The former Panetolikos player who joined Zira at the beginning of the season spoke to Offsideplus.az in an exclusive interview. He talked about his experience in Azerbaijan, coping with a new environment and what he hopes to achieve in the Azerbaijan Premier League.
Here is an excerpt of the interview:
Offisideplus: You scored your first goal for Zira in the last game, did you dedicate this goal to anyone or anything special?
Dimitrios Chantakias: This goal is dedicated to my family and especially to my grandmother who recently passed away. I miss her dearly.
Offisideplus: What is your impression about Zira's performance so far and what do you think about Azerbaijani football?
Dimitrios Chantakias: I’m very proud of my team and our performances. I think we are competing well in a very good league with lots of competitive teams. The level of football is high with lots of teams playing attractive football.
Offisideplus: Obviously, you knew about Qarabag before you came to Azerbaijan. Did you think Zira would compete with Qarabag like this…? right now Zira has 18 points. The same points as Qarabag.
Dimitrios Chantakias: I believe in the hard work we have put in as a squad and the quality of the coaching staff has impressed me from the moment I arrived. I believed that we would give it our all every week and be very competitive.
Offisideplus: Azerbaijan is the second foreign country you have played in as a professional. What is your impression about Azerbaijan's weather, food and people?
Dimitrios Chantakias: Unfortunately with everything going on with Covid-19, I haven’t been able to enjoy and explore Azerbaijan as much as I would have liked. The people I’ve met so far have been very welcoming and the food isn’t that different from what I’m used to. As for the weather, I didn’t expect it to be so windy. That has definitely been a surprise.
Offisideplus: How have you been coping with learning a new language and communication?
Dimitrios Chantakias: Obviously there is a transition period but the team has been helpful and I’m trying to learn as much as I can.
Offisideplus: What do you hope to achieve in Azerbaijan?
Dimitrios Chantakias I want to give it my all and win every week and take whatever comes at the end of the season. If I have done everything I can to win every week I know I’ll be in a very good position.