Sebastian Leto Interview

By: Minas | October 9th, 2009

panhgyri_b Hello everyone.

Well, nothing interesting has happened these days (after our win against Larissa), so I guess the most important thing that could be posted is an interview of Sebastian Leto. Love this player.

Actually, along with Katsouranis, he is our best player so far. Last year he played for rivals Olympiakos (on loan from Liverpool). He has scored 4 goals till now. One against Atletico Madrid, in Champions League play-off round, two against Ergotelis, and one against Panthrakikos.

I translated the interview from Greek to English, at least I tried. But I guess most of my translation make sense. Anyway, here goes :

Q: You said that in Argentina, you’d never go to a fierce rival. But in Greece, you did it.
A:Yes, but it’s not the same. Not at all. At Lanus I stayed many years, and I loved the team. At Olympiakos I stayed only for ten months, I never became a fan of them.

Q: How do you feel at Panathinaikos?
A: Excellent. I’m very happy. Everyone treats me great and I feel as a part of a family. Everyone who works in the team does his job well. My teammates are fantastic , and our fans always support us. It’s very different to watch a team from the outside, and totally different to watch the team from the inside. Honestly, before I come to the club, I thought that Panathinaikos was a worse team than my previous team. But now, I found out that Panathinaikos is much better than my previous team, and it is truly a big European club.

Q: Do you know that Panathinaikos have a big tradition in European competitions?
A: Yes, and I checked it last year as well, when they almost reached the quarter finals. Don’t think that Europa League is an easy competition. Many good teams compete there.Firstly, we must qualify from the group stage, and I think that we will make it. Afterwards, things will get more difficult, but I think we can go far in this competition.

Q: Last year , everyone said that you don’t score. But in this season, you prove them wrong.
A: Things last season were very different than now. Before I sign at Olympiakos, last time I had played in a match was 6 months ago. This season I am much more calmer, and this is the most important. Moreover, I think that now I have better teammates. I may not be a striker, but the two goals that I scored last year were very few.

Q: Would you like Panathinaikos win the derby (against Olympiakos) with you scoring the winning goal?
A: Yes, that would be great. But the most important is that we must win, not me scoring. If there could be a combination of those two, it would be perfect.

Q: Who was your idol?
A: For all Argentinians, Maradona is the idol. I liked also Santiago Solari a lot. He played in my position and I admired him.

Q: Do you like life in Athens?
A:Very much. The weather is great, people are friendly and they have fun all the time. The sea is near, and for everyone who likes playing football, this is the perfect city.

Q: How is your life outside of the football pitch?
A: Usually, I stay at my home with my girlfriend, but I also have some Argentinian and Greek friends, with whom I enjoy going for a walk etc.

Q: What were your dreams when you started your carreer?
A: As a child, my dream was to become a football player, and help my family. As a football player, my dream is to win as many trophies as possible.

Q: How is it playing in Anfield?
A: It’s great. When the pitch is full, and the fans sing “You’ll never walk alone”, the atmosphere is unique.

Q: Is Maradona the best Argentinian player ever?
A: No. He is the best ever , in the whole world.

Q: You never saw him playing…
A: I have seen him only in DVDs. However, we played together in a charity match, organized by Lanus.

Q: Which team , in your opinion, is the best in Europe?
A: Barcelona. They are a dream club for every player.They play fantastic football and it’s a joy watching them play.

Q: Who is the best player in the world?
A:Messi. Iniesta is very good as well. But Messi is unique because he can do the unpredictable. I also like Ronaldo and Kaka.

Leto’s first goal at Panathinaikos (0:45). Not bad. (what a goal from Aguero btw)

* Some Greek media claim that we are interested in AC Milan defender, Kaladze.

* I know that what I am going to say is stupid, but I truly hope that Latvia defeats us today. Otto added Seitaridis (although he is not in good condition – he may even get injured if he plays), Mantzios and Tziolis (last time they played in a football match was in May), and Charisteas to the national squad. Wow.