Ivan Jovanovic, a true champion
There is no doubt that Ivan Jovanovic is a very good soccer coach, having accomplished an amazing feat in this year’s championship despite working with a team that was clearly less experienced and of lesser quality than the other major teams in Greek soccer.
Undefeated at first, he was at the top for almost the entire season until he lost the title literally at the end. Yet he earned another title, and that was for his seriousness and integrity.
Always level-headed and gracious to his opponents, he has never hesitated to praise the other team when it played better than his.
He is widely respected, even by the fans of other clubs, perhaps because he accomplished what he did while having so little to work with, but mainly for his overall attitude, both on and off the pitch.
And that was before the incredible press conference he gave after Panathinaikos was knocked out of the running for the title by its archrival Olympiakos, when the league forced his team to play even though almost all the players had Covid.
The Serbian coach stated that he hated himself for being forced to choose between his players’ health and their dreams. He said that he had won and lost championships before, but never like this, and made it known that he told the club’s management to cease all efforts to postpone the match.
His disarming sincerity and sentiment touched those who are interested in soccer and many more. His observations, his accusations in fact, were pointed yet phrased in such a way that even those who came under criticism could downplay them.
He exercised self-criticism too – and it was undeserved criticism – delivering a rare lesson in ethics and awareness. “We listen to him and respect him because of the kind of person he is,” even fans of Panathinaikos’ rivals were heard to say.
Do we have a lot of people like him in Greece? People who are sincere, credible and widely appreciated, who have earned the respect of friends and rivals alike with their attitude? And not just in soccer?
His appearance in that press conference served as a lesson that has stirred the murky waters of Greek soccer and become a reference point.
He created, albeit temporarily, a code of communication between foes. Fans, regardless of their team, agree that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. The Serbian coach exposed the rot in his own special way.
Greece needs such paradigms, across the spectrum. Next Sunday, thousands will rightly stand up to applaud Jovanovic as the champion that he really is.
