On Monday evening (16/10, 21:15), h Our national team welcomes her Netherlands at the packed OPAP Arena in a ‘final’ match for matchday 8 of the Euro 2024 qualifying group stage.
The leader of the “blue and white”, Tasos Bakasetas, he was the one who represented the players at the press conference, talking about the details that will decide tomorrow’s match, but also that everyone in the Greek “camp” is ready to stand worthy of the demands of the match.
At the same time, he also mentioned the fact that tomorrow the stadium will be full of people, something which, as he pointed out, is a great victory for the National Team!
Tasos Bakaseta’s statements in detail:
On how important it is for the national team to go to a major event: “Our goal from the beginning was to be in the finals of the Euro. I think we are more ready than ever to manage the situation 100%. In the last 2 years we have shown that we are improving, we have gained more experience, which is important, the National Team should be the example of the whole country and the way we compete, the way we speak in interviews, let us be the example. We have succeeded to a large extent and are an example for Greek football”.
On the second chance and how it works in the minds of the internationals: “There is not a single player, whether he is playing a friendly or an important game, who does not have pressure and the fear of defeat. Now we are playing the qualifiers for the finals of a competition, what we achieved last summer is a thing of the past. To get to this point means we did something good. We watched each game separately and we are ready for each game. There was definitely a game where we didn’t live up to expectations. Any national team can have a bad game.”
For the previous game against the Netherlands: “These are the facts that I don’t like to share with the media. Players are our harshest judges and always self-criticize when the going gets tough. We realized what we did wrong in this game, for example the way we reacted in the next two.”
On how we should play and if there is a different way than what we have seen: “I agree that you have to overcome to get to the finals, the most important thing is that we have the opportunity for that. This is tomorrow’s game, we will be fully prepared to look worthy in such a game. I can’t answer these questions, the coach is sitting next to me, he is the one who will answer, we have complete confidence.”
For the full court: “It is very important for us, all the players want to play in full stadiums. We talked about it among ourselves, I won’t hide it from you. It is a great victory that people will come tomorrow. There is joy and impatience, the National Team needs the people. We have already achieved the first goal the first place in nations, always the results. We are inspired by the coach and we trust him for what he teaches us, for the tactical approach. Whatever we say matters, what we say on the pitch matters.”
As to whether there is maturity in the spiritual part: “This piece has made all the difference. In the World Cup qualifiers we lacked experience and no one hid behind the responsibilities. Now there is also more experience, we can manage different situations. The national team has players with experience who help the younger ones and try to make them better.”
As for whether the binding came first and then the results: “The bond has existed for many years, it is interconnected. When the result does not come, there were definitely things that were not done correctly. It’s things that come together, the good atmosphere is not enough, it has been combined with good results.”
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.
