Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an interview to SPORT24 and referred to all the hot topics of Greek sports, making revelations.

Among other things, he talked about the presence of two Greek teams in the Final Four of the Euroleague, the participation of Olympiakos in the final of the Conference League, fan violence, the data on OAKA and SEF, the heroes of his childhood, the goal of the European elections , as well as his political future.

The prime minister’s interview in detail

Initially, the prime minister noted that “it is an excellent year for Greek professional sports. For the first time we have hope for 2 Greek teams in the final of the Euroleague and for the first time a Greek team in the final of a European competition. We also had a championship that I’m happy about because it ended with different conditions than the ones I started with. The image I got in the playoffs was more of an image of European stadiums.”

He also reiterated the goal that New Democracy sets for its percentage in the European elections, revealed whether a cabinet has ever been “rodeo” and referred to when it is good for a politician to leave politics, clarifying that he does not intend to leaving soon, however there is life after politics.

Specifically, when asked about the bar the ND sets in the European elections, Kyriakos Mitsotakis repeated that he wants to reach or exceed the 33% of the previous European elections.

“We want to reach or even exceed 33%. We approach the electoral process with great modesty. We try to explain why these elections are important and why Europe plays a decisive role in our lives. We sometimes forget it, but Europe is everywhere. And why does it matter the next day that the New Democracy is strong in Europe because it can bring many things back to the homeland. We have proven that we know how to negotiate for the benefit of the country in Europe,” he said.

Asked about when it is right for a politician to retire, Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that this is something that is mostly chosen by citizens and is an issue that great athletes also face.

“The politician can choose when to leave himself, but as a rule the citizens choose it. There are two ways to leave, either you choose it or let the citizens choose it. Because the sovereign people decide, they also have the first say.

I believe there are quite a few examples of politicians who have stayed in politics longer than they ultimately should have. I don’t know how long I will be in politics, I have no intention of retiring soon, but I know that I will have a life after politics, so be it. There will also be things that I can do outside of politics that will give me great joy.

I don’t think my professional life ends with politics. Athletes face the same problem. Applause is very addictive, but everyone should know that it is temporary. It is good to have a feeling that what we are living is not forever”, noted the Prime Minister.

Mr. Mitsotakis was also asked if he has anxiety in large meetings and he answered that managing anxiety is mainly a matter of preparation and experience.

“The more experience someone has, the better they manage stress. There must always be some anxiety because anxiety keeps us alert and forces us to be well prepared. Just like players before a big match they need to be well prepared. I have learned that in life success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. That is, work. When I have an important meeting, especially when I represent the country abroad, I have to be mentally ready and prepared for various scenarios,” he said.

Asked if there has ever been an episode in a cabinet, he emphasized that there are disagreements, but a “rodeo” has never taken place.

“We may have humor, but no rodeo. We have disagreements, we don’t make decorative cabinets, but we arrive at decisions through a process of fermentation and sometimes disagreements. No, we haven’t done a rodeo.”

“Gangs don’t fit in the stadiums”

The prime minister also spoke about the presence of two Greek teams in the Final Four of the Euroleague, the participation of Olympiakos in the final of the Conference League, fan violence, the data on OAKA and SEF, as well as the sports heroes of his childhood.

“Olympiacos has the momentum with it, history reminds us of something from 2004. But since nothing is written, they will sweat a lot on the field. We have made preparations with the police, fans beware of various scams, it will be difficult to approach without a ticket. With friends on a big TV we will sit down to watch the match and hope for the best. OSFP’s progress was impressive with an excellent coach.”

He made special reference to fan violence, noting that steps forward have been taken to deal with it. The prime minister added that gangs and criminal organizations have no place in the stadiums.