a complete goalkeeper—he comes off his line, is good with his feet, and gives me confidence. Also, Pavlenka is one of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever worked with. He’s been pretty unlucky.
I even sent him a message. I told him that when we were together, he hadn’t been injured at all. He hadn’t missed even half a match, and we played a little too. They’re all good goalkeepers, and the level of play is high.”
On whether he has been in touch with Ortega since his transfer to Olympiacos:
“We haven’t spoken. We had a good relationship, but then he went to City. I’m generally not the type of person who bothers others, especially when they’re reaching new heights. I try to keep a little distance. Of course, I hear news from the guys and from my former goalkeeper coach, with whom I’ve been in touch and who asked me my opinion about him.
Overall, he’s a really good guy. I had a very good relationship with him, and I’ll definitely try to meet up with him whenever I go to Athens.”
On Olympiacos’ decision to sign the free agent Ortega instead of investing a large sum in a goalkeeper:
“These are things that are judged by the results. If Ortega performs as he should, everything will be forgotten. Why wouldn’t you sign a free agent goalkeeper with proven experience? He’s played for Manchester City. Sure, he wasn’t the starter, but he played for a team like that.
I think he’s a terrific addition for Olympiacos, and he’s at a good age, too. Things have changed quite a bit in the goalkeeper position. Nowadays, the older you get, the harder it is.
When I was young, they told me to wait until I matured. Now, at 27 or 28, they consider you a veteran. I believe he still has a lot to offer and that Olympiacos can invest the money it may need to spend in other positions.”
On how much the length of a goalkeeper’s career has changed:
“We’ve always said that goalkeepers play longer than other soccer players. But the mindset of teams has changed. For example, they want a starting goalkeeper and a younger one whom they can sell.
When a team has a goalkeeper who’s performing well, it’s hard to take him out of the starting lineup. On the other hand, in Ortega’s case, the older you get, the harder it is for another team to sign you.”
On his development as a player over the past three years:
“I think it’s both a physical and a psychological aspect. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when I went to Switzerland. I found a team that embraced me and a goalkeeper coach who was one of the best I’ve ever worked with. That continued at AEL. Now we’re playing at a very high level. Essentially, I’m playing as a sweeper, something I haven’t done very often in my career.
The goalkeeper coach here is very experienced, with an impressive track record at major clubs, so that’s an extra motivation for me. I can see that I’m changing my game, and it’s something I enjoy.
Of course, the fact that I found my footing as soon as I went to Switzerland also played a role. The situations I encountered there helped me a lot. Now, in Cyprus, I’m continuing to develop as a goalkeeper, and it’s really nice to feel like you’re constantly learning.”
On his big dream with AEL Limassol:
“Especially now that I’m here with my family, we really love it in Cyprus. We love Limassol; I love the team. Everything is perfect.
Of course, let’s be honest, results matter too. We’re in a world where results determine a lot. I’d really like to grow and continue my career with AEL. I want AEL to grow the way I’ve imagined it, the way the management has imagined it.
That would be wonderful, because I’m tired of switching teams. My goal in Switzerland was also to stay as many years as I could. I think that now, with a child, it would be harder for us to continue there.
I want to keep improving and show what I’m capable of and what I believe I can offer as a goalkeeper. And you never know what might happen. I’d really love to play in Europe with AEL.”
On Giorgos Tzavellas, who is now on the SPORT24 team:
“I’ve seen a few clips, and he seems very calm. Tzavellas is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and now he seems very serious! I think he’ll open up over time.
He’s one of the best teammates you can have in the locker room.
For me, he was a huge help at the 2014 World Cup. I was a 20-year-old kid watching all those players—Karagounis, Katsouranis, all those legends. That’s how we should view them, because people don’t realize what these soccer players have accomplished. And as we get older, we understand and appreciate it more.
Tzavellas took me under his wing and was a huge help to me. He’s a dynamic personality, too, whereas I’ve been very calm since I was a kid. We’ve even clashed quite a few times.
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, though, because he was older and I didn’t listen that much. I think he’s been treated very unfairly. I have very fond memories of Tzavellas on the national team.”
