Speaking exclusively to Spin Genie, Giorgos Karagounis has told Cristiano Ronaldo to join Panathinaikos over Wrexham should he leave the Saudi Pro League.
The Greece icon has also backed Manchester United target Charalampos Kostoulas to do great things in football and Kostas Tsimikas to be first-choice left-back at Liverpool.
Karagounis has also tipped Ange Postecoglou to have a second spell at Celtic and backed the Old Firm clubs to have what it takes to be competitive in the Premier League.
Q: Could Ange Postecoglou return to Celtic?
GK: “Ange Postecoglou did a great job with Celtic, a fantastic job. So one day I think we will see him back there.
“Having said that, at the moment he is at another great team in Tottenham and of course he’s coaching in the Premier League, so I don’t think he’ll want to go back to Scotland straight away.”
Q: Could Celtic and Rangers compete in the Premier League?
GK: Celtic and Rangers are two great teams with a great history in Scotland and in Europe, they have so many fans and I think they would do well in the Premier League.
“They have proved they can perform in European competitions whether it be the Europa League or the Champions League, I think that shows they could be competitive in the Premier League too.”
Q: Can Thomas Tuchel repeat the success of Otto Rehhagel with a foreign country?
GK: “Thomas Tuchel is a very goodcoach and international jobs are very different when it comes to coaching, but I think he can do very well with England.
“Can he do what Otto Rehhagel did with Greece? Yes. England have been in finals and semi-finals, England are always out to win and haven’t been able to do that recently, but Tuchel could win them everything.”
Q: Could Damien Duff manage Celtic and Chelsea in the future?
GK: “Could Damien Duff manage Celtic or Chelsea? Why not. As a team-mate, Damien Duff was special. He was very professional at Fulham and he helped me a lot. He always gave everything 100%.
“He was a great team-mate and a very goodfriend, I think he will have a very good career as a coach. He has a winning mentality and I wish him well, he is an extraordinary guy.”
Q: What was Adriano like as a team-mate? Could he have won the Ballon d’Or?
GK: “Adriano was a great player with such great potential. In the year we had together at Inter, I think he was the best striker in the world.
“He had an incredible season and I think he could’ve won the Ballon d’Or that year. Anyone who saw him play that year was entertained, it was a special year and he could’ve easily won the Ballon d’Or.”
Q: Could Cristiano Ronaldo ever go to Wrexham?
GK: “I’m not sure if we’ll ever see Cristiano Ronaldo at Wrexham, but I’d love to see him in Greece with Panathinaikos. Panathinaikos are a great club and although we don’t know what the future holds, Ronaldo is so famous and so are the Panathinaikos in Greece.
“He’s already worn green with Sporting so why not with Panathinaikos, I’d love to see it.”
Q: Can Konstantinos Tsimikas be the starting left-back for Liverpool?
GK: “Konstantinos Tsimikas has been a starter at times for Liverpool and I think he has shown potential to stay in that role.
“Unfortunately, they will be the champions and you have to fight for your position, it all depends on mentality. He needs to fight for his place and it can be difficult.
“He has shown he has the talent to be a starter, but in football you have to have a special level of consistency especially for a team like Liverpool.”
Q: Young forward Charalampos Kostoulas has been linked to Manchester United, what can you tell us about the positives in his game?
GK: “Charalampos Kostoulas is physically strong and he has shown that he has no fear. He is only 17 and a half but is already in the Olympiacos first-team.
“He has the personality and doesn’t look afraid of anyone, he has big potential and I think he if continues like that he will do very well in his career.
“He needs to show his level in every game and I think he can do great things in football, not only in Greece. Even if it’s for a great club in another league.”
Q: Konstantinos Karetsas is being linked to Bayern Munich, is he ready for a huge move?
GK: “I think it’s too early to say if Konstantinos Karetsas can play for a team like Bayern Munich, but he is a player with a lot of quality and personality and plays with no fear.
“I like to see his dedication and how he isn’t afraid of his opponents, it’s very early to say but he has a lot of quality and I think if he carries on, he can play for any team in the world.”
Q: What would you advise Odysseas Vlachodimos to do given he’sthird-choice at Newcastle, should he leave the club for more game time?
GK: “For a goalkeeper, it’s a different role to a defender, midfielder or striker, they all get rotated but goalkeepers rarely get changed.
“If you’re not a starter then it can be hard, but it depends on Odysseas Vlachodimos’s desires, he might want to fight for his place in a big team even if he isn’t playing for now. Only he will know.”
Q: What do you like about Christos Tzolis, he has bounced back since leaving Norwich?
GK: “Christos Tzolis is a strong player, he has done very well in both Germany and Belgium and you can see he has a lot of potential.
“He is a strong player with a good figure and he has great prospects if can continue how he is currently playing.
“I don’t think he had enough chances to play at all of his clubs and now he has the chance, he is proving how good he is.
“He did well in Germany and Belgium and I think he could play at an even higher level because he is a very good player.”
Q: Would Inter’s Lautaro Martinez have the quality to shine at a club like Arsenal?
GK: “Inter are a great team and although Lautaro Martinez has shown that he could do well anywhere, I don’t think he needs to go to Arsenal.
“Inter are one of the top 10 teams in the world and he is the captain of the club, in recent years he has won Serie A twice and many cups, I don’t think he has anything left to prove by leaving Inter.”
Q: Could Marcus Thuram be a potential replacement for Darwin Nunez at Liverpool?
GK: “Marcus Thuram is doing well at Inter, so I don’t see why he’d feel the need to go to Liverpool or any other team.
“Having said that, he has the potential to do very well in the Premier League because he is a strong player who scores a lot of goals. But I'd like to see him stay.”
Q: Will Inter Milan have enough to beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League?
GK: “When you are in the last eight of the Champions League, it’s going to be difficult against any team. They are all strong.
“Having said that, Real Madrid have shown their consistency in the last few years. They also found a way to get past Atletico Madrid in the last round.
“In terms of Inter, I think they have a great chance of getting past Bayern Munich, Bayern are a great team but I think Inter can show that they are stronger and get to the semi-final.”
Q: With Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, who are the most important players at Inter?
GK: “Inter have a great team all over the pitch, they have Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco, Denzel Dumfries and more.
“Inter are truly a team that knows what they want to do. Teams don’t want to play against this Inter team because they are very hard to beat.
“They are first in Serie A, they have been consistent for three years now. You can see the work done by Simone Inzaghi. He is doing a great job and so is the whole club.”
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