Gustavo Poyet cited the success of the national team at Euro 2004 as an inspiration. The Uruguayan coach told FourFourTwo magazine about the difficulties of reaching the Euro 2024 final.

“It’s a great feeling. It seems impossible for a lot of people (Greece included) to do something like that. But maybe it was like that before. They did something special. The idea here is to take the national team to that level.” , which they expect because they were very good from 2004 to 2014 but haven’t reached the final since then, it should come back,” said Gustavo Poyet.

The Uruguayan coach said that he was on the bench of the national team by accident. “Honestly, I came to Greece for a different reason, to watch a match that was canceled due to Covid-19, so I had a few meetings with footballers I know. Someone said to me: “Do you know that the national team coach is leaving?” This led me to another meeting, then another, and I think it’s time. More or less I know Greek football and that helped me a lot. I know most of the players,” he said.

He then noted that “it is very important that I used to work at AEK. For many reasons. The main thing is that it helps you learn to think. If it was a completely new culture, it would be a little more difficult, it would take a few more months. I had this conversation because the work at AEK was going well.”

Gustavo Poyet also pointed out the differences in the coaching work of the club and the national team. As he noted, “It’s completely different, I’m getting used to it. This is something new for me. You are at the same pace for a month and a half, then the team gathers, and you drive from 60 to 200 kilometers per hour. So far, I have enjoyed it. It’s always nice when you do something different without being monotonous. So far I’m happy, but like everything in football, everything will depend on the results. When we play games, everyone looks at the team. But in the months when there are no matches, everyone forgets about the national teams, they focus on the clubs. When the next game comes, they come back.”