With his sights set on the World Cup qualifiers against Romania (July 2, away) and Portugal (July 5, at Sunel Arena), Vassilis Spanoulis spoke about the demands of the “window,” the value of Kostas Papanikolaou, the development of Greek players, and his son Thanasis’s achievement.
Here’s what he said in detail
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On the two games against Romania and Portugal: “We’re focusing on Thursday’s game. It’s a tough window; the players have finished their club commitments and are coming off a demanding season. Just as they’re about to take a break, they have to get back into shape and play matches. But this isn’t just about us and the other teams—we have to adapt so we’re ready for the games.”
On Kostas Papanikolaou’s presence on the national team: “Whatever I say about Kostas is an understatement. Kostas is a role model for his teammates. He’s our captain, and it’s a blessing to have him on the national team.”
On the pool of Greek players and opportunities for playing time: “The national team is the highest honor for any athlete. On the other hand, we see that quite a few young players come here without having had much playing time on their clubs and are here to find their footing. And that’s something we don’t like. As many Greeks as possible should be playing in the Greek league. It’s not just the 4–5 big teams; there are so many teams, and they need to realize for themselves that it would be good for them to get playing time, develop their skills, and move on to the big teams.”
On his son, Thanasis, being named MVP of the Panhellenic Boys’ Championship: “He’s young. It’s nice to see your child making progress and improving. It’s still very early, and he needs to stay humble and keep his drive. I believe my wife and I are raising our children the right way, and he knows very well that to him I’m his father, but to the entire basketball world, he’s his own person.”
The Greek national team is at the top of its group with a 3-1 after the first four games and aims to finish this qualifying round with two more wins in order to advance to the next stage under the best possible conditions.
