STACEY JANETOS

di Mario Rimati

We caught up with the Greek-Canadian player Stacey Janetos in the small town of Udine, Italy, where since last fall she’s been playing with the new 3rd division team “Udine Calcio Femminile”. Stacey was born in Toronto on July 18, 1978 of Greek parents. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the “Lincoln Memorial University” in Tennessee where she also played soccer. She has two sisters and has been playing soccer since she was five years old. She plays centre midfield.
MR: You’ve gone from a metropolis of 5 million people (Toronto) to practically a village of 95,000 souls. How on earth did you end up in Udine?
SJ: Well, you ought to know, you brought me here (at this point Stacey breaks out in laughter as your correspondent was UCF’s first coach and convinced Stacey to come to Udine and to play for the club)! Actually, as you know, we have a friend in common, the head coach of Greece, Xanthi Konstantinidou. We’ve also been in contact via e-mail. But it was at the Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal last year that we met (n.b. the AC has been organised now for the last 11 years. After the World Cup, the Olympics and the European championship it’s the most prestigious women’s soccer event in the world). I then I asked Xanthi if she had any contacts in Europe to play soccer and she gave me your name and so here I am!
MR: Why Italy and not Greece? After all, you are also part of the Greek national team aren’t you?
SJ: Yes I am but I felt it may have been a bit better to play in Italy rather than in Greece due to a few problems….
MR: Such as?
SJ: Well, no comment!
MR: You’ve been playing in Italy now since September of 2003. What are your first impressions and major differences between the women’s game in Italy compared to the Toronto Inferno (your last team), the University of Tennessee, and Germany’s Bundesliga where you also played?
SJ: The Toronto Inferno and playing at university in the US were pretty well similar styles of playing soccer. I had good coaches for both teams who believed in more of the passing game and more of the skilled game rather than the “kick and run” game. In the Bundesliga they were also very technically sound and skilful. They worked very hard on the players’ skills but the funny thing is not necessarily on the passing plays. So there were a lot of very good individual players who were extremely talented but when it came to actually playing on the field sometimes the passing plays weren’t on. But that was two years ago and now I think they’ve probably improved on that since they are the world champions.
MR: What about Italy so far? I know you haven’t been here too long to tell. You have seen some Serie A matches. What do you think so far of the level here compared to abroad?
SJ: I think that when it comes to specific Serie A teams they’re equal. They’re some very talented Italian players.
MR: Equal to the Inferno, to Tennessee or to the Bundesliga?
SJ: Yes, I’d say equal to all. Technically-speaking, in the Bundesliga the top, top players were better. But overall I could say that it’s pretty much equal.
MR: Canada placed 4th at the recent World Cup held in the US behind the US, Sweden and Germany. Not bad for Canada. Considering that you’ve also played together with many Canadian national team players on the Inferno (such as Diana Matheson), how do you think Canada will do at the Athens Olympics? You also faced Canada last year at the Algarve Cup in your last match and unfortunately lost 7-1 so you have a very good idea of what Canada is like.
SJ: That’s a good question. I think if they keep up with their style they’ll do just about the same but in soccer anything can happen, maybe they’ll come in again 4th or maybe they can even win gold. It’s not my preference of style of soccer because the coach prefers the more “kick and run” kind of game rather than the more passing Brazilian-style of play. For me, it’s not my favourite style of soccer.
MR: You’ve now led me to the following question. Speaking of Canada, I’ve seen them play several times both at the AC and on video. Don’t you think that under Norwegian head coach Even Pellerud they still play what I call “pinball soccer”, that is, the “kick the long ball and run like a nut” type of soccer? The US and Germany play what appears to be a more controlled and technical game, don’t you think?
SJ: Yes, I agree definitely. I think most of the top teams must play a more skilful game because the level of women’s soccer has improved a lot. In the past, the “kick and run” game was ok and you could get away with it but it doesn’t look nice. For me soccer is that you do want to win but I also like to play a nice game of soccer, a skilful game, not just kick and run.
