When the final buzzer sounded in Singapore, the Greek women’s national team had completed a historic double: World Cup gold in the spring, World Championship gold in the summer. For head coach Charis (Haris) Pavlidis, it was the culmination of a lifetime in water polo and a moment that even he could barely comprehend.
“Winning the World Cup and Championship in the same year was a dream that I never believed I could make,” Pavlidis said. “It is something very rare and especially for a country like Greece in our sport in general. I feel so proud about my team and it is the greatest achievement so far.”
“A Country With Very Few Players”
For Pavlidis, this success carries weight beyond medals. Greece has a small player base compared to the sport’s giants, and he sees this golden year as an opportunity to spark a new generation.
“For us as a country with very few players, we hope to inspire some girls to start to play water polo or at least to involve with sports in general,” he explained.
That ambition is built on a philosophy he brought from his years at Olympiacos. “Determination and faith to our system above all. Sacrifice and coordination in defence, solid block mentality. Teamwork, talent, speed in offence. But unselfish and under the team above all!!”
From Olympiacos Legend to National Leader
Born in 1971, Pavlidis spent a decade as a defender for Olympiacos, winning domestic titles and reaching two Champions League finals before turning to coaching. In 2007 he took over the Olympiacos women’s team, building a dynasty that claimed two Champions Leagues, two Super Cups, a LEN Trophy and ten Greek Championships, along with a staggering 163-game unbeaten run in domestic competition.
Appointed national coach in late 2024 after a spell with China, Pavlidis immediately delivered history with Greece’s first-ever Women’s World Cup title in Chengdu, then followed it with the country’s first World Championship gold since 2011. But for Pavlidis, success is built on mentality as much as tactics.
“I try to change the team in both ways. Every team I have worked depending in our tactical systems. The mentality is part of our system and is non-negotiable. If you don’t follow, you cannot be part of the team.”
Blending Youth and Experience
What makes this golden year more remarkable is that Greece are in transition. “We are in a transition year but we won both titles!! The main core of the team help me to bring the young blood and welcome them in the team. The old players recognize the quality of the new players and the chemistry was amazing.”
That chemistry was tested throughout the tournament. “At the beginning of the tournament we were down, but game by game our confident grow. The 3 last games were amazing especially in mentally terms.”
Stars Within the System
While Pavlidis celebrates the collective, he acknowledges the standout contributions of his players. On tournament top goal-scorer, Foteini Tricha, he said:
“Foteini is a girl with a unique and special mind. She put a lot of pressure on her, she is very strict with herself. She bring to our game score, speed, few amazing assists and steals and block in defence. But above everything, she understanding even she is a special player, is one engine gear, that she shines because of the rest of the team.”
On Maria Myriokefalitaki, whose goal against Australia in the quarterfinal was pivotal:
“Maria, our ‘Myrio’, is the pure heart of our team. She had a very sad family issue right before the games and she was emotional unstable. But she is a great player, always emotional through the game, she used these feelings on her behalf. Goal of Myrio of course against Australia. After that we knew we gonna win the Gold.”
Behind the Scenes
Pavlidis shared a story that captured the team’s mentality. “In our first practice in the main pool, the people of World Aquatics doing some test on the electric board. So they put the Greek flag and writing ‘GREECE WORLD CHAMPIONS’. All the girls they want it to take a picture of it. So I stopped them and say, ‘No photos. If you want to take a photo with the Greek flag, you have to win the tournament, otherwise no.’ And they remind me after the final.”
Hungry as Wolves
Despite the fairytale ending, Pavlidis insists this is just the start. “I don’t need to motivated anyone, they are hungry as wolves. We know everyone wants to beat us. We are here and wait for them!!”
The coach also knows the unique challenge of uniting personalities at this level. “For women it is really hard to forget all these rivalries and move forward. A lot of talks, few tricks, and the common interest of course.”
For Pavlidis, who spent over a decade building a dynasty with Olympiacos and has now led Greece to back-to-back historic triumphs, the feeling is still surreal. “I could not believe what we have done. Nobody expect from us to repeat the triumph of Chengdu, but we did it again!!”
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