Pavlidis’ mentor certain about Benfica striker: He’s ready to... | OneFootball

Vangelis Pavlidis has been going through a less positive phase this season - where he might lose his starting position -, at a time when he hasn't scored in six matches. However, the goal drought of Benfica's number 14 does not worry Apostolos Mastranestis, with the Greek's mentor assuring that the athlete is 'willing to die' for the team.

"He has an excellent relationship with the coach, he loves the coach, he knows the interest the coach has in him and he is willing to die for the coach and for Benfica," said the former coach of the Greek international in an interview with BTV.

"Especially this year, because he wants to be successful, win titles, he wants to be a champion. Benfica is wonderful for Vangelis, it's a lifelong dream. When he heard about Benfica, he told me: 'we have to go to this club'. He loves Benfica, the staff, the people, the coach. He really likes Lisbon, it's like Thessaloniki. People adore him, they are very warm. His dream is to be a champion with Benfica," added Mastranestis.

"I met him when he was four or five years old. He came to the Academy and I was just a coach. He was very young and wanted to play football. He was a little boy, even a bit chubby, but he had a lot of enthusiasm in training and really enjoyed it. He really loved it. Then, from the age of 11, he started doing individual training with me because he really wanted to improve himself until he was 16," recalled the Hellenic coach.

"When he was already at Bochum, he went to spend a weekend in Thessaloniki and went to watch an Academy game. At halftime, we were losing 2-0 and he said he wanted to play. But he was a Bochum player, he couldn't risk getting injured. Still, at halftime, he got a teammate's kit, played, scored three goals, and we won 3-2. He's crazy, he has great motivation," he concluded, in statements to BTV.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.