Elias Kotsios on Sportish: “I wanted Ronaldinho’s shirt, but I accidentally got Messi”

We couldn’t help but ask him about the difficult period he was going through due to the game between PAS and OFI in the games between them in the 2010/11 season where he was in midfield. The veteran defender believes he has been wronged but has put that story behind him after reconciling all sides. “It was a difficult time, I spent a lot with my family. I couldn’t play because PAS was up mathematically.

A lot of players got a card to avoid that because it was a difficult game because of what happened in the first round, but I wanted to honor the team. It was a bit unfair for me, I think I was wronged, but long-forgotten explanations were given by both sides. I have good relations with the friends of both teams“.

I quit when I was 40, but regretted it shortly after

However, he ended his career at OFI as he wished: “I wanted to end my career at OFI. Luckily I did. It was difficult for me even though I quit when I was 40. After a while I felt like I was wrong. I had a suggestion to go play but I wanted to stay in Crete. I stayed from another position in the team but Mr. Polemarchakis who trusted me left and soon after I left too“.

At the end of his career, he didn’t know what he wanted to be, as he explained to us. “Hard times, I didn’t know what I wanted to be honest. It was the worst for me, I hadn’t made my decisions. In my mind I wanted to stay in Crete. I realized many things from this passage of mine by connecting with many people. I had to be more careful. I decided to get a coaching diploma“.

At the same time, we asked him about the advice coach Kotsios would give to footballer Kotsios. He emphasizes that he would advise himself to rest. “Be calmer during the game. While tenacity had its upsides, it helped me in my game, I definitely needed to be more restrained“.

At the start of his new career, we couldn’t help but ask him about his ambitions in his new career. “I started in A’ Athens and then as an assistant to Babi Tenne in Lamia. Working in the Super League is easier. The players have the quality, they know what to do, you just manage them. Below are tactics for the players. Now I have good chemistry with Francesco, we hope to walk up the stairs step by step and look carefully at each step“.

Last year’s amazing Super League 2 was disbanded for no reason, nowhere else have the B’ teams been relegated

After experiencing Super League 2 “firsthand”, he told us about his experience in the new league, which isn’t the best possible. “Everything that happened was tragic. Professional groups were created without being. There are players who go unpaid for many months and teams that thrive. I can’t give the owners unfair credit for not getting a penny from what they threw.

Last year’s Super League 2 was incredible and was disbanded. What we’re seeing this year is a patchwork quilt. Whoever I speak to tells me the worst except 4-5 teams. All of this happened for no reason.

A team only gets that many races directly in the first league. I can’t understand how all presidents accepted that. Unfortunately, sustainability was not achieved. You saw how many teams didn’t pay the referees. There’s no logic in what happened, football doesn’t go that way“.

At the same time we asked him about the B’ teams but also about the course in Karaiskakis this season: “In all countries, the second teams start from the Third National. In addition, this group does not fall in any country, as is the case here. They can shape the league by using players from the first team in one game who want to help, while in another they need some players from the second team due to problems.

These players gain experience and it helps them. These teams are high and it shows that the level is not good. Last year when they played they wouldn’t do well. It is not logical not to be demoted. As for Karaiskakis, the team is fighting to stay, we also have some problems, but I think we will succeed in the end.“.