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Also rumors that we might activate our clause for Bianco - I like that; I thought he was pretty decent.

As was the case last summer, they're saying we want Chatzidiakos again. Don't know how realistic that is considering he's been with Copenhagen for only a season. Though I'll note that last season didn't seem to go too well for them, as they ended up (barely) in the bottom half of the table. But, confusingly, still managed a conference league spot for this summer. https://www.transfermarkt.us/pantelis-hatzidiakos/profil/spieler/144244 Tbh I doubt he'd be too expensive. Age isn't terrible as well, and we obviously need a replacement for Kedziora (and I generally support actually having Greeks on the roster).

I'm definitely going to give him a chance. As our Viennese friend says up above, you only get a few types of managers coming to Greece. This one might end up in the Ferreira mold (but hopefully without getting fired after a meh run). I will say, his record is not amazing - but it seems that he was hired to keep teams from getting relegated and he apparently succeeded. The questions for me, are: can he cope with playing more games, assuming we make it to Europe and go deep in the cup (which we should) can he cope with the third world nature of Greece can he handle the pressure of not just trying to stay in a league, but win Two of his prior teams are, on paper, at least as "valuable" as ours. He isn't some second division flunky who has never had some quality to work with. But the mentality and expectations will be much higher. If he does well here, it will open up doors for him in the future. Also - I was not too pumped about the Pusic rumor, I must say. His record was not exactly fantastic even though he coached arguably the best team in that league, and I was afraid Savvidis would go for another stubborn older dude instead of someone with energy and new ideas. As far as the transfers are concerned...show me a team that is all set before the first training session. The market closes in like two months. They're hiring professionals. Calm down!

Don't know him at all. Must give him the benefit of the doubt.

Doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence, as of yet he hasn't really achieved anything outstanding. Feels like we have scrambled to get someone in as preseason starts in 2 days. These are the sort of managers though that are willing to come to Greece, unless you really break the bank to sign a manager with European pedigree. I hope he goes well and is a success, but the fact that he is seemingly a 2nd choice (all the noise around Pusic clearly we were interested) means once we have a poor run of results and the fans start getting restless, I don't know how long management will be willing to back him in for. I am a fan of hiring a younger manager though. I just hope he is ready, because Greek football is a world away from Spanish football.

Delias is gone anyway. I'm reading that he switches the formation up a bit more than the 5-3-2 on transfermarkt implies. So who knows.

72 wins, 71 losses Team doesn’t score many goals , last time they scored 2+ was March. 5-3-2 means no spot for Delias, Zivkovic.

El Kaddour (who last played for SPAL - which got relegated to Serie D) - may be making his way back in a coaching debut. https://inpaok.com/906154/skepseis-gia-epistrofi-el-kantouri/ Probably a terrible idea, of course. But if it does happen, it probably means Vieirinha and Matos - neither of whom likely know what they're doing - will be dipping deep into the well of that original beautiful season.

Out with the old in with the new!!!!

Lisci, fearless leader! https://www.transfermarkt.com/alessio-lisci/profil/trainer/87289 Seems to like the 5-3-2. This would, funny enough, probably suit Chalov.

We owe Dynamo Kiev something from 1976.

Alessio Lisci is the new coach of PAOK.

Kedziora officially been announced by Dynamo Kyiv. Michailidis the only senior center back left in the squad as things stand. The center of our defence is going to look very different in 26-27. Lots of work to do for Vieirinha and Matos

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.