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Soccer circles perturbed when in early August the forward Ioannis Amanatidis left the Greek national team. He dared to tell the Greek media that the “mechanisms” around the national team make him nervous and he was tired of them. He also said that a bomb will explode if he tells everything he knows but the bomb was placed without saying anything. Subsequently, however, it turned out that this is a time-bomb ... which caused a wave of players leaving the team. Many people are asking what actually happens in the team after the withdrawal of Rehhagel and after the coach Santos took the bench? Amanatidis, who the new coach did not include in the national team for the friendly match with Serbia, did not fail, however, to state in public things revealing some bitter truths: “Names of the Greek soccer are leaving because there are things that are wrong. That's why I do not wish to play any more ... Some players do not play in their teams, but play in the national team. It is illogical. 9 of 10 players knew who wouldl play... I thought the Greek soccer is getting better, but that's not happening. Some players did not represent the country but themselves. They used the team to show off.... This has always annoyed me ...”
 
The media fuss about the fate of the national team has grown. The reason for this is not  however in the media, but in reality itself. The wave of players withdrawals can not be neglected. Suspicions that there is something wrong with the team either. The second that left the team was Sotirios Kyrgiakos. The Liverpool defender stated his decision on his website after the friendly match with the team of Serbia. The forward of Aydraht Fanis Gekas left the national team a few days ago too. Rumours about the withdrawal of the 30-year player told that Santos did not include him in the game, but also that he is in extremely bad relations with a teammate. There are doubts that this is the reason Amanatidis to leave. However, he stated that his withdrawal is not connected with the players. He sharply criticized the attitude of the state to the team. “I do not want to insult nobody. However, it is clear that there is a problem,” told Gekas to the media. According to him, people in charge know the reasons for his leaving and he has made the decision long ago. He explicitly stated that nothing has changed in the team after the withdrawal of Rehhagel, so he will not change his mind. Unless...the situation does not change.

The tension around the national team completely escalated when the media released the news that Alexandros Tzorvas will leave the team after Michalis Sifakis became the main player. Tzorvas himself had to put the hysteria to an end: “A strange atmosphere has been created around my name. This is very strange because I have not stated anything nor have I spoken anywhere in public. There is no chance to withdraw from the national team ... It is a great honour for me to play in it. I do not care whether the coach will let me on the bench or on the rostrum. People have many problems now and it is not fair the well paid players to raise such issues,” – the national goal keeper stated. He confirmed that there is no conflict between him and his teammate Kostas Katsouranis. “We have been teammates for so many years. We play together in the national team and Panathinaikos and we have common goals. We want to see our team in the Euro.”

The General Secretariat for Sports did not fail to respond to the turmoil around the team of the white-blues. “Nobody can kick around the history of the national team just like that, for fun” - Panagiotis Bitzakis commented. The fact, however, is that the players are leaving the team…