Hellas futebol

[Covenant]

Who do you guys expect to win the next few Greek championships?

Too soon.

[wire]

Rooting for Panachaiki to win it ... one day 

[Faliro]

Who do you guys expect to win the next few Greek championships?

I think (at this early stage) it will between Olympiacos and PAOK. Who knows - if the AEK coach hits the ground running - they might do something, but their budget is currently half that of Olympiacos and PAOK. AEK's new stadium could have been a major factor but it will not be ready this year.

The league will only be 14 teams with a hated play-off system at the end - forced in by the Syriza communist Government. This is amusing because the only thing Greeks have ever agreed on - in my lifetime - is their universal hatred of the play-off system that they removed a few years ago. Well it is back..

The next 3 weeks - a lot more will be come clear as the signings come in. The team that spends the most has the best chance.

[Faliro]

Rooting for Panachaiki to win it ... one day 

In my life I have lost count if how many people have stated this team is the biggest underachiever in Hellas.. This team should in reality be the biggest team in the Peloponnese. 3rd biggest city in Greece, very passionate fans... despicable administration.

[Festivus]

So they're pretty much the Bayer Leverkusen of Greece, eh? Interesting.

[Faliro]

So they're pretty much the Bayer Leverkusen of Greece, eh? Interesting.

Yes, but with all the financial muscle and organisation of a 3rd division provincial Portuguese club..

Bizarrely they seemed to have changed hands this week:

https://www.patrasevents.gr/article/417694-polithike-i-pae-panaxaiki-ston-saki-kalogeropoulo

These type of teams never seem to do much.. Asteras Tripolis is the biggest team in the Peloponnese these days - despite coming from the 3rd biggest city in the Peloponnese with hardly any fans. It is a disgrace to Greek football that Kalamata and Panaxaiki languish in the forth and second divisions respectfully.. however there are so many disgraces in Greek football.. this ranks pretty low..

[Calcio]

What's PAO's current situation regarding ownership?

Wikipedia still has the greek guy has chairman. 


Any league news worth sharing?

[Faliro]

What's PAO's current situation regarding ownership?

Wikipedia still has the greek guy has chairman. 


Any league news worth sharing?

The Thai who was on the verge of buying PAO ran away at the last minute. So Alafouzos still owns the thing. But here is where it gets interesting. The owner of the successful basketball section of Panathinaikos is this idiot, Giannakopoulos:



He has now positioned himself as head of the 'amateur club.' This is key because they really control the club at a certain level. He is now starting to realise his idiotic idea of redeveloping the OAKA into a PAO village is finished. So now he is looking to Votanikos where the permissions are still active (from 2009!!) to build PAO a 42k stadium designed by Manuel Salgado.



This project - if it goes ahead will lift the Greek league several levels. They want the same funding model AEK and PAOK were given. Part state, part loans. Maybe Dimitri - if you are listening - you should go back to Manuel Salgado and get updated designs. The current design is over a decade old and I am sure he can do better now.

In other news, the league is down 14 teams with stupid playoffs reintroduced by the communists. UEFA and FIFA can ban Greece for government interference but frankly I think even they are tired of Greece and realise it is not worth the paperwork.

Semedo seems 90% complete for Olympiacos. Germans sniffing around our CB Cisse. We are looking at Facundo Ferreyra again..

AEK have claimed they will give new Portuguese coach Cardoso full power over transfers and final say over who remains in the squad. AEK made around 20 million net from the CL last season - 15 million of that was pumped back into the new stadium immediately.

PAO will continue to run on a zero budget of youth players to continue paying off their debt which they already halved last season.

Aris are very poor but trying to build a team that will hold its head high in the Europa Cup.

OFI Crete won their play-off with Platanias - (stunning game btw) and remain in the SL. This is positive.

The league chugs on - broken, battered, poor - but it still crawls forward. Last season was the highest ticket sales in years. People still attending games.. just about. With AEK's stadium finished next year, PAOK's stadium started next year and maybe PAO's new stadium too - the league will dominate the region. Until these stadia are upgraded, the Greek league will languish. These stadiums should have been upgraded 20 years ago..

