Building a New Legacy: The Coach’s Vision for the Next Season

After weeks of intensive preparation, the coach of our team expresses his first impressions and goals for the new season.

Mr. Gula shares his thoughts on the team’s preparation and his vision through the many changes that have taken place this year.

You have completed the preparation of the team. What are your impressions from the first weeks with the players?

First of all, it is very important to say that we are building a new team, completely new, with 13 new players and a new coaching staff. It is an important step, many and big changes, and for this reason we had to quickly analyze who is the most suitable for each position, who can play in two positions, who in one. I am happy because I believe that we analyzed these data very quickly.

Now, we need to integrate the new players into our style, while at the same time respecting the culture and DNA of Apollon. The challenge is great, but all players, old and new, are ready to adapt.

Are the new players more open-minded to change, to adapt to your philosophy?

Yes, we hope so, we believe so, but I also have a good experience with the players from last season because they are open and they know that something went wrong and now they want to change. They want to, and that’s very important to me. It is important to be consistent and work daily for progress. The improvement will not be seen immediately, but with consistency and daily work, we will see evolution both individually and as a team.

How do you evaluate the overall performance of the team in the friendly matches?

I was not satisfied with the physical condition in the first matches, which is normal after two months of vacation. Players need time to adjust to the demands and the weather. I see progress, which we measure through GPS data. It is important to continue with consistency, not only in physical condition but also in tactics, as we want to improve every day.

Do you notice progress? Are the players improving?

I see progress, they improve during friendly matches. Of course, my feeling and that of my staff is important, but what we can measure, we can compare. We measure the GPS data and our performance physically is much better than when we started, and that’s fantastic. This can also give confidence to the players. We are better physically and we will continue. This is not the end, the preparation does not end and we stop training. No, that’s not our philosophy. We will continue to demand a high level of physical fitness every day and show it during matches as well.

I am happy because every day we were better, and in every friendly we were better. This is important, but we must also continue with the tactical details, because the physical part is only one part. We need to be better physically, as a team, but also mentally. As I said before… the players want to improve, they want to be better with this style, they want to play this style. Sometimes with mistakes, of course, but we have to eliminate these mistakes with daily progress and daily training. I feel the improvement.

You mentioned when you came that you like attacking and dominant football. Do you think your team is responding to this competitive philosophy?

I am 100% sure that the team is reacting positively to this philosophy. It is important to promote this style of play, which is part of Apollon’s DNA. We are looking for players who can play this dominant style, both with and without the ball. Of course, we have to respect the opponent and be ready to adapt, but our philosophy is to play our own game regardless of the opponent.

In general, I want to teach my players that it doesn’t matter who the opponent is, with all due respect to the opponent, but we must try to play our style, having our own identity.

You also mentioned that you want to give opportunities to young players. How do you plan to integrate young people into the team and help them develop?

The door is open for five very young players from the academy. I am happy with what I saw, as they brought energy and intensity to the team. Some may not be ready yet, but this is not the end. Consistency is the key. Some players may need to go on loan to get minutes, while others will stay and fight for their place. The analysis of this situation is very important for the club and the players. We feel that, some show us that they have to be with us in training to be ready for the first team because you never know what can happen. We brought 13 new players and they are still here. They have the quality. Of course, they are not yet ready to play immediately and show that quality, but they have potential and they have to seize the opportunity. And now it’s up to them. To be ready.

Do you see the young players playing the kind of football you want for the new season or is it too early?

Yes, young players, like Christos, Alex and Kosmas, show that they can follow what we want. There are no different rules for young and experienced players – everyone has to adapt to the style we want. The challenge is how we will prepare these young players quickly. Our goal is to adapt these ideas to the academy.

To achieve this goal, I demand that the coaches and players in the academy be ready faster. Players need to train with the same intensity as we try to train. They need to train with the same demands as we do. Our game plan is similar to that of the first team. And this is the challenge for us now, to adapt these ideas to the academy. I have meetings with the academy. We will also prepare a development program for young people. I don’t believe we should wait for the dream. I believe that if we work for it, the dream will come.

Can you give us an idea of the style of play and tactics you will follow?

I hope the fans are happy with the energy, pressure and aggressiveness of the team. I will not reveal my plans now, but I hope that they will immediately understand how we want to play. Our style will be aggressive, with a balance between attack and defense. We want to prepare our team for different styles of play that we may encounter.

There are a million opinions on how our team can play. For us, the DNA of the club is important and we will try to follow it and get better every day in this style.

We have made 13 transfers to date, are you satisfied with the planning so far?

In general, I am satisfied, but the transfer window is still open. I can’t be 100% satisfied yet, because the adaptation of new players to the league and different styles of play is important. It takes time to judge whether a transfer is good or bad. It is impossible to judge whether someone is a successful transfer or not in a few weeks. Our goal is to minimize adaptation time as much as possible.

Have you decided how the team will line up in the first match?

Not yet, as we recently had new signings such as Domagoj, Gaitan, Lam and De Marco. I talk to my players every day and I have a general picture, but football is unpredictable. We need to stay focused on our daily schedule and training, as daily progress is key.

If someone knows the starting lineup from today, it means that he is very good, because I don’t know yet. I have a plan of course, but for me it is very important that the whole team is ready, to be ready for the game and for training every day.

What is your opinion on the level of the championship, did you watch any friendlies or European matches of the other Cypriot teams?

I don’t have personal experience of the quality of the league yet, but I decided to come here because I believe in the quality of the league. My experience will grow over time, and then I will be able to talk more specifically about quality.

I can’t just compare through videos or from some APOEL and Pafos matches which I watched live.

What are the elements that you think will make the difference for Apollon in the new season?

I hope we are one, that we are united. This can be very important to us. If we are like one, that is, the fans, the club, the players we can achieve a lot. The fans can be the 12th player for us and that can make the difference against the opponent.

You just mentioned the fans, how do you react when you see the fans in open training?

It was amazing, a big surprise for me. The fans showed their love for Apollon and for us it was very important to show energy and team spirit on the pitch. I knew there were many but I also experienced their energy, intensity and passion for the team.

What message do you want to send to the fans?

To be one, to be together. The players need the fans and they need to be ready to support the club and the players throughout the season as we try to build something new. There may be difficulties, but with their support we can overcome them.