Greek hero out to do it for NE United

CHENNAI: In chilly Donetsk five years back, Alexandros Tzorvas was feeling the heat. He was the Greek custodian trying to stave off the Ukrainian onslaught and take his team to the main draw of the 2010 World Cup.
Tzorvas came up the winner that day as Greece qualified winning 1-0, and now he will be the custodian of NorthEast United FC's hopes in the Indian Super League.
But the first thing that comes into Tzorvas' mind is that match against Ukraine. "Winning that match was the biggest moment for me. It was tough and we won," Tzorvas told TOI during an exclusive chat.
Coming to India for the first time, Tzorvas is excited about the Guwahati assignment. "India is a country with a lot of idiosyncrasies. Now I see it and have already fallen in love with it. The ISL will be one of the biggest experiences for me. I love to take up challenges. I keep looking to explore something new and that's why I have come to India," the 32-year-old said.
On playing for the World Cup and Euro Championships, he said: "Anyone who's played there can contribute a lot to the team. When you are playing in the biggest tournament of the world, it feels like a war and you get to learn bigger things. You can add value to the entire team by bringing insights from these tournaments and help the team grow. That's what I want to do for NorthEast."
The three-month long ISL format, he feels, will boost Indian football incredibly. "A lot of European clubs are coming to invest here and it is helping spread awareness throughout the world. In fact, my teammates have also been asking me about the ISL. Well, that's really something," he said.
Personally, he expects to win the inaugural season and make a name for himself. "I want the stadiums to be full for every game. Everyone should come and watch the matches and support their teams. I also hope all the players finish the league without any injury," he said.
Tzorvas knows how important it is important for a goalie to keep clean sheets. "The biggest challenge for a goalkeeper is to keep the score zero for the opponent. It's on him to save the goal. That's what I do," he said. "That's the reason my favourite goalkeeper is Gianluigi Buffon. He is the master of clean sheets."
With an impressive 165 senior club appearances so far, he and club marquee player Joan Capdevila are the most experienced members of the team. Spaniard Capdevila was also a World Cup winner in 2010. "He is already a world champion. There is so much to learn from him and other teammates as well. We have similar wave-length and together we will give our best to the team," he said.
Not just Capdevila, Tzorvas says he is looking forward to playing against other World Cup champions as well. "Playing against David Trezeguet and Robert Pires (France 1998) and Marco Materazzi and Alessandro del Piero (Italy 2006) will be a big challenge and I can learn a lot from them," he said. In Euro 2012, Greece were knocked out of the quarterfinals by Germany. Two years later, Germany are the world champions. "Well, they are the next powerhouse after Spain of the 2008 – 2012 era. They will dominate," he said.
His country's biggest football moment came when they pipped Portugal to unexpectedly win the Euro 2004. Ten years later, Greece have not been able to repeat the Euro magic. "There were only two players who played in 2004 and also the 2014 World Cup. However, they all had something in common — the passion for the game. The never-say-die attitude is the specialty of the Greek team. And they will come back," he said.
Profile:
Name: Alexandros Tzorvas Age: 32 (Born 12 Aug, 1982) Height 6ft 1in (1.85m) Nationality: Greece Club: NorthEast United FC Former Clubs: Panathinaikos (Greece), Palermo (Italy), Genoa (Italy) and Apollon Smyrni (Greece) International appearances: 16 Biggest moment: Fending off Ukraine challenge for 180 minutes (two legs) and helping Greece qualify for the 2010 World Cup.