GIORGOS ZISOPOULOS INTERVIEW

"The squad, as regards its players, coaches and financial data, that are important amidst these conditions, is full," pointed out the Levadiakos midfielder Giorgos Zisopoulos in his interview for the official website of the Super League and added: "it is a matter of time for this squad to bond and for the good results to start." In reply to a question posed by a fan as to what Levadiakos means to him, he replied that: "I can tell with certainty that Levadiakos feels like a second family to me," while he also referred to the recent match against Atromitos Athinon: "We went there following a heavy defeat by Panthrakikos and in this match we only wanted to prove to ourselves first of all that we deserve something better than the 4 points we had amassed so far." The full interview:

 

Question by Aris Deliopoulos

What are the goals of Levadiakos for this season?

"The goal of Levadiakos for this season, based on last season's position in the ranking and of course with the additions during the summer, as well as with the keeping of several important players, is none other than an equal performance as last season's and possibly an even better one. We did not start the season as expected as regards results, however the squad in most matches plays good football, therefore the results will come and we will able to combine quality with spectacle."

 

Question by Stathis Fortatos

What does Levadiakos mean to you?

"This is my 7th year in the club, therefore I can say with certainty that Levadiakos feels like a second family to me. I became a man in this club, despite some difficulties, either of a personal or club nature, and I always felt that the climate is good to overcome these difficulties and for better days to come. As it seems, difficult days are a thing of the past and moreover Levadiakos appears to be capable to change level, something that gives me great joy, since I know first-hand that despite the difficulties, that have been dealt with from time to time, and I also believe that I contributed to this along with everyone else (teammates, coaches, the president) to make this possible."

 

Question by Stelios Tzakas

What additions are needed so that the squad can recover and manage to stay in the Super League, in your opinion?

"I believe that we have at least 20 players that can play in this league. The squad, as regards its players, coaches and financial data, that are important amidst these conditions, is full. The club acquired established players last summer, a proven coach stayed with the club along with the basic squad, the club is financially stable, therefore it is a matter of time for this squad to bond and for the good results to start. In any case, any transfer during the winter season will be welcome, since it will help our effort."

 

Question by Ilias Kainourgios

What are the causes for the club's lousy start and what do you think will happen from now on?

"With the exception of the matches against Olympiacos and Panthrakikos, I believe that we deserved some extra points in the remaining matches, based on the general picture and the statistics. The squad plays well, creates many opportunities that we have not used so far, but as soon as this happens, I believe we will not have any problems no matter the opponent. The future will definitely be better, as regards results, since when you play well, results are bound to come."

 

Question by Giorgos Lamprou

You managed to get a draw in a difficult away match against Atromitos. Do you believe that the squad will gradually recover?

"We went there following a heavy defeat by Panthrakikos and in this match we only wanted to prove to ourselves first of all that we deserve something better than the 4 points we had amassed so far. We knew that the match would be a tough one, since I believe that Atromitos is one of the strongest clubs in the championship and for that reason we chose to play defensively and to win the three points by scoring a goal following a counter-attack or a set piece. The goal did not come and we managed to get a draw due to our good defence, and this result will be even better if we manage to win Saturday's match."

 

Question by Vassilis Athanasiou

Were you given the opportunity to improve Greek football, what would be the first thing you would change/improve?

"I believe that football in Greece is society in small scale. Thus, when the country had (virtual/imaginary) money, football was something like that as well. With the current crisis, football is affected too, but I believe that the true image of football and society in general is the one we are living now and not the virtual – imaginary reality we had experienced so far. Changes in both aspects should be radical and fundamental in order to have stronger foundations and build something true, that will offer equal spectacle and joy to the fans, who from their part should change their mentality and see football as a celebration and each match as a happy event and not as a means to express their frustration and violence."

 

Question by Spyros Petros

You have scored solely three goals during the first seven matches. Do you believe that this is one of the main problems that you have not amassed several points in the league?

"We know that scoring a goal is the most important thing in football and that you cannot win when you do not score goals. There were matches that we did not score any goals and lost points, but we have also made mistakes that led to the loss of points. We work daily in order to improve and minimise mistakes, and combined with the creation of many opportunities and good offensive football, to have good results."

 

Next match, you are playing home against Asteras Tripolis. How do you prepare for this match?

"First of all, Asteras Tripolis has a really good squad. They have played good football so far, they have an experienced coach and certain players that can turn a match by their individual talent. We will try to correct our mistakes so far and by maintaining our weekly training routine and without doing anything particular, we will be ready to go win this match on Saturday. It is a good squad, but I believe that the result of this match will be determined by our performance."

 

Is there any moment in your football career that you wish to forget?

"I would not wish to forget anything because for better or worse I believe that everything happens for a reason. But I wish two moments were different, although I do not know what the course of events would have been. The first one was the disqualification of my previous club, PAOK, from Maccabi during the qualification phase of the Champions League, that was determined, besides the match, by an error, the participation of a suspended player; the second one is the demotion of Levadiakos during the 2009/2010 season, following several years in the Super League, that was finalised during the last match and I believe that were better than certain clubs that remained in the league."

 

What are your hobbies?

"I spend most of my free time with friends inside and outside football. It is easy to make friends in Livadia since this is a small town and people can get to know each other easily. We usually gather in someone's home to talk, watch a movie or match or eat or have a coffee together and thus you bond with your teammates and local people. I also read a lot and have started taking Spanish language lessons. You do not have the choices of a big city in Livadia, but you can have a great time wherever as long as you have good company."