Dimitrios Grammozis the first Greek coach to work in a Bundesliga team. Interview

Manos Staramopoulos • 17 de junio de 2025

Dimitris Grammozis speaks with Manos Staramopoulos Chief Editor English Zone in Discoveryfootball.com about different items of International Football and Greece.

Dimitrios Grammozis in a photo of 2022 in Germany with FC Schalke 04.

Dimitris Grammozis (born in Wuppertal on July 8, 1978). Another Greek expatriate former footballer (defensive midfielder-distinguished for his flexibility and ability to cut), has now successfully moved on to the next stage of Coaching. And most recently he was at Kaiserslautern, one of the most historic teams in Germany, which unfortunately has been struggling for years, trying to regain its lost glory.

His parents were from Kefalovryso, Ioannina, but he grew up in Velbert. He began his football career in 1984, when he joined the local TSV Neviges academy. He then continued in the academy of the also local SSV Velbert in 1988. And then in Borussia Velbert, where he played for two years. In 1992 he returned to the academy of Wuppertaler SF, before moving to Irdigen 05 where he also played for two years. At the age of 18 (1996) he made his professional debut with their men's team which was then playing in the Bundesliga. In 1998 he was transferred for the sum of 350,000 euros to Hamburg. There he played for 2 seasons, helping the team to third place in the Bundesliga in the 1999-2000 season and qualify for the UEFA Champions League the following season. In 2000, he transferred to FC Kaiserslautern, (then in the top division).

He stayed with them for 5 years, but suffered a lot with injuries. In the summer of 2006, he was taken by FC Cologne, which had just been promoted to the Bundesliga, and signed a 2-year contract. However, at the end of the season, the club terminated Grammozis' contract, and he signed a two-year contract with the second division team Rot Weiss Essen on 20 July 2006. Then in June 2007 he returned to his homeland to play for Ergotelis (then in the 1st division). Then he went to Cypriot Omonia where he stayed for 2.5 years, winning the 2010 championship and the cup. He returned to Greece in 2011 and played for newly converted Corfu and in the summer of 2012 he returned to Germany on behalf of the second team of Bochum which was playing in the fourth division of German football, the Regionalliga. In the summer of 2013 he retired from active activity.

THE FIRST GREEK COACH IN THE BUNDESLIGA

On January 25, 2014, Dimitris Grammozis took over as assistant coach to Thomas Rees in the second team of Bochum and at the beginning of the 2014-2015 season he took over the U15 of the same club (it was in the Western Regionalliga) and became the head coach. In March 2018, he received his coaching diploma from the German Football Association and on February 24, 2019, he took over as coach of the first team of Darmstadt (until the end of 2019-2020.) On March 2, 2021, he became the first Greek coach to take over the technical leadership of the Bundesliga team Schalke. He worked there until March 6, 2022, when he was removed in the middle of the 2021-2022 season without his contract being officially terminated by the "Royal Blues". Due to the clause that existed. On December 3, 2023, he took over as coach of FC Kaiserslautern (returning to the top division after 18 years, since 2005). In February 2024, the two sides dissolved their cooperation.

Dimitris Grammozis as Schalke 04 Head Coach in 2022. Schalke 04.

Now Dimitris Grammozis is generally waiting for proposals from within and outside the borders. He says characteristically: "I am in contact in general. Both from teams in Germany and abroad"

DF: The level of the Bundesliga seems to be rising, do you think it will reach the Premier League at some point?

"The level is certainly rising constantly. However, there is a significant difference in the financial aspect and this is something that it can hardly achieve. We all know how strong the Premier League teams are in this area with the expensive television rights that help a lot. Of course, Bayern and Dortmund have the resources to reach even higher levels from a financial point of view."

DF: Did Bayern Munich rightly win the title in Germany this year?

"Of course they are the best team. With a stable performance and very good results."

DF: In the Champions League, however, we saw that they did not succeed against Inter.

"The absences of their coach, Vincent Kompany, like that of Jamal Musiala, who is one of their top players and one of the best in the country, played a role. It was a 50-50 game that the Italian team ultimately prevailed.."

DF: Paris Saint-Germain became European champions for the first time in their history this year, what do you think?

"100% right. I had watched them from their games in the first round in the League Cup and they had impressed me. I believed since then that this team could go far, as it did. In addition to its units, which are excellent, they have homogeneity and teamwork, which gives them an advantage.."

DF: Will Paris continue to dominate in the coming years?

"They will definitely be among those who will reach the top again. But I think Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and the English teams will have dominant roles again.."

LAMINE YAMAL

DF: The time is approaching for the world's top footballer to be crowned, who will receive the "Golden Ball", the noblest and most important individual award in the world. Who will be the successor to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

"It's difficult to compare them to these two. But this kid, Yamal, his rise is amazing, even among the top. He has high hopes of winning it, anyway.."

DF: The new expanded Club World Cup is approaching, to be held in the United States. Who do you see dominating?

"It's something new that we haven't seen before. We should not underestimate the Brazilian and Argentine teams, but that does not mean that the European teams will not have the first say again..

DF: Does the fact that football players play perhaps more than 70 games a year not play a role?

"It is a fact that fatigue will be undeniable. In any case, a solution must be found so that they can rest more. The human body has its limits.. The money is good, but the championship, the cup, European obligations. Injuries are increasing. There must be a long rest period like in basketball.."

DF: Saudi Arabia, which spends a lot of money, do you think it will develop into the 5th or 6th football power?

"So far, it has been taking relatively old football players. It is difficult to rise to the top. It will certainly be strong, but not as much as, say, No. 6 in the general ranking of the collegiate leagues..The same applies to the American MLS”.

KARETSAS- GREEKS

DF: This year we see a significant presence of Greek footballers who excel in their national leagues but also in the Greek national team, such as Konstantinos Karetsas…

“This is an exceptional talent but it needs composure and patience. He needs his time to develop step by step. The same happens with Stefanos Tzimas who will continue his career in Brighton. I watched him in 5-6 games with Nuremberg this year and he was amazing. He moves with the ball and without it and helps his team. Now next to German coach Fabian Hürzeler he will be helped even more".

DF: Recently we saw another Greek boy Babis Kostoulas to go to Brighton too..

"I like this talent. He is an excellent young man, who now everyone will see him with a different eye. He has a special dribble, and he works on the field very well.."

DF: The Greek national team was promoted to the Nations League and will now claim its qualification for the final phase of the 2026 World Cup, what do you predict?.

"Indeed, the Greek national team has made significant improvement. The team that its coach, Ivan Jovanovic, has created through a wonderful roster is a success. It is important that he knows Greek and also knows Greek football. With the pace and work that he does, he will give his best and I believe he will be present at the World Cup next year.."