National team coach Apostolos Mantzios discusses upcoming friendly matches and player selections

The coach of the men's national team, Apostolos Mantzios, held a press conference prior to a morning training session. The team is preparing for upcoming friendly matches against Slovenia and Liechtenstein. Mantzios acknowledged that this is a demanding period at the end of the year, noting that players are physically fatigued. He highlighted that the scheduled week of training and the two friendly matches provide an opportunity to test new tactics ahead of future official fixtures. Regarding squad selection, he defended his decisions and stated that he evaluates players from all clubs equally. He specifically mentioned the inclusion of new players Christou and Naoum, who were previously unavailable due to injuries sustained in March. Mantzios stated that while he understands external criticism regarding call-ups, his selection process is based on individual player merit rather than the size of their respective clubs.