Hernan Losada: “I feel an even greater responsibility and even more a part of the Apollon family”

Hernan Losada gave his first interview after extending his contract with Apollon for a further two years. He spoke about the reasons that convinced him to continue in Limassol, the special relationship he has developed with the club’s supporters, and the project he hopes will lead the club to even greater success.

How do you feel after renewing your contract with Apollon?

I am extremely happy. From the first day I arrived, I felt at home. We have created a very strong connection with the club’s fans and I love being here. I wake up every morning with a smile on my face. Together with my partner, Julieta, we truly feel at home.

We really enjoy life in Limassol. I enjoy working with this group of players, the coaching staff and everyone at the club. I genuinely appreciate everyone because, from the very first moment, they made me feel very comfortable.

This is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. I am grateful that the club gave me the opportunity during a difficult period and trusted me. That trust has now been rewarded with a two-year contract extension, something that makes both me and my staff extremely proud.

I fully understand the great responsibility that comes with this renewal. Honestly, I would like to stay here even for ten years. I really enjoy being part of the Apollon family.

I would also like to thank the president, who trusted me during a period when the club was not going through its best moments. I hope we can continue creating great memories, remain competitive and continue playing attractive football for our supporters.

Until now, we have experienced only positive moments. When the difficult moments come, I am sure we will all remain united, because that is what a real family does.

I truly believe this was the right choice for everyone and I feel that the best is still ahead of us.

I would also like to thank my representative, David Solari, who believed in me from the first moment and played an important role in bringing me to Cyprus and to Apollon.

When you joined Apollon in December, did you imagine that just a few months later you would sign a new contract?

When I arrived, we signed a contract until the end of the season with an option for another year, which the club activated. Therefore, I already had a contract for this season as well. However, both sides felt that extending our collaboration was the right step.

In almost every club where I have worked, my goal has always been to leave my mark. I always give 100% because football is my passion. When I feel such a strong connection with the club, the fans and the city, I believe special things can happen.

I will never forget my first home match against Pafos. It was the first game of January. When I entered Alphamega Stadium and saw the fans supporting the team with such passion, I immediately felt that this was where I wanted to stay. I remember the many children behind the bench, the energy and the enthusiasm in the atmosphere. Even before the result, I already felt that this was the right place for me.

Of course, in football you never know what can happen. In football, everything comes down to results and that is part of our job. I know that many times coaches are not rewarded as they deserve, even when they give their absolute best.

Fortunately, over the last six, seven, eight months, the results have been on our side. Now, however, comes the most difficult part: maintaining this level and continuing on the same path.

What convinced you that Apollon was the right place to continue your journey?

There are many reasons. First of all, the group of players. It is by far the best group I have ever worked with. They have the right mentality, they are ambitious, they want to improve every day and they have excellent relationships with each other.

When they need to work hard, they are the first ones to do it. They are good people who value their families and that creates a very healthy environment.

Equally important are all the people around the team. The staff members I brought with me, such as Chema and Gonzalo, Jele who recently joined the coaching staff, Christos, the medical team, the marketing department, the media department, the kit staff, the nutritionist, as well as Mr George Nicolaou, who is a true figure at the club.

All these people make me feel important and genuinely happy to be working here.

At the same time, I consider it very important that I have an excellent relationship with the technical director, Makis. Our communication is excellent and we see football in the same way. This helps greatly in our daily work and is another reason that confirms I am in the right place, both to develop as a coach and as a person.

I am a very ambitious coach. I always want more and I have high demands, not only from the players but from everyone working around the team. The most important thing, however, is waking up every morning and looking forward to going to work because you know you will meet people you appreciate and enjoy working with. That is exactly what happens every day at Apollon.

What does signing a two-year contract mean for you and the club?

It says a lot, but at the same time it says nothing, because we all know how football works. Nevertheless, it gives me confidence and shows that the club believes in me not only for this season but also for the future.

It means that we have a shared vision of football and that we all want to build a long-term project. We want to continue developing the academy, producing players like Roberto and defending the our playing identity we have created over the last few months.

When you know there is a two-year plan, you feel greater security and greater respect. You feel that the work you are doing is not only for a few months or one season, but has a future. That makes you feel safer, even though we all know that in football things can change very quickly.

How did you manage to build such a strong bond with the fans and the club in such a short period of time?

I think the main reason is that I am authentic. I am an honest person who always says what he believes and does not try to present himself as something different from who he really is.

I am Argentine, with Italian roots, and I believe the culture in Cyprus is very close to what I experienced while growing up. There is the same passion, the same intensity and the same love for football. Apollon’s supporters are passionate and for years they have been waiting to experience European nights again, to compete for titles, but also to see a team they can identify with.

Even in our last game, with qualification almost secured, I thought perhaps not many fans would come to the stadium. But when I walked onto the pitch and saw so many supporters in the stands, I felt an even greater responsibility towards them.

Before the match, I told the players that we had to play as if the score was 0-0. The fans came to see us win and play good football, and we owed them that performance.

This connection with the fans makes me feel alive. It shows me that all the sacrifices and hard work over the past year have started to pay off.

Results are important, but even more important is having a clear identity and a specific style of play. If you remain faithful to that plan, then the results will come. It is not enough to win in any way.

I also want to give all the credit to my players. They understood very quickly what we were asking from them. Many changes were made in a short period of time, and thanks to their response we have achieved everything we have achieved so far.

Does signing a two-year contract create an even greater sense of responsibility?

That sense of responsibility has always been there. I am someone who takes his job with absolute seriousness. Even if I signed a contract for only one month, I would work in exactly the same way.

Maybe some people, when they renew their contracts, feel more comfortable or relax. For me, it is exactly the opposite. I feel even greater responsibility, even more committed to what we are building and even more part of this family.

When I saw the plane full of people who travelled to Georgia to support Apollon, or when I see the fans filling the stadium, I feel truly proud. At the same time, however, I feel that I am in a position where I do not have the right to disappoint them.

That is why I will continue giving my best, as I have done since the first day I took charge of the team. My responsibility does not increase because I signed for two years. It has always been the same and it will continue to be the same, because that is how I approach my work.

What message would you like to send to the Apollon fans after renewing your collaboration?

I want to ask them to remain united and continue supporting the team in the same way they have done until now.

A very demanding season awaits us. The league will be highly competitive and we will try to continue our European journey for as long as possible.

Football is full of factors that you cannot always control. A result can be influenced by many details, such as a refereeing decision, luck, weather conditions or the form of the players on the day of the match.

What I can promise is that we will continue giving our best in every training session and every game. We will continue working with the same dedication and the same passion.

The support of our fans until now has been truly incredible. I couldn’t ask for anything more from them.