Like a high-speed train. Panos Katseris he took Catanzaro’s right wing, leaving his opponents behind. Whether they were experts or the same age as him, whether they were playing at home or away, there was no difference. Bari, Cittadella, Sampdoria, Sudtirol and Feralpisalò were the stations of his consecration. He remains a surprise only because he is twenty-two years old and this leading role – at the starting line – would not have been his.
Situm’s injury opened a window for him, he did the rest by throwing open the door with arrogance. And speed, indeed. «I took the opportunity I had against Bari, in that match I gained confidence and confidence, everything that came after came by itself even if I didn’t expect to play like that (a lot, ed.) in the championship».
The great thing is that he manages to do it naturally, so much so that he doesn’t seem like a kid having his first experience in Serie B: «I’m calm because the coach tells us everything to do on the pitch, in training and in the match, then with my teammates next to me it’s even easier.” Five games as a starter (and seven appearances so far), pronounced offensive skills, evident improvements in the defensive phase, maximum seriousness: Katseris is all about home and field, he strictly follows his diet, those who know him say that he is not really the type to let himself go, perhaps he only does it for Panathinaikos, in football and basketball, one of the biggest Greek clubs of which he is a huge fan.
What interests the fans, who now no longer have any doubts about his qualities, is what he manages to guarantee on the pitch: push, incursions, assists like the one for Verna at the “San Nicola”: «I’m trying to work as much as possible in training to be ready for the match, in Bari I was sure it would go well for this very reason. I believe I can still grow a lot, working with the coach and the staff, the more we work the better, but we will all grow.”
The united locker room is Katseris’ point of reference: «The most important thing is the solid group, in which everyone helps the other. And what we did last year has brought us high today.” Not only these aspects, however. Whichever player we talk to, everyone agrees that the defeat against Parma was a watershed moment: «We improved defensively after that match, a sign that made us understand our mistakes, now we are much more careful, from then on we entered into more concentrated field.”
The back right wing will also be his the day after tomorrow in Como: «A strong individual opponent who can put us in difficulty – the full-back warned – but we will try to express our football and, in my opinion, we can do well there too». Katseris runs fast, so fast that she has no limits, even the most unthinkable ones like what every child imagines when he starts kicking a ball: «Wearing the shirt of my national team would be a dream, I hope that one day they call me».
And who says it’s not possible? If Panos continues in this way that dream can also come true.
