Interview with Football Player and Captain of AEK, Petros Mantalos

How old are you and for how long have you been playing football?
I am 33 years old, and I started playing football professionally just before the age of 16.

Which position do you play in?
I play as a central midfielder (8/10).

Do you think stress has a negative effect on your performance? Why/ Why not?
Each athlete or footballer experiences stress differently. If you ask me now, at 33 years old, after playing football for many years, I can tell you that I have learned to manage it, and it no longer affects me during difficult games. However, when I was younger, stress did have a negative impact on my performance. But now, I can say I am used to it.

How do you cope with stress?
In the past, I didn’t know how to handle it, I had no idea. But now, there are people you can talk to. In 2025 there are people, both within the team and some professionals whom I can talk to during the week or before a match to relieve stress and relax, so that I can be in the best possible condition before the game.

Can you remember a time when you felt very stressed before a game? What did you do?
You’re taking me way back. I remember that in the past, stress affected me a lot. Music helped me a lot back then. Today, there are many people you can talk to who can advise you, so this phenomenon is becoming less hard. When I was younger, I would go to a more experienced footballer and ask for advice and that always helped me recover.

Who do you turn to for support at stressful times? Your coach or your family? Why?
I think for most people, family is the first people they turn to. Now as we speak, it’s my wife. Seeing my child and wife, even for a little while, helps me a lot. That’s why they are the first people I call. In my opinion, family is always the first call someone makes when they want to feel better, including me.

How do you feel after a good performance?
After a good performance, I feel great. You wake up the next morning feeling completely different when you’ve had a good game.

How do you feel after a bad performance?
If my performance is not good, I wake up feeling numb the next day, especially if the team didn’t perform well. That feeling stays with me, and I am not happy with myself.

What advice would you give other young football players?
I would start this question by addressing parents first. Let the coaches, either trainers or other sports professionals do their job. I have seen many youth football matches, and most parents are constantly shouting, which does not allow their children the freedom to enjoy the game.

How did you manage to combine football and school? Were you able to? If not, why?
I didn’t manage to balance the two, if you like both you should try to manage it. I chose to focus entirely on football because I was crazy about it from a young age. My dedication to football did not allow me to combine both school and football. If I went back in time, I would definitely try to get into a gymnastics academy. One thing I know for sure is that I wouldn’t give up everything to deal with football 100%, but I would try to do everything in my power to achieve both.