Cyprus thrashing ‘a harsh lesson’ says manager Walem

The Cyprus national team’s 4-0 defeat in Montenegro in their final Nations League match of the campaign means they finish bottom of League C’s Group One and must now win a playoff in order to avoid relegation to Group D.

While the Cyprus Football Association and coach Johan Walem have long outlined plans to go through a process of renewal in order for them to rejuvenate and reshape the national team, a possible relegation would undeniably be a sign of failure to manage long-term goals with short-term objectives.

The fact that the national team has failed to show any positive signs on the pitch only serves to compound the concerns of both fans and pundits alike about the overall project.
Speaking after the game, Cyprus national team manager Johan Walem said that this result was indeed a failure and a harsh lesson.

“When you suffer such a defeat you cannot say much about it. We conceded three goals in the first 30 minutes because of our own mistakes”, Walem said.

“We were not too bad during this time and we entered the opponent’s penalty area on a number of occasions, but conceding three goals in such a short amount of time killed the game”, Walem added.

“We failed to take what we wanted. We were handed a harsh lesson today”, he concluded.
Former Cypriot manager and politician Andreas Mouskallis talked to Cypriot outlet Digital TV about the national team, expressing his concerns about the overall project.

“Mr. Walem’s plan has not paid off, I think. This makes me sad because you see a team without grit”, Mouskallis said.

“They became overly enthusiastic with the younger players but you cannot implement renewal in the middle of a previous renewal effort. The team we had with manager Ran Ben Simon had already incorporated some new elements and I think that work should have resumed from that point. Planning has been bad. This is why we are seeing these results”, he added.

“You have to keep in mind the previous team. They were experienced at young ages because they were saddled with a lot of international games. Young players are talented, yes, but they need 10-15 years to become proper players. You can’t rely on them. I think Walem has realised his mistake. If you ask him, he will agree with me”, Mouskallis concluded.

Meanwhile, Montenegro manager Faruk Hadzibegic expressed his satisfaction over the big the win against Cyprus, saying that the overall objective of being promoted to League B has been achieved.

“It’s rare to be able to score four goals. Our performance was great and we could have done even more in the game. We celebrated the goals because we wanted to win but also because we respected the opponent”, Hadzibegic said after the game.

“I am pleased with our mentality, getting first place in the group and being promoted to the higher league. I am also pleased at the potential we have shown”, the Montenegro manager added.