Koutsogoulas: “My goal is to play with the first team of Olympiakos”

Her leader K19 of Olympiakos, Thanasis Koutsogoulasspoke to Match Programme of the “red and whites” for the game against AEK and stood in the team’s path until the conquest of Youth Leaguehis personal goals but also the development of the championship.

Read part of what the leader of Piraeus mentioned:

How are you experiencing this year so far?



This year is like a dream come true. To win the Youth league, the biggest European competition at academy level, is a huge achievement. It is up to us in the next two games to win the Greek Championship, for the second year in a row, which was our main goal from the beginning of the season. If we succeed in this, this year’s season will remain for years in the history of Olympiakos, but also of Greek football.



When did you think the team was ready to challenge for the European Championship?

From the beginning of the year we believed in the team and had set ourselves the goal of reaching as high as we can in the competition. But as we progressed and eliminated big European teams, winning the trophy came more and more into our minds. The “key” game was the one against Inter. The strength we got from the crowd inside Karaiskakis was what gave us a lot of confidence, but also the performance we had against such a big team made us not be afraid to look any team in the eye.



What does it mean to you to wear the captain’s armband in the red and white shirt?



Wearing the red and white jersey is something that makes me proud. To combine wearing the captain’s armband is a great honor for me, it certainly has great responsibilities, but the family atmosphere we have and the competitive level of the team, make these responsibilities easier to overcome.



What are your personal goals for the future?



My individual goals for the future are to play in the first team of Olympiakos and reach the highest level I can. It takes a lot of work to make these happen, but with faith and patience I hope they will come true.



Have you imagined yourself in the first team of Olympiakos?

Ever since I was a little kid, I have imagined myself to be in the first team of Olympiakos. It’s a crazy dream that I have, but it’s also one of my goals, so I’m doing everything in my power to make it a reality someday, and the closer I get, the more motivated I get.



There are two matches left, you couldn’t finish it in PAOK, how should the team present itself next?

Unfortunately we did not manage to win the match against PAOK and this is something that does not make us happy, but it should not disappoint us. We have two very important games ahead of us with Kifissia and Panaitolikos, which if we win we will be crowned champions. We have to approach them with absolute seriousness, but also self-confidence and I am sure that if we are who we should be, we will succeed in being crowned champions of Greece for the second time in a row.