Isidoros Koutsidis on Olympiacos facing Flamengo at the Maracanã
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
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Olympiacos defender Isidoros Koutsidis talks about facing Flamengo at the Maracanã.
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Before April, no club from Greece had ever won a major UEFA trophy.
But that all changed when Olympiacos claimed victory in the UEFA Youth League, and a few weeks later the seniors triumphed in the UEFA Conference League – Isidoros Koutsidis having played a part in both.
The 19-year-old defender contributed to two clean sheets in the Youth League finals in Nyon as Olympiacos beat Nantes on penalties after a 0-0 draw then saw off AC Milan 3-0 in the decider three days later. All the more remarkable as the night before the semis in Switzerland he had been in Istanbul on the bench against Fenerbahçe as his side got through the last eight of the Conference League.
Thanks to that successful overnight flight from Istanbul to Geneva, Koutsidis earned an even longer journey as Youth League holders Olympiacos are off to Rio de Janeiro to take on Flamengo for the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup at the Maracanã. Koutsidis, who has been training with the seniors over the summer along with several former U19 colleagues, spoke to UEFA.com about the Flamengo fixture and his memories of that incredible week in April.
On playing at the Maracanã...
This is a great feeling and the Maracanã is famous worldwide. What makes this experience especially unique is playing in front of so many people, who at the same time are football fans who share a different football culture.
On Flamengo...
They are a team with a long history in Latin America. A number of great footballers who now play in the biggest football clubs in Europe started their careers at Flamengo. We are looking forward to the match.
On facing Flamengo's forward line...
It's a challenge for me and the other defenders. We have seen some things about Flamengo's forwards. They are very fast players moving either with or without the ball at their feet. But we had the best defence in the Youth League last year, so if we stay focused and follow our plan, I don’t think we will have any problems at all.
On the chance to win another international trophy for Olympiacos...
Last year was a great experience both in terms of my participation in the first team, and because of the Youth League. Of course, as it is the 100th anniversary season of the club, we would really like to win this cup too and add another trophy to our team’s collection.
On being with the team at Fenerbahçe on the Thursday and playing the Youth League semi-final the next day?
It is a memory I will never forget. Playing with the first team in a game like that, especially in Türkiye against Fenerbahçe, it was a dream. After that, the match in Switzerland was a different thing. I was so happy that I had the opportunity to play the match in Switzerland and, in the end, everything went well in both games.
On training with the first team over the summer...
It was a fruitful journey for me, and it was really nice for me to be with some players from last year’s [U19] team in the preparation training period. Of course, this made us feel better, since we knew each other. Plus, the first team players and the staff made us feel like members of the team, from the very first day.
On the connection among the U19 squad that made history for Olympiacos...
We have a special relationship among all the players. We have been a team for more than a year now. No matter what, our advantage and our best quality as a team is exactly that, that we are a team, a family, and we will always stand by each other.
On having one last game with that squad in Brazil...
It is a last dance, a final match as a U19 team. It is unbelievable that the match, for the Intercontinental Cup, will be held in Brazil, at the Maracanã. We all want to live it to the full.
