“Outside the stadium, I am a child like any other. Establish Greece and its understanding in the remarkable Academy La Masia in Barcelona.
Before the season, Zafeiris lost his blonde hair and suddenly started betting out of his skin. It’s like his special hair tied him up in spring. He was unable to cope with the injury suffered at the end of the winter and was even left out of the starting eleven for some games. No goals, no assists, no interaction. He simply couldn’t return to his past form.
More was expected of the midfielder who was decided among the hundred most productive young footballers in Europe in the spring of 2023. There was even speculation that he might leave Slavia. However, he did not shy away from the teams he was making and that is why he has one of the pillars of the Prague club this season.
On Wednesday, Jindrich Trpisovsky team will depend on him again, this time in front of Ludogorets in Bulgaria for the start of the Slavia campaign in UEFA Europa League.
Are you getting itching feet yet?
“I can’t wait, but I also know that the season is not just about Europe. We want to be successful in the league as well, so we have to take every game seriously. It’s hard to set up the same way for the duels with Ajax or maybe Karvina, but we have to do it.”
It will be the first time playing in the new format. How do you like it?
“It will be an absolutely new experience for everyone. It is smart that we face more teams, that we fight until the end and that no team can give up anything. But this is just a first impression. It is too early to make decisions. An evaluation.
You have a number of interesting opponents. Ajax, Frankfurt, Athletic Bilbao and Fenerbahce are teams that have long been among Europe’s top teams…
“I look towards Bilbao.
What about your trip to Greece? The match at PAOK will have a special meaning for you, right?
“For the first time in my club’s career, I will be betting in Greece, so I’m a little curious to see how I will go looking ahead. For me after Bilbao. “
You have to finish this one, right? Do you have express goals in competition?
“We need to go as far as possible. I think we have demonstrated many times that we can compete with the clubs in Europe. So I think we can go very far. “
You are strong, especially at home, as you confirmed in the Champions League qualifiers. But in the end, you were knocked out by Lille, does that still hurt?
“It is difficult to accept. We made a wonderful game in the rematch, we discovered a way to succeed in front of anyone. But unfortunately we could not compensate for the two -goal deficit. It would be wonderful to play the Champions League, but we still have to look towards the future.
In qualifying, he also tried his hand in a defensive role. In the duel against the Real Union, he was accused of the harmful Cameron Puertas and barely let him into the game. How did the role fit you?
“I have to say that it was a challenge. I am an attacking player, but when the scenario requires it, I am satisfied to play that role. If the coaches feel that I can help the most by personally defending the older player As a star of the rival, I will settle with this role without any problem. If they need me to do it all season, I will do it all season (smiles)
Would you like it?
“I like being in the country. I don’t care where. The thing for me is to be there. That’s enough to enjoy football. “
However, you were absent from the beginning XI in spring. Was it something you discovered difficult?
“Nobody likes to be on the bench, but that’s part of football. I tried to at least take something away from it. I worked hard in training, I talked to the coaches. I wanted to show them that I deserve to be on the pitch.”
In the end, you have earned their trust. However, during the summer the hypothesis circulated that he could leave Slavia. Have you solved it?
“Not at all. I have not done the job. I know that any progress is accompanied by shorter failures, the vital thing is that they are not in the long term. You have to react with each step back, and that is what I try to do at the beginning of the season.
So far, so good…
“But I can’t be complacent. There are many vital fittings that await us in Europe and in the league. I have to paints so that I can be able to get this point for the rest of the season. Obviously, not every single and every fit is perfect, but I have to see to play as productive as possible. “
Have the coaches found the perfect role for you? You seem to be able to link well with Oscar Dorley in the middle of the park.
“I wouldn’t say my position or my role on the field has fundamentally changed. The coaches still need me to do the same things I did last year, but I think I’m better at following their instructions. I go out there to push harder. At the end of the day, play more in the opponent’s 16 and get opportunities.
You left Greece with your parents when you were nine years old. Do you remember how difficult it was for you at that time?
“It is very complicated for the total family. We had to start a new life in an absolutely foreign country. We did not know the language, we did not know any Ivery . . . In the end, football helped us all. ” Training
Actually? As?
“I made friends temporarily through him. I just went out with the ball, I met other people and learned to speak quite temporarily due to Norway Norway. “
How complicated was getting used to Norwegian football? I can believe that Norwegian young people are smart dogs.
“That was not the pass, I was referring more to another technique of young footballers. In Greece, talented kids go to the big clubs, in Norway it doesn’t look like that. Match of the year.
In addition, just before moving to Norway, you made admitted to the remarkable academy La Masia in Barcelona. You have of education with the maximum talented young soccer players in the global for those boys who play football just for fun . . .
“I didn’t take it that way, I sought especially to play. In addition, in Norway, I can laugh at football. In Barcelona, it was more tension for me. I did not say a word of Spanish and I feel an advantage in its position there.
So your first club outside of Greece and Norway became Slavia more than 10 years later. Weren’t you aiming higher? Maybe your youth team partner Oscar Bobb is already peeking into Manchester City’s first team.
“Not at all. The transfer to Slavia was vital for me. In Norway I played for smaller clubs that were in the back of the table. Suddenly, a team that wins trophies and plays the European glasses regularly was interested in me. Think here.
I guess it’s simple to get used to fighting for titles and matches in Europe, right?
“Well, it wasn’t simple at all. Every week you go into a game here thinking you have to score 3 points. There is nothing winning. I didn’t know this kind of attitude until then. I had to get used to it’s a little bit, but of course it’s a smart concern. “
When you arrived, there was a lot of talk that you would replace Nicolae Stancio. Did you understand this?
“To be honest, almost not at all. I knew that I had played here and that he was very popular with the fans, however, I never sought to imitate or compare myself to anyone. From the beginning, I sought to be myself. “
Maybe one day, when you’re gone, enthusiasts will compare new recruits with YouArray.
“That would be nice, but I’m not thinking about leaving yet. I’m focusing on Slavia and I want to help them to the best results. If there is an offer for a transfer, so be it. I’m not dealing with it right now.”
But I guess you don’t take the slave as your last stop.
“Of course, I would be satisfied if I had the opportunity to move forward. I would like to go a step further, however, it is transparent to me that it may not happen. He counts on me and my performance. “
Do you have a club or league you like to play in?
“My dream is to witness one of the four most sensible European competitions and for them to be interested in me.