Lefkaditis

I bet Ronaldo and Messi couldn't do those things. Useless bastards

A new stadium in Greece takes longer to build than the parthenon. Pao were supposed to have a new home 30 years ago, and we're still playing in a dilapidated old stadium......when Man Utd came to Athens to play Athinaikos in 1990 their players stood there marvelling at a stadium not seen in the UK since before the war.... AEK should have a new stadium by the turn of the new century, fingers crossed.

^^ No I'm not mad at all! It's just a conversation, and all us "older" folk are saying is that you can't just look at the present and discount the past - most young kids today do that, and it's understandable because they didn't see the players of the past. Messi is a great player, there's no doubt, but there have also been other great players before him, many many of them.

Aside from the drug taking, Maradona has been very controversial and outspoken, to the point where most people would think he is a total dickhead (and I wouldn't disagree). Nevertheless, his football ability went beyond all that and he is still considered a "genius" despite all the negative stuff.

OK, whatever. As for the grafitti, I doubt you'd see grafitti on walls these days for a player who played 30 years ago.....

True, different players, different eras. The modern era is more focused on protecting players (especially attackers), the venues and playing surfaces are light years ahead, etc, etc, all of which makes is easier for players of today to perform. That's why records are broken, not because the players are better. But as I said above, if you conducted a poll in Argentina (for all ages) asking who was the greatest player of all time, I bet virtually 100% would vote Maradona ahead of Messi. He is a god in Argentina, I don't think Messi has that status (yet).

^^^ I don't think Messi is overrated, obviously he is a great player. The difference is Maradona literally carried average teams to greatness, Messi has superstars around him and really hasn't dominated any tournaments like Maradona did. I don't even think the ballon or whatever it's called was awarded back in his day? If it was, he would've won it every year he played. Ask any Argentine who is the greatest player ever, I bet they won't say Messi... As for the defenders back then, put it this way.......some of the tackling and fouling back then would've seen those players sent off in the first 5 minutes of a game today. If Maradona was protected like Messi and co. are today, nobody would be able to get near him......

Hatzipanagis career was a bit of a tragedy because he was confined to a relatively "small" team in the SL. He also had big offers from PAO in particular IIRC but they never let him go. Saravakos was another who had offers from Italy but never went. He was a great player at his peak in the mid-late 80s. Don't forget back then only 3 foreigners were allowed in European leagues, so you had to be REALLY good to get an overseas contract (e.g. Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard at Milan were the best trio of all time). These days with the Bosman rule average players can play abroad wherever they like. As for Maradona, the Argentina team that won the WC in 1986 was fairly ordinary, he virtually won the cup off his own boot. And nearly did it again in 1990.

Forgot about Ajax, they were a great side. Defeated us 0-3 in Athens after our 1-0 win in Amsterdam.....we had no hope in that match. Hopefully I'll be hitting Lefkada in a few months, just like going back home! Imagine if Maradona was protected by the referees like the players of today, no butcher defenders to foul him every time he touched the ball. His left foot was like a magnet for the ball, the man would be untouchable.

The Liverpool and Juventus teams of the early/mid 80s, and the Milan team of the late 80s / early 90s. I'd say as good or better teams than the great Barcelona of recent years. The teams people choose depends on the era they grew up in, and I go back a bit further than most. As for players, agree with the comments about Ronaldo above, but the greatest of all by a country mile was Maradona. Single handedly won serie A titles for Napoli and a WC for Argentina (almost 2).....something Messi has failed to do and probably never will. Nobody comes close to Maradona, perhaps only Pele who was before my time...

Hi Nea Bafra, sorry to hear the story of your dad's health problems, and I know this is off topic. I have experienced something similar with my father. My parents were planning to go to Greece in 2013, but dad had a major stroke early that year and they couldn't go. His was a clot, rather than a bleed. It's affected him considerably, but he can still walk, speaks OK, etc. His sight has been affected and as a result he cannot drive. You don't realise what a terrible thing a stroke can be until it happens to someone close to you. If all goes well, I am planning to go with my younger son and them in the next summer, but I am very skeptical and worried about anything happening over there, especially with their poor medical system as you say. It is a risk, but they are determined to go. Anyway, I haven't been to Toumba, but would love to one day (I am a Pao supporter and have been to Leoforos and OAKA many times). I have been to Kaftantzogleio back in the mid 80s. It was a huge slab of concrete, no plastic seats and a very ordinary pitch. It looked a lot better in the years after the 04 Olympics, but Greek stadia in general are not great. The atmosphere is fantastic in places like Toumba and Leoforos, but the facilities leave a lot to be desired.....you wouldn't want to go to the toilet at the half time break! Hopefully one day when the economy improves we will see better stadia all round Greece.

^^^ Couldn't have said it better myself. If you see somebody in trouble in the street who needs help, do you ask them if they're muslim first, and if so walk away? You mean like Bosnia and Albania?

Gyros - I reckon Greece should line the coast of the islands facing towards Turkey with soldiers armed with machine guns and just shoot any foreigners in boats on sight. That way we stop the "filth" in its tracks! Unfortunately as Bananas says above, the only filth on this forum appears to be your good self and those who have no respect for human life.

Next time you go to school or work or whatever you do, tell everyone you think asylum seekers should be left to drown. And that they are all muslim terrorists. See how far you get in life with an attitude like that. ****************************************** DELETED And the poster above, does it matter what nationality people are? You seem to only care about the Greeks. Are they the ones who are really suffering here? If you were in the refugees' position I'm sure you'd think differently.

To those on here who say "let them drown"......**************************** DELETED You are not people,********************* DELETED God forbid, one day when Greeks are fleeing Greece because they don't have anything to eat, we'll all say "let them drown". You make me feel ashamed to be Greek.