Hello Efthymi, tell us a few words about you
Good evening I am 24 years old and I am playing at the moment in France, in Toulouse for 1.5 years year from June 2019! I come from area of Skydra in Pella, I grew up and I became a football player in Paok from a young age in team academies from 14 years old, at 17 I made my debut with the first team! I also been loaded at 19 in Anorthosis in Cyprus and as well in Atromitos Athens from where I got the transfer to France.
From which team / place and at what age in discovered by PAOK scouts?
They discovered me, let's put it this way, in age of 14 years old when my parents accepted one proposal by Mr. Thodoris Eleftheriadis as head of academies at that time in Paok after an academy tournament and a match Skydra, where I played, against Paok in Kalambaka!
Do you think it played an important role in your evolution as a football player that you found yourself in early on an organized academy?
Absolutely! I think the football upbringing you get the experiences, professionalism, the daily improvement through technologies and professional areas, competition and evolution I got from a young, in this very organized team and academy played a lot and an important role in who I can be today in football!
Tell us about your experience so far in the French league in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2
First it is in the 5 biggest leagues of Europe when we talk about Ligue 1 and that's what i decided last season to come in France! It's a very sporting championship with requires a lot of strength and running something that made me impression from my first days. Workouts here have a large intensity difference from the Greek superleague, there are great quality and very high football conditions! As for Ligue 2 which I live these months is a very strong and difficult championship that surprise you at first if you think it's easy with many historical teams and the league as I said very difficult and even harder in sports from that of the first category!
At what level are the academies in France? are new talents being promoted?
I think it is one of the countries involved especially with academies and promotion talents! They show great attention to the academies in the same way as in transfers and in some cases even more attention to kids from the academy which is a lot important for new talents! Every year there are new talents and very young at ages that they also play in big teams in France. They are a country that takes full advantage of its talents and academies and for that reason also in recent years has risen in level and on national teams!
Which technical elements do you consider the most important for a footballer in general and what features make a forward to stand out?
I definitely believe technical training is the most important feature for a footballer from the posture of the body which very important at all times as well as the technical training with the ball so that it can take out the best possible results for a football player! As a forward myself I think the most important aspect is the sense of goal in my position and is what makes distinguish from the rest. Many people called it ''the smell of the goal''! And surely combined with the help with the rest of the team! (The modern forward as we call it in recent years)
Do you think that they should be trained tactical details in smaller ages?
From my experiences and from what I see the moment I live abroad I think up to one age it is necessary for children to enjoy the game without many tactics and mainly playing in different positions so that they understand football, where they can play, get different skills from playing in many positions! After some age of course 12-13 years if I'm not mistaken it is necessary to pass on tactical details - training and analysis.
What advice would you give to young footballers who dream of making a career?
To love what they do! Every day work very hard to acquire knowledge and skills because nothing comes easily in life, be very patient and persistent because you will go through some difficult times and always believe in themselves and in their dreams daily!
Efthymi, thank you very much for the interview and your time.I wish you the best in your career.
Best Regards
Spiros