MR: Even began coaching Canada in 2000 after Canada placed 12th at USA’99. Canada is in a good position to not only win a medal at Athens but also be a serious contender at the next WC in China. He’s turned around women’s soccer in Canada. What do you think of his work?
SJ: I think he has done a great job considering what you just said that we were 12th at USA’99 and basically did nothing in the world of soccer. There’s a lot of talent in Canada (n.b. there are now over 300,000 women that currently play soccer. In Italy there are about 25,000 that play). There’s a lot more competition in Canada. That’s probably the difference between Canadian/American soccer and the European game. There are many more women that currently play the game. The overall level throughout the country is higher, even at the lower levels. I think Even has done a good job. It’s difficult for him to see all the girls (n.b. Canada is after all the second largest country in the world). He has though improved the level. I just wish he’d change the style that he’s chosen to play. But, it’s his personal style and he has been successful so…
MR: Let’s now talk about Greece and the upcoming Olympics. Last year your were at the AC where we met. Greece will be at the event again this year. What do you think your chances are of being at the AC again this year and in Athens for the Games?
SJ: To be honest, I’m not 100% sure. I am on the pre-Olympic team as Xanthi calls it. There are 26 of us on the pre-Olympic team and 22 of us are going to Athens. I think I have a decent chance of going and also to the Algarve Cup.
MR: What do you think of the AC?
SJ: I really enjoyed the AC. It was a very nice tournament. The Portuguese are fabulous. It’s a nice, low-key event where you can see a lot of the best in the world. You can even meet some of the girls without a lot of the pressure from the press. It’s played in a relaxed environment.
MR: Since you’ve been playing for the Serie C team “Udine Calcio Femminile” you’ve rarely lost a match and you score at least three goals per game. What’s your opinion of the level of competition and seeing that at the end of this season you’ll be a free agent, what do you think will happen to the club seeing that its president has publicly said that she wants to go to the Serie B in three years’ time?
SJ: The level of the Serie C is very low. It’s definitely NOT what I’m used to. It took awhile to adapt. I do hope to play at a higher level in the upcoming year.
MR: What might happen if you leave the team? How do you see the future of the club seeing that you are a very important element on the team?
SJ: I’m not 100% sure what would happen to them without me. They keep bringing in new girls. It depends on how successful we’ll be in the second season. If we do well maybe more girls will come to the team and even if I do leave they’ll still be ok.
MR: I’ve seen the management style of your team and of many other female soccer teams in Italy. Personally, it’s not the greatest. How does it compare to the management style of North American teams?
SJ: The one big difference in North American teams is that we don’t have large clubs with a president, a vice-president and so on. They might have a team manger, a team coach and an assistant coach.
MR: Do you think in Italy that there are “too many cooks in the kitchen”?
SJ: Yes, it makes it a bit more difficult when you have such a large club but everyone needs to stick to their role basically. In Canada with the Inferno you had the general manager and you had the club but everyone kept to their own business. What their role was is what they did.
MR: You mean the coach didn’t get a lot of interference as is often the case in Italy? The running joke in Italy is that out of 57 million people there are about 57 million head coaches. EVERYBODY’s got an opinion on the game!
SJ: As a coach in North America you can at least make it to the end of the season. You don’t get sacked in the middle of the season as you do here. Through my experiences all the coaches I’ve had have lasted until the end of the season.
MR: Pros and cons of living in a town like Udine? Have you made friends yet?
SJ: Yes, I’m lucky that through soccer I have made friends. If there weren’t soccer it might have been more difficult because I don’t have the language. Everyone has been very friendly and very welcoming to me.
MR: How’s your Italian coming along?
SJ: “Non c’e’ male”! It’s not bad. I don’t have a lot of time to go to Italian lessons due to my commitments and training schedule (n.b. Stacey is presently staying with a family on an au pair level). I’ve been trying to learn on my own. The family that I live with seems to be impressed with the speed at which I’m learning Italian on my own. It’s the first time that I’ve really tried to learn a different language but I’m trying!
MR: What are some of the noticeable differences between Italian and North American society?
