Hellas futebol

[Faliro]

I meant the players, tbh. The managers is easy it explain due to the Mourinho and Villas-Boas thing to some degree. And also Greeks like Santos lol.

Swedish players good? How so?

Pedro Martins was often called "the drunkard" in this forum... I guess he does kind of look like he drinks heavily.

Portuguese players we expect nothing from. Brazilians/ Argentinians we expect to create magic etc.. the usual..

Greeks love Scandinavian players: Berg (PAO), Johansson (AEK), Mellberg, Zetterberg (all OSFP) - Danish too René_Henriksen, Michaelsen (PAO) all very respected for their quality and professionalism. Maybe that goes back to the employment of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard 

Martins is a curious fellow. I actually quite like him even though he doesn't like playing my favourite player. He has a very heavy voice but seems to speak logic. He also understands the Olympiacos fans and what each game means to them and shows respect to Olympiacos and Hellas. I even heard him start an interview with Kalispera once (good afternoon) - I know it is not much but these touches go a long way.

Only time I recall Scandinavian players doing relevant things here was in the 80s when Benfica had players form Sweden and Denmark and ofc Erikson as our manager. In the 80s Swedish clubs did some interesting things in Europe, mainly Malmö FF and IFK Gothemburg.

Portugal also loves cheap Latin American players. As for Benfica fans, any black guy who has a few good games immediately gets compared to Eusébio. Fans loved Renato Sanches and warmed up to Freddy Adu quickly for that reason lol. And also loved Mantorras even when he was injured 80% of the time.

[Festivus]

I meant the players, tbh. The managers is easy it explain due to the Mourinho and Villas-Boas thing to some degree. And also Greeks like Santos lol.

Swedish players good? How so?

Pedro Martins was often called "the drunkard" in this forum... I guess he does kind of look like he drinks heavily.

Portuguese players we expect nothing from. Brazilians/ Argentinians we expect to create magic etc.. the usual..

Greeks love Scandinavian players: Berg (PAO), Johansson (AEK), Mellberg, Zetterberg (all OSFP) - Danish too René_Henriksen, Michaelsen (PAO) all very respected for their quality and professionalism. Maybe that goes back to the employment of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard 

Martins is a curious fellow. I actually quite like him even though he doesn't like playing my favourite player. He has a very heavy voice but seems to speak logic. He also understands the Olympiacos fans and what each game means to them and shows respect to Olympiacos and Hellas. I even heard him start an interview with Kalispera once (good afternoon) - I know it is not much but these touches go a long way.

Only time I recall Scandinavian players doing relevant things here was in the 80s when Benfica had players form Sweden and Denmark and ofc Erikson as our manager. In the 80s Swedish clubs did some interesting things in Europe, mainly Malmö FF and IFK Gothemburg.

Portugal also loves cheap Latin American players. As for Benfica fans, any black guy who has a few good games immediately gets compared to Eusébio. Fans loved Renato Sanches and warmed up to Freddy Adu quickly for that reason lol. And also loved Mantorras even when he was injured 80% of the time.

A bit of an exaggeration, but if Benfica signs an offensive young black male and he gets a promising start, the "NEW EUSÉBIO" comments start popping up in people's minds lol

[Faliro]

I meant the players, tbh. The managers is easy it explain due to the Mourinho and Villas-Boas thing to some degree. And also Greeks like Santos lol.

Swedish players good? How so?

Pedro Martins was often called "the drunkard" in this forum... I guess he does kind of look like he drinks heavily.

Portuguese players we expect nothing from. Brazilians/ Argentinians we expect to create magic etc.. the usual..

Greeks love Scandinavian players: Berg (PAO), Johansson (AEK), Mellberg, Zetterberg (all OSFP) - Danish too René_Henriksen, Michaelsen (PAO) all very respected for their quality and professionalism. Maybe that goes back to the employment of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard 

Martins is a curious fellow. I actually quite like him even though he doesn't like playing my favourite player. He has a very heavy voice but seems to speak logic. He also understands the Olympiacos fans and what each game means to them and shows respect to Olympiacos and Hellas. I even heard him start an interview with Kalispera once (good afternoon) - I know it is not much but these touches go a long way.

Only time I recall Scandinavian players doing relevant things here was in the 80s when Benfica had players form Sweden and Denmark and ofc Erikson as our manager. In the 80s Swedish clubs did some interesting things in Europe, mainly Malmö FF and IFK Gothemburg.

Portugal also loves cheap Latin American players. As for Benfica fans, any black guy who has a few good games immediately gets compared to Eusébio. Fans loved Renato Sanches and warmed up to Freddy Adu quickly for that reason lol. And also loved Mantorras even when he was injured 80% of the time.

