Antonis Nikopolidis spoke to Buongiorno’s camera, talking about life after football and the changes in his daily life. At the same time, the great goalkeeper also spoke about his role as a father, talking about his children and the values he tries to pass on to them.
“I have told my own story in the book. If it was up to me I would never have stopped playing football but I had to stop. I think the difficulty has to do with the fact that now everyday life changes for an athlete. Particularly when he has, participated in sports, in football, as I have for 24 years.
Suddenly, everyday life changes. You go back home, you try to adjust and you can’t do it. There were definitely some tensions in the house. I overcame all that because when you find the next thing you want to do and you dedicate yourself to it, I think things become much smoother,” Antonis Nikopolidis said initially.
And he added: “The older one (my son) is in a situation where he’s playing professionally, maybe I’m a little more strict. I think I shouldn’t be so much. Still, I want to be strict in general. My kids are going to university and me and my wife are trying to raise them mostly with values and we think we have done well. I think the secret to a successful career in football is patience and perseverance.”
