The coach of the National Youth Men’s National Team, Kostas Papadopoulos, three days before the start of the European U20 in Heraklion, he referred to the preparation course of the Greek team, the conclusions from the last friendlies and the goals for the upcoming big tournament. He spoke in detail on EEC radio about:
Regarding the preparation for Eurobasket: “We came to Heraklion, we continued our preparation with the two friendlies we played against Spain. It would be good if we were full, but Lefteris Mantzoukas was a bit unwell and we didn’t force him to play, while in yesterday’s (04/07) friendly, Zougris had a minor injury but it wasn’t anything serious, however we said to protect him. So we gave the rest of the kids a chance, we tried out some formations and with yesterday’s friendly, our preparation ended and we are now getting ready for Saturday (07/08) when we start the EuroBasket against Poland”.
On the two friendlies with Spain: “It was definitely a crash test. We played a very good opponent, which always goes well and the boys coped very well. We also brought out some players who, if Lefteris had played, might not have looked so much, and the pleasant thing is that they covered his absence. The conclusions were positive. We won the first friendly, in the second we didn’t start so well, it was logical for the Spaniards to react. The good thing is that the kids didn’t give up and we turned it around. We were very misguided yesterday, but despite everything we lost by 2 points, which for me is a positive result.”
On whether they are at the desired level: “I consider that we are at the level we should be at the moment, that is, we are in accordance with the planning we had set at the beginning. I certainly wish we had been full in the last two friendlies so that we could prepare even better for Saturday. The two guys who were missing were key executives, that is, I would like them to participate so that we could try out some plays that I had in mind. The good thing is that some other kids showed personality and we keep that as a positive. They’ve shown some guys that they can fill in if we need to rest those guys or if they have to be out for a short period of time. All 12 players will have to be combative and come in to help.”
On whether they have settled on the final dozen: “The final dozen will be released tomorrow (06/07). We have two more training sessions ahead of us, we will complete those as well and then it will be out. The truth is that this year it is very difficult to choose the final twelve, because everyone really gave their best and showed that they deserve to be part of this group. It’s a difficult decision.”
On the loss of Angelos Lagios: “The important loss was Angelos Lagios at the beginning of the preparation. He is a kid who would help a lot, he is also in a position where we need him, he can play from the “3” to the “5”, however we pass this because it happened at the beginning of the preparation. From here on, it’s positive that we didn’t have another incident.”
About this year’s Eurobasket: “We have scouted, we have seen all the teams. This year may be one of the most competitive leagues. Spain and France always have a reputation for being the stars, but of the other teams we’ve seen there’s not one that’s underdogs or that you can defy. I think all the games will be close and will be decided on the details.”
On whether the premiere against Poland is pivotal (07/08): “Because it is a premiere, it is a bit special. At the premiere you never know how you will start and how you will react. We have already done scouting and all the teams in our group (including Poland, Lithuania, Croatia) are to be reckoned with, none of them are underdogs. We keep it a little longer because it was the premiere.”
On whether they have pressure that the tournament takes place in Heraklion: “I don’t think it’s extra pressure, it’s extra motivation. We have also discussed it with the children and they also agree. We want in our own way to motivate the viewers to come and watch us. In every match we will give 100% and we will never give up no matter what.”
On the goal of the national team in the tournament: “These depend on the day. No team in these events can say they are going for the gold. It is certainly a dream, which we try and “chase”. We look at each match individually, we progress game by game and I think the team will do very well, because it has shown from the last friendlies that it has the potential to be healthy. But luck also plays a role.”
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