A bit of an exaggeration, but if Benfica signs an offensive young black male and he gets a promising start, the "NEW EUSÉBIO" comments start popping up in people's minds lol

Another weird thing Greeks do also - is only Greeks are allowed to earn red cards for violence and be forgiven. As I alluded to before - a Greek guy attacking another player and seeing red - the media and fans 'oh well - that's game over. Can't be helped.' A foreigner or a half-Greek getting a red for the same thing - they will instantly the call the guy a kolopedo (ass-child) - and often the player has even been removed from the club.

[Festivus]

Anyway, I've always wondered why Greek players seemed like they played with iron boots... now it makes sense why they're usually slow lol

[Faliro]

Anyway, I've always wondered why Greek players seemed like they played with iron boots... now it makes sense why they're usually slow lol

Slow players are not looked down upon in Greece. I have lost count of how many foreign coaches come to Greece and all they are shouting for the first months in training is 'faster! faster!' The slow Greek striker is also another phenomenon; Xaristeas, Mitroglou, Gekas, Vryzas, Vellios, Giannou, Diamantakos, Kapetanos, Amanatidis, Papazoglou etc etc

[Festivus]

Anyway, I've always wondered why Greek players seemed like they played with iron boots... now it makes sense why they're usually slow lol

Slow players are not looked down upon in Greece. I have lost count of how many foreign coaches come to Greece and all they are shouting for the first months in training is 'faster! faster!' The slow Greek striker is also another phenomenon; Xaristeas, Mitroglou, Gekas, Vryzas, Vellios, Giannou, Diamantakos, Kapetanos, Amanatidis, Papazoglou etc etc

Well Mitroglou was good enough. I know I miss him. Strikers don't always need to be super mobile and just need their killer instinct and goal scoring ability to get the job done. Cardozo wasn't very fast either, for example.

As for foreign vs. local managers... well here we have a fear that a foreign manager will not understand our league and will just assume he won't have to work hard to win the league. It's like most foreign managers have not seen any game from a lower table Portuguese side, so they end up getting caught off-guard when they face teams that play that atrocious parking the bus type of game and end up scoring the only time they reach the opposite goal.

[Faliro]

Anyway, I've always wondered why Greek players seemed like they played with iron boots... now it makes sense why they're usually slow lol

Slow players are not looked down upon in Greece. I have lost count of how many foreign coaches come to Greece and all they are shouting for the first months in training is 'faster! faster!' The slow Greek striker is also another phenomenon; Xaristeas, Mitroglou, Gekas, Vryzas, Vellios, Giannou, Diamantakos, Kapetanos, Amanatidis, Papazoglou etc etc

Well Mitroglou was good enough. I know I miss him. Strikers don't always need to be super mobile and just need their killer instinct and goal scoring ability to get the job done. Cardozo wasn't very fast either, for example.

As for foreign vs. local managers... well here we have a fear that a foreign manager will not understand our league and will just assume he won't have to work hard to win the league. It's like most foreign managers have not seen any game from a lower table Portuguese side, so they end up getting caught off-guard when they face teams that play that atrocious parking the bus type of game and end up scoring the only time they reach the opposite goal.

That is the reality for Olympiacos - that is why we couldn't stomach Jardim playing so defensively against teams worth less than €100,000.

I think Portugal does a good job at maintaining and increasing its value as a footballing nation. If Olympiacos was in charge of the Greek NT - we would have been in the world cup easily. However the EPO is heavily PAO/PAOK affiliated and protects their old player's careers - Tzavellas, Zeka, Tziolis, Athanasiadis (never deserved a call up), Stafylidis etc.

[StellaRojas]

The name of new AEK stadium will be Hagia Sophia?

[Faliro]

The name of new AEK stadium will be Hagia Sophia?

Yes; Stadio Agia Sofia (Στάδιο Αγιά Σοφιά).

The next few weeks the stadium will really take shape. Very good drone video from yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFHvAMSWB_Q

Soil has been placed underneath the pitch from every Greek part of Anatolia a few months ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cCtrS_jvrg

[StellaRojas]

The name of new AEK stadium will be Hagia Sophia?

Yes; Stadio Agia Sofia (Στάδιο Αγιά Σοφιά).

The next few weeks the stadium will really take shape. Very good drone video from yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFHvAMSWB_Q

Soil has been placed underneath the pitch from every Greek part of Anatolia a few months ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cCtrS_jvrg

Nice one...and nice name.

[Faliro]

Aris TV shows the fan culture at Aris's game yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDEPbqUtWnQ

[Faliro]

'Waiting for the Vazelos to take the league..:'

[Faliro]

Absolutely stunning images of the Panionios fans (known as the Panthers) tonight vs Olympiacos:

[Faliro]

PAOK vs Aris Cup - first time the two are playing in years!

PAOK fans with the usual welcome.. burning all Aris banners captured in hooligan battles.. as you can see in this video.. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q24tKF6hwnQ





And fighting riot police outside the stadium... 

Result?

1-1!!







Now Olympiacos host PAOK on Sunday.  :

[Faliro]

Danish referee Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen will ref AEK vs Olympiacos on Sunday.