The health and perspective offered to him by Panathinaikos were decisive factors for him to say “yes”. Tasos Bakasetas, as he emphasized in his first interview after repatriation. The 30-year-old midfielder emphasized that he aspires to play in the championship for years with the “greens”. At the same time, he praised Fatih Terim, while expressing optimism that the national team will qualify for Euro 2024.
Tasos Bakasetas spoke in detail about:
-how the agreement with Panathinaikos came about: “And for me it wasn’t something I had in mind to tell the truth. I wasn’t thinking of going back to Greece now. I was looking to leave Trabzonspor because my circle was closed but I was looking to find a team abroad. Everything happened very quickly, in 2-3 days, the approach, the proposal, etc. Then I started thinking about it. When a team shows you that they want you so much and plan things with you, you start thinking about it. And when it’s a team like Panathinaikos, it doesn’t leave you indifferent. The whole approach was key, I went to the team that wanted me more than any other. I did the same when I went to Trabzonspor. It’s something that a football player wants very much.”
-whether the plan and the approach measured: “We certainly know the peculiarities of the Greek league. In recent years it is more competitive. The issue of violence is something we all have to do to fix it and have fun on the field. We still have a way to go, but I believe that with everyone’s help we can achieve it. This mainly troubled me for my return to Greece, that the product did not bring out so much health. But the league has become competitive. I’ve proven who I am and what I can offer to a team, I’m not in a phase of searching and when a team appreciates what you’ve offered and what you can give as a character, it’s something very honorable.”
-whether he thought of continuing outside Greece: “I consider that my cycle is not over, that I am at a productive age. Any league I went to I could offer, but I saw it as an opportunity. I am going back to my country, at a very good age, that I have a thirst for football, that I want to do things and improve. When you don’t have some meaningful suggestions, you can’t think about it.”
– the experience of Turkey: “I was trying to find my footing in Alanya. It was a very important year for me, after the corona virus. There they taught me in Turkey, scored some important goals and made the jump. I got my confirmation through Trabzonspor. It was a big team, supported by a whole city. We won the championship after many years, we also won the Super Cup. It was a year that developed me in all areas.”
-whether he feels pressure from the expectations of Panathinaikos’ friends: “Now I’m not in a phase where these things burden me with anxiety. It is reasonable that they have expectations of me, but I always expect more from myself. I am always self-critical and I am my own harshest judge. When you are at this level you have to know how to manage the pressure and you must not bend. You have to be there for the team.”
– his impressions of this year’s Panathinaikos: “It is very different from the Panathinaikos that I experienced when I was in Greece. There is a perspective around the team, that’s obvious. When I see teams with perspective, I like that and it excites me. I am very much in favor of continuous improvement and in Panathinaikos I see a team that in a few years will have its own stadium, every year it renews itself and gets healthy”.
-what he is looking to achieve at Panathinaikos: “I want the duration in the championship, which I didn’t have in Trabzonspor. We had a really good year, but then we lost it. I want to have a duration in the championship and every year the team tries to win titles”.
-the image he has of Terim: “I think there is mutual respect. Those who have played Turkey know what Fatih Terim means. He is a legend, he has achieved a lot with Galata and the Turkish national team. He is highly respected. When he took over Panathinaikos, they showed his games in Turkey. I can’t wait to meet him, I wanted to work together while I was in Turkey and I believe that we will match as characters and in the competitive part”.
-if he asked the opinion of other players before saying yes to Panathinaikos: “No, I knew everything already. It was my friend who we grew up with, Kourbelis, we spoke very often and I knew how the team works. And other children, such as Ioannidis and Zeka, children with whom we have a close relationship. I saw what plans and ambitions there are.”
-whether the national team will qualify for the Euro: “We will go to the Euro, we believe in it very much. We will do everything to make it where it deserves to be. It’s a dream of mine. National is the highest honor. I think we are very close to succeeding, it is our time, but everything is proven on the field”.
Source: Sport Fm
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