Van Weert: “For AEK fans, the team is their life”

His impressions of life in Greece and the AEK shared by Tom Van Weert speaking to his compatriots in the Dutch press ahead of tonight’s game against Ajax.

“Many people say that I live in Athens on permanent vacation, but I have never had so little time as a football player. But it was worth it, because we won the double last year. An incredible experience, because for many fans, AEK is their life. Their love goes beyond just watching a match. The fiesta for the championship was over 100,000 people in the city. We also went to the bouzoukis, but no, I didn’t drink ouzo there. Ouzo is for the more touristy areas“, he said.

“The differences between Holland and Greece are big, you will have to adapt quickly, because some things will surprise you here. In Holland I was used to going to training after breakfast. In Greece they eat breakfast after training. Life starts later, which means they eat breakfast later. That’s their culture, but I didn’t want to go to training on an empty stomach. So I eat a banana or a yogurt“, he added.

“There is also a difference in the feel of the country. If you have an appointment at 8:30, you don’t get upset if it’s 9:00 and no one is there. Things are more relaxed. Recently a handyman was coming to fix something at my house and we had an appointment from 14:30 to 15:00. At 16:00 she called him asking where he was and told me that he would not come and that he would come the next day. You should… chase it because it’s been done 100 times. It’s something you get used to, but I can’t handle it. But that’s how it is. You may get angry, but such is the mentality that they will not change“, he continued.

At the same time, he referred to the differences between Athens and Volos. “Last year I played in Volos, a city that is a completely different world from Athens. Millions live in the capital. Many people ask me what Athens is like, but our training center and my home are in the suburbs. I don’t go downtown often because I don’t want to get stuck in traffic. From what I saw, I liked it. There are different neighborhoods in Athens, trendy areas with old buildings and some hippie neighborhoods. I would recommend Plaka. It is close to the Acropolis, has nice narrow streets and very nice restaurants. A very beautiful part of Athens. I have been playing in AEK since September last year. Initially I lived in a hotel and from November in an apartment. I haven’t seen the beautiful beaches because my hotel was not close and the season was over. Not far outside Athens there is a large coastal area, where you can go every day and elsewhere for a swim. I also want to go see basketball, AEK, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos have good teams».