Koufos: “In Qatar, I escaped the catinia”

For his second term in Qatar with Al-Rayyan spoke o Stergios Koufoscommenting on what he misses about Greece and what he escaped from.

In detail what he said on EEC Web Radio:

For his first passage from Qatar (2014-2016): “Things were completely different then. The first time I came as a duo with Thanasis Yaple and after three months we also got a gymnast, so that they could understand and understand here how much such a person is needed and how much he can help the development of all children. I was very lucky because as soon as we came here, after a month we won for the first time in Qatar the Pan-Arab championship, which also played a very important role for everything we wanted to do as a philosophy, as a training, as a program. This helped us all, even Vassilis Fragias in the National team then, that we had to go through a different way of thinking about how to work all the children in Qatar. This was very important. I really lived two and a half extraordinary years.”

For the reason he went to Qatar the first time: “I have to say a big thank you to Ziad, a journalist, who together with Tasso Magoula then approached me to bring me to Qatar. I really think they were checkmate, Qatar then needed a man like me. The way I was approached to go to Qatar then was really what was needed. The cooperation was perfect and everything we achieved here then and I feel that I did the best for my family and for myself, even though I was at a top level for Greece. Bad lies, and money plays a role in this whole piece, which at the time was really excellent.”

For his first pass from Al-Rayyan: “Then things were not good. Although the brand name of Al-Rayyan was very big, from 2012 to 2014 the team was not doing well at all, it did not have a title. The bottom line is we went down and got the team back together. In all of these it is necessary to find players and “tools” who will understand your reasoning. I had the honor then to have as a player the legend of Asia, Yassin Musa, and this is the reason why I came back to Al-Rayyan now. I could actually put that “hard” training on guys who weren’t taught how to operate like that, scouting, the time we’re going to spend scouting, or how to “read” a game. I found this particular man as a player, who was also in his prime and he actually supported us competitively. Then I was lucky because we also got good foreigners and then everything went its way. There was a bit of philosophy involved, but I had ‘soldier’ ​​guys, that was the key part that brought Al-Rayyan back to the headlines while we were there.”

For the reason that he returned to Al-Rayyan this year: “On the one hand, there is the disappointment in terms of training in Greece, it is very difficult for me to find something to create in Greece, at least that’s how I feel. The second was a call from Yasin, who became GM at Al-Rayyan. When such a person calls you and when the team has been “struggling” since we left and the last 2 years have been the last, you can’t say “no”. The man asked me to come there to “rebuild” her and I will have the time for that. Of course, things are not exactly like that, because people here are demanding, but we will try. We have very young guys and we have set as a goal a program of at least 2 years of work and then we will see what we have achieved”.

For basketball in the Middle East: “I think the Middle East will soon become the center of basketball. Only that Dubai wanted to take the rights with 150 million for 5 years in the Euroleague and build its own team that will play in the Middle East is enough to show how they want to develop basketball in the region. All the Gulf countries, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, have made their moves and become much better. “Only Qatar is left behind, but I’m told they will try to get the next World Cup.”

About what he escaped and what he misses from Greece: “First of all, I was saved from… catinia. In Greece, everyone judges everyone, there is no moderation in anything. Nobody said “sorry”, nobody said “well done”, we only know how to judge. What I miss the most and I can’t wait to experience it again is the natural beauty, the sun, the summer, the beach, good company, the outdoors, laughter, banter, all of that.”