Another rigorous Valour FC training session – complete with a challenging cardio run afterward — has just completed on a dreadfully cold Winnipeg morning in early March.
And it’s here where the full buy-in by towering new centre back Haris Chantzopoulos is surely on full display to Valour management. The Greek born/German raised product is flashing a wide grin and his enthusiasm in outlining his move from Finnish club KPV to Valouris both infectious and uplifting.
Let’s face it, Winnipeg in February-March isn’t an easy sell to newcomers. But Chantzopoulos was all-in not long after he first put his feet on the ground here.
“It’s been great,” said the 29-year-old, who upon arrival last month seemed to make it his habit to shake the hand of every single person he came across. “The first week was just about getting comfortable, getting acclimated to the weather and to new people – that’s important at the beginning; to get to know the staff, my teammates, how they are, how they are on the pitch and out of the pitch.
“It’s been great. Great atmosphere. I’m happy to be here.”
The Valour-Chantzopoulos connection was made through his Canadian management, Eikon Sports and after GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos had made some reference calls to his contacts with management of USL Championship side Sacramento Republic – where the centre back had played in 2019.
“Everyone came back so high on the type of guy he is and what he brings to the field,” Dos Santos said. “So, it’s not a surprise to see what we’ve already seen since his arrival, because we knew what we were getting. He’s big (6-foot-5), but he can move. He’s quicker than what we thought in looking at him on video… for his body type he can move well and his game intelligence, his ability to make the right interpretations of the different situations and his reading of the game, is important.
“We really think he’s someone that is going to bring a lot to the team.”
“I needed a new challenge in my life, in my career and I felt ready for a new chapter,” Chantzopoulos added. “We talked about it, and everything went pretty quick. We had a great conversation with Phil. I really wanted to do it. It happened and I’m happy.
“At some point you exhaust the possibilities. I gave everything I had and it’s time to give everything I have to a new city and a new club.”
Chantzopoulos was very invested during his four years at KPV and wants to do the same here in Winnipeg. That involves more than just his commitment to the team, but also to the community. He visited Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Grant Avenue on Sunday, for example, and met with the priest there while also asking the local Greek community to buy season tickets to help support the club.
“It’s important for me to have an emotional connection,” he said. “It’s not ‘I just play for the team.’ No, I have a responsibility to the people around me to represent them as best as I can. I get emotionally attached pretty fast. I’m a very passionate guy and those things are important. What better now than to come here to a club that has everything to succeed but for some reason hasn’t had the results it wants. That’s an amazing challenge.
“It’s also about getting the kids excited about soccer in Winnipeg, Manitoba. That’s our purpose as a club. Yeah, we are playing football, but we also have time for other things and inspire some people.
“… Our club is top notch with the facilities that we have. We should be grateful for that and shouldn’t take that for granted. Also, the World Cup is coming and there is an excitement building up in the country and I wanted to be a part of that.”
Chantzopoulos is just one of the many new faces in the Valour lineup trying to breathe life into the franchise after it has failed to qualify for the playoffs since its inception in 2019. And what’s happened in the past, he said, is no longer relevant. Instead, he’s pushing the same ‘fresh start’ narrative that everyone in Valour colours is preaching right now.
“I can’t judge what happened before – I don’t know what is different compared to now,” he said. “I judge from what I see now, and these guys are willing to sacrifice for each other. We need to hold each other accountable, but at the same time we need to be a family and help each other out on the pitch because we need each other; we can’t succeed alone. That’s what I want to help implement – for the characteristic of this team to be a family, a brotherhood to help each other out and be successful together.”