[Calcio]

What's PAO's current situation regarding ownership?

Wikipedia still has the greek guy has chairman. 


Any league news worth sharing?

The Thai who was on the verge of buying PAO ran away at the last minute.


Classic. 

build PAO a 42k stadium


I don't like PAO, but this would be good for the league.


Semedo seems 90% complete for Olympiacos.  We are looking at Facundo Ferreyra again..


Semedo would be quality in Greece, but his personal problems...
If you pay Ferreyra's wages I think he would go. With good wingers he would probably fire up the league too.


AEK have claimed they will give new Portuguese coach Cardoso full power over transfers and final say over who remains in the squad.

Any idea of what's the available budget?


PAO will continue to run on a zero budget of youth players to continue paying off their debt which they already halved last season.


I guess that's cool.


Aris are very poor but trying to build a team that will hold its head high in the Europa Cup.


Still need to get a portuguese manager in!

[Faliro]

Any idea of what's the available budget?

Ambiguous..

Tiger is not supposed to own AEK and OPAP (the biggest gambling company in Europe) at the same time.. Therefore he can't be seen to be funding AEK..

Seems the budget is peanuts. Far behind PAOK and Olympiacos. They are trying to buy-out Ponce (they have until June 15th to activate the purchase option on the loan - €6 million for 70% ownership, €7 million for 80%). Galo is gone. Cardoso will have to decide if he wants AEK target Sebastian Holmén who seems to have a 3 year oral agreement with AEK.

[Faliro]

If you pay Ferreyra's wages I think he would go. With good wingers he would probably fire up the league too.

Would be happy to have this guy at the club. We have a good relationship with Benfica so there is a chance.

[Faliro]

Yet another Portuguese coach enters the Greek Super League - this time for the well run club Panaitolikos.

Luis Castro signed a 3 year contract and brought on board his entire Portuguese team.

[Calcio]

Yet another Portuguese coach enters the Greek Super League - this time for the well run club Panaitolikos.

Luis Castro signed a 3 year contract and brought on board his entire Portuguese team.

Our board apparently recommended Panaitolikos to hire him. We have a formal relantionship with them and we will supposedly send 3 players on loan there.

Good thing you posted this because I forgot... What can we tell us about this club?

[Faliro]

Yet another Portuguese coach enters the Greek Super League - this time for the well run club Panaitolikos.

Luis Castro signed a 3 year contract and brought on board his entire Portuguese team.

Our board apparently recommended Panaitolikos to hire him. We have a formal relantionship with them and we will supposedly send 3 players on loan there.

Good thing you posted this because I forgot... What can we tell us about this club?

Yes, I didn't post at the time but a few weeks ago there were a few articles from Greece stating that Panaitolikos is basically going to be Benfica B from next season. As you stated formal agreements have been made and this seems a fairly serious arrangement. There are already two Benfica loan players there who played for them last season; Guga and Amaral. They also have another Portuguese player not associated with Benfica: Frederico Duarte. The Panaitolikos academy manager is Luciano - an Olympiacos favourite from a while ago. 

The team.



Panaitolikos is a highly professional Greek team. Well run, organised but also fairly provincial. Their team attacks well and does not play to grind out results. Heavy latin style and a good set of fans.

The Stadium.

Small but good. They will refurbish the outside of it this summer. They are already refurbing the interior and adding a museum.





The city.

Small - around 100,000 people in Western Greece:



All in all very adventageous for both Benfica and Panaitolikos.

[Faliro]

Cardoso of AEK is looking at getting:

Diogo Viana (Belenenses)
Francisco Geraldes (Sporting)
Daniele Verde (Valladolid)
Nélson Monte (Rio Ave)
Samuel Grandsir (Monaco)
Rodrigo (ex Chaves)

Pre-Cardodo rumour: Patrick Twumasi (Alaves). Cardoso has final say.

-------------------------------------

He has released Alef.
He told AEK to cancel the oral agreement with Sebastian Holmén.

-------------------------------------

Rumours Mandalos is bored of AEK and wants to leave.