Akritis_1944

Not only did he take his Italian Step-father's name but he also bought in to believe in everything Italian. I doubt he'd come to play in Greece. Sure he'll play for a s#it Mongolbirligi club in Turkey but he'll laugh at the idea of playing in Greece for a club on the verge of Europa League.

Troisi is Greek too. Has a Greek passport but I think like Samaras, he's been reared since birth to turn his back on the Greek League.

Apperently RVP won't play the first match in Greece. Not certain about the return.

Ausgreek that's a perfectly reasonable and logical approach. I can agree with that whether it applies to Greece or Australia. I am also born and raised in Australia from migrant parents from Greece. The only difference to what you said is that I would never EVER represent a nation ahead of Greece. There's no contest. No Greek ever told me to go back to where I came from. Death to Les Murray!

^ I was joking BTW. However you are spot on. PAOK are favourite and Brondby should be ruing their luck at this draw but that doesn't mean that anyone at PAOK should be complacent. PAOK is in a rebuilding phase but Europa League should be a priority.

Very tough and unlucky to draw them. They have the individual players to be a great team but you can't just be a fatalist loser and wish for Rehaggel to be your coach and for Charisteas to come out of retirement. Everyone is scared of the dark but sometimes you just have to push ahead.

I must be missing something about the tone of your posts. Surely you're a parody. I don't think anyone would be seriously posting the stuff you do.

He needs to play and score at least 12-15 goals or he will likely fade away. If he goes there and knuckles down and starts performing he can use it as a great opportunity for a contract at a better club in the Bundesliga or Serie A.

You're through. Betting agencies are already paying out a PAOK win.

He was clearly being sarcastic! I hope we never have to put up with Anastasiadis nor Samaras as captain.

I will respectfully disagree about Anastasiadis. The guy is in his 60s. Never achieved anything as a coach aside from a cup with PAOK. I'd take Donis any day. Worst possible decision. We will be a rabble from day 1 under him.

As Reaper posted, karagounis and Markarian are history. Great news correct? Err no...the talk is that Karagounis's role will be filled by Nikolpolidis (Basinas, Charisteas and Lyberopoulos are also possibilities. The new coach is most likely....wait for it..... Aggelos Anastasiadis! We are doomed and we will be in the footballing dark ages for generations! Greece's economy will recover by the time our national side does. Talk about incompetent and short sighted! Please bring us back Fyssas and Ranieri! I'll fall in to depression if these rumours are true!

Lol o Samaras!

Disappointing is an understatement. You guys are correct that the team with the exception of Berg, possibly 1 or 2 others is low quality for European standards. Anastasiou has not set the team up to be effective. Not only last night but last week too. In more positive news, you will qualify for the Europa. For the miserable ones up the back... PAO WILL PLAY EUROPA THIS YEAR!!!!

Rudnev's an average player. Tore up the Polish league but internationally and in better leagues he's been exposed as an average player. He wouldn't make a dent in the GSL.

From what I understand you're essentially correct about the dubious backgrounds of some of the original backers of Heidelberg but I'm not sure that it was as late as 1991. I grew up in Sydney in the 80s and when Sydney Olympic were interstate and either Heidelberg or Hellas were in Sydney my father would take my brother and I to watch the other Greek teams. One particular match Heidelberg were playing APIA Leichhardt at Lambert Park and my old man took us along and after the match we got on the field and spoke to Selemedis and Yankos. We had no idea their were "Slavophone" behind the scenes. This was probably 1984 or there abouts.

Rudnevs gave an interview a few weeks back saying he was aware of PAOK's interest but had no intention of playing in Greece. So he's changed his mind?

http://www.sdna.gr/gr/news-in-english/arthro-news-in-english/57279/sporting-table-fresh-mitroglou-offer/ Sporting still persisting on landing him.

Another drama with Samaras. Take the money in New York. Go watch a show or 2 in Broadway with Foureira on your arm. You'll be forgotten quicker than the 1994 World Cup team.

Yeah my mistake. Thanks for clearing that up. Good luck to the Vazeles!

Greekoz, thanks for a thorough response. I had no idea that Oakleigh was like that. I'm a Hellas supporter. I went to a couple of Oakleigh matches years ago when I was living in Clayton and I never warmed to the club.

I hope you do the job against Brugge. You get to cut in on the gavs CL money for a start, also for the first time in years there will be 2 Greek clubs in CL.

Even if it's away, PAOK should win easily. If not, then there's something worryingly wrong.

Erik Sabo has potential. Young, captain of his club and a Slovakia international but he scored against poor opposition like the North Irish who are semi-professionals. He's not a bam signing. If he comes cheap it would be OK. Ludovic Obraniak would be a decent pick up. Not sure how believable that is though.

Exactly. However, he is set to make himself ?10 million over the course of a 2+2 contract if the reports are correct. Great for his finances but very little for his career or what most of us expected of his career. Can you imagine if he continues to be selected for the NT and whilst mingling with his NT colleagues during the training camps he starts selling the benefits of playing in a soft league earning huge money? He'll have most of the squad wanting their agents to find them clubs in the Gulf immediately! What's that going to do to the limited talent pool we currently have? Like I stated previously, he shouldn't be selected for the Ethniki until he's playing in Europe again. Even if it's for a club like Panthrakikos or Giannena.