Mark Koukoureia speaks openly about caring for his autistic son

Greek footballer Mark Koukoureia described the daily challenges of raising his non‑verbal autistic son, Mateo. He highlighted the emotional stamina required to support a child who cannot speak his needs, noting that communication often depends on interpreting silence, gestures and outbursts. Koukoureia stressed the importance of specialized schooling and trained teachers, lamenting the scarcity of public facilities and long waiting lists for special‑needs education in Greece. He called for greater resources and trained staff to provide the tailored environment that children on the autism spectrum need.

The former international player’s public admission aims to raise awareness about the difficulties families face and to advocate for better support structures for non‑verbal autistic children in the Greek education system.