"Dimitris Salpingidis, the international scorer who continues to serve the National Team from another position"

Manos Staramopoulos • 29 de septiembre de 2025

Salpingidis is one of the most characteristic figures of modern Greek football. He was a great figure of Greek National Team for more than ten years.

Dimitris Salpingidis is one of the most characteristic figures of modern Greek football. With his passion, speed and determination, he honored the Greek National Team for more than ten years, recording great moments and decisive goals that remained engraved in the memory of the fans. Today, having left behind a rich career at the collective and national level, he continues to serve Greek football from a different but equally important role: that of the Sports Director of the Hellenic Football Federation. With his knowledge, experience and ethos, he is called upon to contribute to the new era of the National Team, connecting the glorious past with the future that is being built.

Salpingidis spoke exclusively to Manos Staramopoulos and Discoveryfootball.com about the Greek national team, the new President of the Hellenic Football Association, Makis Gagatsis, coach Ivan Jovanovic and many other interesting topics.

DF: What were the main objectives when you took over as the sports director of the Greek National Team and how do you evaluate the progress to date?

“The first criterion was the person. I discussed it with Makis Gagatsis, the president, and I immediately understood that he can change everything for the better. Excellent, he convinced me immediately.

DF: How do you describe the role of the sports director in a national team? What are your daily duties and what are your long-term responsibilities?

“There is nothing specific. There are many national teams. So the role of the sports director is to ensure that each team functions smoothly.”

DF: What was it that prompted you to return to the national team from a new role? Did the emotional bond with the team play a role?

“Ivan Jovanovic, an extraordinary person who looks at the character of each person. He is fair, honest and embraces the players, in a unique way that you don't find.."

DF: What is the biggest challenge for the Greek National Team in the coming years? Is it qualifying for the 2026 World Cup or establishing a stable competitive identity?.

"I think it should try in the coming years to be present in its major tournaments. The picture shows that we must be optimistic. It is important for our country that the Greek National Team is among the top competitions."

DF: Are there currently any players in the Greek National Team who you believe can leave their own mark, as the generation of 2004 left? Who do you single out and why?

"Yes, there are good players, mature young people, capable of development. Together, as they have shown, they can create an excellent team that brings joy to Greek fans and of course to themselves.”

DF: How important is the close cooperation of the Men’s National Team with the younger age groups (U21, U19, etc.)? Do we now see a unified plan or do disconnected structures continue to exist?

“The infrastructure departments are the blood donor of the big national team. The big team is fed from there and everyone is now responding exceptionally to this issue..”

DF: What would you say to a young footballer who dreams of wearing the jersey with the national emblem? What is the mentality he must have to get there?

“The children are now informed, well-read and know everything about the Greek national team. They know that it is the highest honor to wear the Greek national team jersey.”

DF: As a footballer, you experienced the National Team in glorious moments. What differences do you see today in terms of mentality, preparation and management?

“Football is evolving. There is so much information, analytics, data, analyses. It is logical that the world should evolve and with it football”.

DF: Do you believe that the relationship between the world and the Greek National Team has changed in recent years? What is needed for the team to “rebuild” this relationship with the fans?

“It is normal for there to be a transitional stage. There were no successes and the world became complacent. In the last year, however, the Greek National Team has shown something different, we were promoted to the A’ division of the Nations League and we see the world around us again, something that the Greek National Team needs”.

DF: What do you think is the DNA of the Greek National Team today? Has a new competitive identity been found or are we still in the search stage?

"I don't know. But these are the conditions that help overcome difficulties. The young kids recognize that it would help everyone if the Greek national team qualified for the final phase of the World Cup.."

DF: Do you think that the successor to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be Lamine Yamal, at least according to what we have seen so far from a 17-year-old kid?

"Every era had and still has its own heroes. Cristiano and Messi have written their own unique story. Yamal is certainly a great talent, but it is still too early to say where he has reached. After all, the duration establishes every professional."