Ivan Jovanovic admits massive Netherlands defeat will hurt Greece for a long time

Greece head coach Ivan Jovanovic has expressed his deep disappointment following his side’s devastating 7-0 loss to the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The manager admitted that the heavy scoreline has created a negative atmosphere within the squad as they struggle to process the scale of the defeat.

Jovanovic did not hide his frustration during both the flash interview and the subsequent press conference, appearing visibly shaken by the performance of his players. The manager emphasised that the psychological impact of the loss would be the biggest hurdle to overcome. Jovanovic acknowledged that the fans, both those in attendance in Amsterdam and those watching from home, were left deeply disappointed by the display.

"It's still early, there is great disappointment, we disappointed a lot of people. Both those who were here and those who were watching us. It will be very important that we manage, within these three days, to return to a satisfactory state until the next match. This match with the Netherlands showed us that we still have a lot of effort. This game hurt us and will hurt us for a long time to come…," Jovanovic told Alpha TV, as quoted by Kathimerini.

Reflecting on how the match unfolded, Jovanovic noted that his side never looked comfortable after falling behind early. He compared the performance unfavourably to recent displays where Greece had shown more grit. The manager admitted that once the Netherlands found their rhythm, his side became an easy target, failing to provide the resistance required to stop the goals from flowing in.

"We are immediately after a game that was very bad for us in progress. Such defeats work very negatively for the whole team. We will have to make an effort in the next few days to prepare for the match with Serbia. This result creates a climate that we do not want. We knew that the opponent was a good team, but we were not well prepared. The 3-0 in the first 20 minutes was a small ‘shock’, from which we could not recover during the match," Jovanovic explained.

"If we assume that the game is a continuation of the second half at home, we were not prepared for the match. After a while, we were an easy target for the Netherlands. It is a difficult time for all of us. It was a game where we were very weak. We were not prepared for what we had to. This is confirmed by the progress of the match. We are trying to level up with all these teams. In the rest of the games, we proved that we are competitive."

The manager is fully aware that such a significant result will have lasting consequences for the national team’s reputation and standing. Beyond the immediate point loss, the manner of the defeat has damaged the momentum the team had previously built. Jovanovic was blunt about the reality of the situation, admitting that it is hard to look forward while the pain of the result remains so fresh.

"This scenario is not the most pleasant. We suffered a very big defeat in all respects, both in terms of points and performance, and it is certainly not the most pleasant thing, under these conditions, to think immediately about the next day. We will surely suffer the consequences of this defeat, both in terms of the extent of the score and our image on the field,” the coach remarked.

Despite the dark cloud hanging over the team, the international schedule offers no respite. Greece must now travel to face Serbia, a fixture that Jovanovic describes as vital for repairing the team's image. He remains hopeful that the squad can find a way to compete more effectively and salvage some pride after the disaster in Amsterdam.

"In three days we have an important game. Surely these two or three days will not be the easiest, due to today’s appearance and the result. But we will try to correct our image so that we can claim something better in the game with Serbia…” he concluded.