SJ: I think Italian society is a bit more light-hearted in the sense more friendly-oriented, going out for say a coffee in the middle of the day or meeting for coffee with friends before work.
MR: Or a fine glass of red wine!
SJ: Exactly. In North America you don’t see for lunch too many people just going for a glass of wine or going for an aperitif before dinner. It’s different. I really enjoy the lifestyle here.
MR: If you were to get a great offer next season from a Serie B, A2 or A team, will you still stay in Italy or will you move on to another country?
SJ: I really enjoy Italy so if I had a good offer I would definitely stay in Italy.
MR: Not necessarily in Udine?
SJ: Yes, exactly. I’ll see what happens. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t plan too much in advance because you never know what can happen but I would like to stay in Italy and play soccer here.
MR: You told me that you don’t usually watch a lot of women’s games but you rather prefer the men’s matches. Why?
SJ: I watch soccer for the enjoyment of it but as well as to learn from the game. So when you watch the men’s game it’s quicker. You see more skill and I prefer the style of men’s soccer, the quicker passing and the thinking game which you don’t always see with the women unfortunately because it’s a new sport compared to the men’s game. I think in ten years’ time it will be more skilful.
MR: Your favourite men’s soccer team and why? Any female player that you admire?
SJ: I’m a “juventina”! I first liked them during the Ravanelli-Vialli years. I was younger then, about 15 I think, and they were very exciting to watch. They worked very well together. For me, I kind of wanted to play like them. From then on I’ve liked Juventus.
MR: Now instead it’s because of someone, right?
SJ: A few players such as Zambrotta and Tacchinardi! They’re good players and they’re also good looking! As far as women are concerned, I do like the strength and passion of Charmaine Hooper (Canada’s captain). She’s a very strong-minded woman who’s still playing great soccer. If I had to play like another woman it’d be Charmaine.
MR: You no doubt heard that FIFA’s president Joseph Blatter would like you women to play in “sexier” or more provocative clothing. What do you think of what many around the world have labelled as yet another crazy idea by Blatter?
SJ: Yes, it’s a bit crazy. You can’t play soccer if you’re not comfortable and for me I wouldn’t be comfortable in tighter clothing. There’s no need for that otherwise we can put the men in skimpier shorts as well.
MR: But obviously that’ll attract more women to the stadium as he’s trying to do by getting more men to come to the stadium to watch women play in sexier clothing. Isn’t it just a marketing ploy on Blatter’s behalf?
SJ: Yes, I think so. Why do so many men watch women’s volleyball? Because they’re in such tight shorts. Soccer is a different game. It’s not meant to be played in tights just due to the moves that you have to make in soccer. It just doesn’t seem right playing in tighter clothing.
MR: A final question: honestly speaking, how do you think Greece will fair at the Athens Games seeing that they recently lost 3-0 against Scotland and 3-0 against Italy?
SJ: I think that our national team coach Xanthi has done a great job in forming the team so far. I started with the team two years ago when they first somewhat started putting the team together for the Olympics. I’ve seen a great improvement in the team and we’ve come a long way but as with any team they’re still more improvement just like the American team can still improve. Everyone can improve. We just need to start working together more and gaining more self-confidence. I think we can fair well.
MR: You have the advantage of playing on home court but you also have the disadvantage of more pressure because not only Greece but the whole world will be focused on you during the month of August because you’ll be playing in YOUR Olympics.
SJ: I agree but sometimes that kind of pressure can not only deter your play but it can even increase your performance and make you play. I know that I’m that type of person that when I have that pressure I tend to play better. The harder the competition the better I play.
MR: You think you’ll make it to the podium or is that very remote?
SJ: Soccer (and sports) is a funny game. Anything can happen. If you think positive you never know; if you think you can’t then you won’t. If we go in it thinking we can’t make it to the podium we won’t but if we go in thinking we can anything can happen. You never know!
MR: Stacey, grazie.
SJ: Grazie a te!

Stacey Janetos in front of the Castle in Udine
Stacey Janetos can be contacted directly at her e-mail: blondie20@rocketmail.com