D. Catala: We will fight for the trophies and our goal is to win every match

David Catala is the new head coach of our team for the 2022-23 season with the option of renewing for another season.

In his first interview after the signing of the contract , he is ready to start working and is excited to be guiding Apollon in local and European matches.

The Spanish coach spoke to the club’s official website, www.apollon.com.cy, expressing the opinion that both him and the footballers should adapt to the new conditions at Apollon.

What are your first thoughts after your announcement as the new head coach of the Cypriot champions?

First and foremost, I would like to express my joy to be here as it is a huge challenge to be coaching Apollon! I am looking forward to working with the players, transferring my ideas to them and winning titles with this team which is one of the best in Cyprus.

What are these ideas that you want to convey to your new players?

My main idea about football is for my team to keep control of the ball, to be protagonists on the pitch and that’s why I focus a lot on possession of the ball.

But I don’t forget that this is a ready-made team that already has its own identity on the field and that’s why I know that I, in turn, have to adapt to certain situations.

First we have to see what kind of footballers we have and then adapt them to the game we want to play. We can’t have possession if we don’t have the players to back it up.

So the steps are as follows, to adapt, coach and players to the new situation, to evaluate the players – to clarify what type of roster we have – and then to convince the players that they should play the way we want them to play and that this game style is ideal for the team.

Cypriot football is well known to you and you identify the potential of our team’s roster. How do you rate it?

I think the roster is very strong and it is no coincidence that these footballers won the championship. The foundation, the core of last season, is very good. However, I am of the opinion that there is always room for improvement. It is in my mentality to improve every day in all areas. Always! Being champions does not give us the right to stop working. On the contrary, we will have to work even harder to stay at the top.

In conclusion, this is my mentality and this is what I want to convey to my footballers, that there is always room for improvement.

What is the first thing you want to change immediately?

It’s a very good question because I have a lot on my mind. The first thing I want to work on is the mentality of the football players.

Who are they, how “hungry” are they for achievements after winning the championship, if they really want to keep winning, because it is not at all easy to find motivation after winning a major title.

After that, we will focus on gameplay and other day-to-day team matters.

You were a leader as a footballer, but without much experience on the bench. How do you approach this view?

In everything you do, you have to start somewhere. From scratch. I may not have the experience of other coaches, but I think I have the personality, I believe in my abilities and I am optimistic that I can achieve a lot at Apollon. That’s why I have no doubts about myself.

You are the first Spanish coach to take charge of Apollon. What does this mean to you?

It is a great honor for me, as the first Spanish coach in the team. Just being here is important because it shows that I did something good in the past. I will try my best to bring joy to the team’s fans and make them proud of their team.

What can fans expect from the team under your guidance?

First of all, wining games! Our goal is victories in all games. After that, we want to have good sportsmanship on the field and for the team’s fans to be proud of their team. To be happy about the way we play.

It won’t be easy, it needs a lot of work to do, to achieve it, but I am very convinced that with hard work we will achieve it.

The goal is clear, we can’t say anything different about a team like Apollon, the champion Apollon. We will fight for the trophies and our goal is to win every match.

It will be a competitive league, a tough and full season because of Europe, but we will face all the games to win them.

* In photos he is with the new assistant coach, Mr. Miguel Massana.

Press Office
Apollon FC