Dinos Mavropanos has only been playing for VfB Stuttgart since summer 2020, but has developed into an absolute top performer, fan favorite and one of the most exciting defenders in the Bundesliga within a very short time. In an interview with SPOX and GOAL, the 24-year-old Greek talks about his love affair with VfB fans, his passions outside of football and his future in Stuttgart.
Mavropanos is on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season, VfB has a purchase obligation of a comparatively ridiculous 3 million euros if they stay up.
Given the performance of Mavropanos, the Greek will join the long list of transfer coups from VfB sporting director Sven Mislintat.
“With his speed, his aggressiveness and his head-ball strength, Dinos is well on the way to developing into an absolute top central defender. He leads the field with performance and mentality. We are very happy to have him at VfB” , makes Mislintat opposite SPOX and GOAL how much he thinks of Mavropanos.
Mr Mavropanos, before we get to football, you should be a big Formula 1 fan. Is that correct?
Dinos Mavropanos: (laughs) How do you know? You did a good research, that is correct. I love Formula 1. I try to watch every race on TV if I have the time. It is a dream of mine to one day have the chance to sit in a Formula 1 car and feel what it feels like. That would be amazing.
In addition to football, basketball is particularly popular in Greece. How did you get into football as a little boy?
Mavropanos: My parents told me that at some point I asked them if I could go to a football club. I also like basketball a lot, but somehow I was drawn to football from the start. I went crazy about it and tried to watch everything that was broadcast on TV. No matter what. As children, we also really kicked the streets until it got dark in the evening. And I still remember my first jersey very well.
Do tell.
Mavropanos: My first great hero was Ronaldinho. My first jersey was from him, I was so happy when I put it on for the first time. Ronaldinho was incredible during his time at Barca. I was a Barca fan at the time because of him alone. It was a great time. As for defenders, Paolo Maldini was my first great role model. Maldini was a real warrior. But Ronaldinho was Ronaldinho. If I could choose which famous person I would like to meet and who I would like to have a cool evening with, it would definitely be Ronaldinho.
Who else should be there this evening?
Mavropanos: So if I really had the free choice, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo would still be with us. Ronaldinho, LeBron, Giannis and I would go then. (laughs)
Mavropanos: “I have admired LeBron James for many years”
Why LeBron and Giannis?
Mavropanos: I have admired LeBron for many years. Not just because he’s an incredible basketball player. He does things on the court that make you sit in front of the TV and wonder how he just did it. But I am also fascinated by his personality. What can I say? LeBron is LeBron, one of the greatest in history. And Giannis is a lot like LeBron in my opinion. On the court it is a form of violence that cannot be stopped and that can prevail against anyone. Away from the court, however, he is a very humble boy who has stayed on the ground and has not forgotten where his roots are. Giannis is a god in Greece, he is by far the most popular athlete we have right now.
Giannis knows what values he stands for and how he grew up. What did your parents give you?
Mavropanos: Without my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t be who I am today. Many athletes come from a very sporty family, the mother or father were often athletes themselves, that was not the case with me. My parents weren’t professional athletes, so they couldn’t help me with their experience in that regard. But for that they helped me for life. They gave me advice that is important regardless of an athletic career and that I have always taken to heart. And which are also applicable to sport. The most important thing for her was diligence. They set an example for me of what hard work means. And that bad days will also come, but that just then you have to keep your head up and believe in yourself, then you will go your own way. You were right.
When did you know that you had the chance to become a professional footballer?
Mavropanos: There wasn’t that one crucial moment when I realized I could go pro. But I’ve always been very critical of myself. I always listened carefully to what my coaches had to say and then tried to compare it with my own impression and draw the right conclusions from it. And get better. Over time, of course, I realized that I had talent and that I was quite good, but to embark on a professional career you need a bit of luck and the right timing.
Mavropanos: “I have a special relationship with Sven Mislintat”
You had the right timing, especially on December 31, 2017.
Mavropanos: Oh man, that was a crazy day. I still remember exactly. Before that, I had a very good six months in Greece for my club PAS Ioannina and on New Year’s Eve I got the call that Arsenal wanted to sign me. I got the call on December 31st and on January 1st I was on my way to London to sign my contract. I was so nervous these days. Suddenly a big club like Arsenal wants you, I was a bit lost. (laughs)
The funny thing is that it was Sven Mislintat who really wanted you to come to Arsenal at the time, and it was he who later wanted to bring you to Stuttgart.
Mavropanos: I have a special relationship with Sven. I think everyone knows how much they know about football, but I care more about what a wonderful person he is. He wants only the best for every single player, for the team and for the club, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. His optimism infects everyone.
Suddenly you were at Arsenal in early 2018. What happened next?
Mavropanos: It was an adventure for me. It was my first time away from my homeland, Greece, and then straight away to such a big club in a cosmopolitan city like London. That was a huge difference. Suddenly you are sitting in the cabin next to stars like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whom you only knew from television before. When Sokratis came to Arsenal for the new season, it was worth gold to me. He was a mentor for me and helped me a lot, off the pitch, but also when it comes to reading the game from defense, for example.
