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Sanchez starting in Mexico's 2nd group stage match against South Korea. Kick off is in 10 minutes!

There are a few rumored names over the last day or so. Both are 32 years old and play in Spain. CB - Aritz Elustondo. Last played for Real Sociedad, and will be a free agent on the 30th: https://www.transfermarkt.us/aritz-elustondo/profil/spieler/229804 CM - Baptiste Santamaria. Currently plays for Valencia and has a contract through the 26/27 season: https://www.transfermarkt.us/baptiste-santamaria/profil/spieler/285323

Dynamo Kyiv finished 4th last season, 15 points off the pace in the Ukrainian League. Cluj finished 3rd in Romania. Both teams have decent European pedigree, Dynamo on paper at least would be the tougher match-up (without knowing much about either squad). In terms of a "name" in European football though, Dynamo Kyiv definitely trumps Cluj.

We play the first leg away against Dynamo Kyiv or Universitatea Cluj.

The teams were divided in 2 groups. We are in group 2 and avoided Besiktas, FC Twente and the Scandinavian teams in todays draw (14:00 EEST): Group 2 Seeded teams SL Benfica (POR) PAOK FC (GRE) Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) Pafos FC (CYP) Unseeded teams Winners of Pairing 4 FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) - NK Aluminij (SVN) Winners of Pairing 5 FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) - FC Universitatea Cluj (ROU) Winners of Pairing 6 HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) - MŠK Žilina (SVK) FC St. Gallen 1879 (SUI)

Looks like we are very close to announcing Marino Pušić as the replacement for Razvan Lucescu in the coaching position.

If Kedziora leaves, we will need to sign 3 center backs. Not sure how it can be accomplished. In the past when we needed a CB we ended in the last minutes with over the hill Lovren. I think Kedziora is a decent CB, but like some other players on the team he has been overused by Lucescu. I would keep him as long as we acquire another starter in that position.

Draw for Qualifying Round 1 was made today. Here are the updated seedings: SEEDED TEAMS Benfica Lisbon (POR) 90.000 Viktoria Plzen (CZE) 50.500 FC Midtjylland (DEN) 48.250 PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) 48.250 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) 32.500 Anderlecht Brussels (BEL) 30.750 Pafos (CYP) 24.125 winner of Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB) 5.500 - Ferencvaros Budapest (HUN) 51.250 winner of Qarabag FK (AZB) 42.750 - IF Vestri (ISL) 3.304 UNSEEDED TEAMS Besiktas Istanbul (TUR) 15.500 Twente Enschede (NED) 13.585 Tromso IL (NOR) 8.247 FC Sankt Gallen (SUI) 6.940 Hammarby IF (SWE) 6.000 winner of Dynamo Kiev UKR) 17.500 - Universitate Cluj (ROM) 5.050 winner of Hajduk Split (CRO) 10.000 - MSK Zilina (SVK) 5.500 winner of Sheriff Tiraspol (MOL) 20.000 - NK Aluminij (SLO) 4.893 winner of CSKA Sofia (BUL) 6.500 - Derry City (IRL) 4.000 Tomorrow the draw for Qualifying Round 2 will be made and PAOK will find out the first European opponent for the 2026-2027 season.

It's worth noting that Lucescu is the only manager under Savvidis to see out a complete 2nd season. There are only 2 other managers who survived the sack in their first season, those 2 being Abel Ferreira and Ivic. Ivic left in the off-season after his first full season in charge and Ferreira lasted until October of his 2nd season. The point I'm making is that Lucescu has been the only one to be able to navigate a seemingly volatile Savvidis and his management (sons etc.) I will continue to bemoan the fact that the club was so slow in making this decision, we have lost so much time. It remains to be seen if the club has a replacement lined up and ready to go. If they don't, and my feeling is that they don't then we can just add it to the list of incompetencies that management has provided us over the last 2 years since the title winning season. Again I am not anti this decision, I am anti how long it has taken to arrive at this decision.

Ivan has been milking PAOK for some years now. Razvan & Pourlotiopoulos are or were the onky good things we had.. now razvan is gone wtf

I'm not really upset about Lucescu leaving; the thing with his style is that he seems best at coming in, making a few targeted transfers, and then crushing the league until the wheels fall off. Like our Austrian friend says, he will be back at some point to win another title. I am wondering if the shakeup throughout the administration was decided upon very late as well - perhaps an impetuous move by Savvidis after he finished stewing on our bad results. Whatever. Here are some rumored replacements: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZmvbvWsPVA/ (manager profiles for each below) https://www.transfermarkt.com/marino-pusic/profil/trainer/28942 https://www.transfermarkt.com/luis-castro/profil/trainer/69945 https://www.transfermarkt.com/benat-san-jose/profil/trainer/28835

This is great news; and with Lucescu gone there should be fewer obstacles to it. We need to get younger AND better defensively.

Apparently Kedziora wants to leave and sign with Dynamo Kiev.

I think this was the right move, but poorly executed. The coaching situation should have been resolved right after the game with Panathinaikos. This leads me to believe that they really had no concrete plan after the season ended. Once again we are scrambling get things together at the last possible moment. I am really curious if we will have a coach next Monday, when the training season starts.

BYE

Looks like Lucescu's time with us is coming to an end, has been mooted for almost a month now. I think the writing has been on the wall for awhile. The Cup final loss was hard to stomach and the implosion against Panathinaikos which cost us place in Champions League qualifying no doubt sealed his fate. Although it's ending, he still leaves as PAOK's most successful coach ever and no doubt our most decorated. I have little doubt that he will return one day down the road, to steady the ship! Thanks for everything Razvan, you made us champions and returned us to the summit of Greek football! https://www.sport24.gr/football/paok-xekatharizei-oristika-to-thema-loutseskou-ola-deixnoun-diazigio-me-ton-roumano-texniko/

The Socceroos played brilliantly! Defended with numbers, compact and frustrated the Turks. The first goal was quality.

Congratz to the PAOKtzides from Oz for slaughtering the galopoula! What a nice way to wake up (game ended about 8 AM here and I will watch the highlights rightaway).

Saw that the Russkie was going to take a role as a "VP" (and I assume remain on the board). Interesting that she'd take a demotion.

The main pre-season training will take place at the Nino Sparta Training Center at Zaltbommel between June 29 - July 12. Four pre-season games will take place during that period: 01-July: tba 04-July: PAOK - Westerlo FC (Nino Sparta, Zaltbommel) 07-July: PAOK - AEK Larnaca (Nino Sparta, Zaltbommel) 11-July: tba

Sanchez did not get the start in the WC opener between Mexico and South Africa.

What's with that new CEO, Agisilaos Toumazatos?

https://inpaok.com/905425/ta-epomena-vimata-gia-ti-nea-touba-2/ I like "folia tou dikefalou aetou".

I believe Mavropanos was voted the player of the year for West Ham. He was the single reason that they almost avoided relegation. Kouliarakis is 23 and plays for Wolfsberg, rated highly. Retsos has turned aound his career and resembles that guy that secured the then record transfer for a Greek teenager. Don't care for Hatzidiakos. The next guy up would be Mihalidis. Are we world class at the back? No. But Kouliarakis (valued at $25M) and Mavropanos (valued at $18M) are more than capable.

The way Savvidis runs the club is a joke.