– A boring piece of news, said the U21 manager after revealing the national team future of Christos Zafeiris (21).
We report from Ullevaal StadiumTuesday, August 27 at 14:05
Short version
- Christos Zafeiris (21) has decided to continue his national team career with Greece.
- Jalland, the U21 manager, expressed that it was a “boring piece of news,” but understands and respects the choice.
- Zafeiris has played 47 matches for Norway’s U-teams and is now expected to play a central role on Greece’s senior national team.
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The 21-year-old has indeed chosen to continue his national team career for Greece. He has 47 matches for Norway’s U-teams.
– Christos lived in Greece until he was nine years old. He has Greek parents and Greek grandparents and is expected to have a central role on the Greek senior national team. For him to stand and sing the national anthem in Athens, where he was born, that was what his heart told him. National teams are something that comes from the heart, said Jalland at a press conference.
Jalland said there has been close dialogue between him and Zafeiris in recent weeks.
– There have been many conversations. The senior national team has done a great job mapping and evaluating Christos for the senior national team. Christos is a fantastic guy, a very decent person, and a loyal player, said Jalland.
– He is very grateful for everything he has experienced with Norway; everything has been positive. He is a very emotional guy who made a difficult choice, but it is a choice I understand and respect. I hope everyone else does too, because this is a really good guy and a great player whom we will certainly miss.
When Ståle Solbakken held his press conference shortly after Jalland, Zafeiris also became a topic of discussion.
– I have also talked to him. He says that he has been promised various things by Greece, and that he is supposed to have the same role as Martin Ødegaard there. He can’t get that here – and as of now, he is not good enough either, said Solbakken.
See the full squad here:
He also emphasized that Zafeiris could be a candidate in the future, but that as national team manager, he cannot make any promises.
– I could promise him the moon and the stars, taken him out, and made it impossible for Greece to do the same, but then not included him over the next few years. That wouldn’t be right. That’s not how it works; you need to have both heart and brain involved, said Solbakken.
Zafeiris plays for Slavia Prague and has made 42 appearances for the Czech club. He has previously played for Haugesund and Grorud in Norway.
The U21 national team will face Latvia on September 5 and Italy in Stavanger on September 10. Here is the full squad:
U21 Squad
Magnus Sjøeng – Vålerenga
Sander Tangvik – Rosenborg
Leo Fuhr Hjelde – Sunderland
Robin Dahl Østrøm – Silkeborg
Tobias Guddal – Tromsø
Brage Skaret – Fredrikstad
Oliver Braude – Heerenveen
Eskil Edh – AIK
Fredrik Oppegård – PSV Eindhoven
Mathias Fjørtoft Løvik – Molde
Thelonious Aasgaard – Wigan
Isak Hansen-Aarøen – Werder Bremen
Kristian Malt Arnstad – Anderlecht
Sverre Nypan – Rosenborg
Sivert Mannsverk – Ajax
Sondre Auklend – Bodø/Glimt
Sindre Walle Egeli – Nordsjælland
Joel Mvuka – Lorient
Marius Broholm – Rosenborg
Sondre Ørjasæter – Sarpsborg 08
Seedy Jatta – Sturm Graz
Lasse Nordås – Tromsø
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