"It's true that we did not kick off the campaign the way we wanted to. Nevertheless, I believe that in the end we will manage to keep the club in the Super League," pointed out Nikos Kaltsas in his exclusive interview for the website of the Super League. The Kalloni midfielder sent his message to the fans of the club: "They should continue believing in the team and support it," whereas as regards the social responsibility of the Club and their help to the refugees he said: "We must all show solidarity to the persecuted people arriving to the island in search of a better life." The full interview:
Question by Nassos Kazantzis
Do you believe that the team will manage to stay in the division?
It's true that we did not kick off the campaign the way we wanted to. I feel that up to a point our position in the classification list is not fair because of various reasons, not only competitive ones, that did not allow us to achieve better results in the matches. Nevertheless, I believe that in the end we will manage to keep the club in the Super League.
Question by Yorgos Kerlidis, Yannis Xarhos
What is the reason behind the team's low performance so far, in your opinion?
In the first fixtures, I can say that we hadn't played many matches. We did not play many friendly matches during the last days of our preparation in Mytilene and this caused us issues on a competitive level. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to easily arrange friendly matches given that we are a club coming from a remote island area, as opposed to the clubs coming from mainland Greece. Kalloni started having a pace in the 3rd to 4th matchday, we achieved a really important draw with Asteras Tripolis, both from a psychological point of view and both as regards the points, and after the victory against Panetolikos we started playing better football. I believe that during the last few matches we play the way we can play and after Miro's return in the attack, we will be able to score more goals.
Question by Vassilis Tsakiridis
Which is the best and which is the worst moment in your football career and why?
I cannot say I've had any bad moments so far. I may have had some hard or stressful times, but these were on a competitive level. For example, when we must play a good game and win the match. My most beautiful moment definitely was my first match in the Super League! It was a special experience.
Do you believe that the team is quite weak in away matches?
I don't believe that. I believe that with the exception of the first three fixtures, the team has had a good display both in home and in away matches. With the exception of the match against Panionios where we did not play the way we should.
Is every match a final for you?
It now is. There is no room for lost points.
Is the team stressed/pressured to achieve positive results?
We are obviously stressed. But at the same time, we are professionals, we play for a team that in the past two years has showed strength of character during hard times and we must enter the pitch prepared to play for the best possible result.
What are your hobbies?
Spare time is a relative term in sports. You spend most of your day either training or talking about the team and about issues relevant to the next match. In the little time I have left, I choose to spend it with my girlfriend and my friends and go to the movies, to a restaurant or stay at home.
What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of Kalloni?
I'd like to say to them to continue believing in the team and support it. Disappointment is a healthy reaction to negative results, but they shouldn't lose faith. Besides, it's the fans that give us strength and motivation, particularly in home matches, to exceed ourselves and to always try for the best possible result.
Were you not a footballer, what would you rather be and why?
My childhood dream was to become a footballer. I feel lucky that I play football since I was a little boy and that I now play professionally. I've never thought about what else I could do.
What is your dream as a footballer?
Nothing original I am afraid! I believe that one of my most important dreams is to play for the Greece National Team. My next dream, I think, is to participate in a European competition match.
Lesvos is having a difficult time with the refugee crisis. What could the people of football do in order to help?
What happens is Lesvos is serious. It's an issue affecting not only the island or other islands in the north-eastern Aegean Sea, but all of Greece. This is a humanitarian crisis, something words are not enough to describe. One must experience this in order to understand it. We must all show solidarity to the persecuted people arriving to the island in search of a better life. These people risk their lives to escape certain death and the fear of war. Everyone can and must help. What Kalloni does, namely collecting clothing and other material, is a first class opportunity to motivate other people and clubs both from football and other sports to show their social face – and this is already happening.