New head coach Adrian Gula introduced by Apollon Limassol

A press conference was held on the morning of Wednesday (10/07) to present our team’s new coach, Mr. Adrian Gula.

First to speak was President Nikos Kirzis, who welcomed the Slovak coach, expressing his optimism for the new collaboration and highlighting that Gula was also a top choice for the management last December. Kirzis described Gula as a coach who “builds teams,” plays attacking football, and works with a strong support team.

“I welcome Mr. Gula to the large family of Apollon and Limassol. We had made contacts in the past, but unfortunately, an agreement wasn’t reached then because he wanted to take a break to recharge for his next football station. The first name that came to our minds after deciding not to continue with Mr. Machin was Mr. Gula. It didn’t take us long to reach an agreement. We talked for many hours, met in London during Easter, and agreed. He is a coach who… ‘builds’ teams. He has a leading role in every team. He plays attacking football and is staffed with a strong team, which is crucial for achieving our goals. We trust Mr. Gula as a management and will support him. I ask the fans to be patient and support the effort. We are building a team not just for today but also for tomorrow. Together, we will bring Apollon back to where it has been for the last 10 years.”

Subsequently, the president explained the reasoning behind his optimism for Mr. Gula, emphasizing that he will bring stability to the team’s bench.

“The coach is the Alpha and Omega of every team. When there is no stability in the coaching position, there are consequences. Something we saw at Apollon; it wasn’t the only problem, but it was the main one. It’s very difficult when coaches change constantly. Eight coaches have passed in the last two years, and that’s why we had these results.

We made a plan for what we want as a team so that each coach does not determine what he wants for the team. We knew what we wanted, and Mr. Gula met all our requirements.”

Then Mr. Gula took the floor, stating in his initial comment that it is an honor for him to be the coach of Apollon and that he will do his best for this team and its fans.

Questions from journalists followed:

Do you hope to highlight young footballers at Apollon, as you did in your previous teams?

Our goal is the first team, but we will also look at the academies. We have players born in 2006 in training, and those who are eager to work will be with us. I like to promote young footballers. I will ‘open’ the door and give opportunities, but they must seize them and prove they can help.

Regarding your past statistics and your goal:

Statistics are important, but every team is different. My goal is to bring Apollon to the highest level through hard work. We want to see daily progress. To return Apollon to Europe.

Regarding your transfer plan:

We need to act quickly and find good players. We are discussing daily with the management about which positions we will strengthen. We need to check the current roster first and then find the players we need. We aim for another 4-5 players.

What did you learn about Apollon before coming here?

I always like to hear the team’s vision; what the President told me satisfied me. I watched videos and got information about the team. It was a very good step for me, coming to a very big team.

About your philosophy:

I like attacking and dominant football while maintaining balance.

Did you identify any standout players?

It is an ongoing process, and we see day by day who has leadership qualities in the team. I felt that there are leaders in the team, and that is important. We need to harness these qualities, but the important thing is that we are a team, we are one.

Regarding the transfers made:

We are building a new team. The players’ dynamics are very important; Zmerhal has a lot of quality. It is significant that he can play in several positions. We aim to lower the average age of the team. We want to integrate young players into the first team.

Regarding Apollon having two unsuccessful seasons:

Step-by-step, daily progress, and hard work are what Apollon needs.