Blackhawk

AEL FC Arena is a no go. The stadium does not have a license to hold games, but that does not stop Iraklis Larisa to play their Superleague2 game in that stadium. Speaking of licenses neither does OPAP Arena have one but that does not stop AEK from playing there. EPO is now looking at Lamia and Agrinio as possible stadiums to hold the final. When Harry Klynn was alive he once called Greece the only African country on the European continent. How true that statement was.

They are going to start playing in 2024-2025 season in the local Xanthi league. It will be a while before we see them in the top divisions again.

Squad for the game: Sastre, Ingason, Augusto, Taison, Kurtic, Narey out.

Behind the scenes highlights:

Fenerbahce will not renew the option for Pelkas and he will become a free agent at the end of the season. Currently is on loan at Hull City. Could there be a return to PAOK in the cards? He is 29 years old.

It's difficult because people are playing political games. One of the biggest crooks in Greek football Beos is in charge of the Volos stadium and he is placing all kinds of obstacles for the game to be played there. If he does not give the ok, the game will not be played there. He got the control of the stadium as the mayor of Volos and it was given to him by the current prime minister of Greece Evaggelos Marinakis. Kaftanzoglio is in such shambles that it is in no shape for a cup final to be played there. As it is AEK would not agree to play in Thessaloniki anyway. OAKA is controlled by Marinakis through Avgenakis and those two are waging a war against the current EPO leadership, so that stadium is out of the question. AEL FC Arena is privately owned and the owner agrees for the game to be played there, but the local government (probably on orders from the Marinakis government in Athens) will place obstacles for the game to be played. What's left is Toumba and OPAP Arena. Unless they agree on a two leg final I don't see that happening. I would like to see the final being played in Constantinople. Both finalists have roots in that city, and I am sure the Turkish government could use it as a propaganda tool against Athens, so they would probably give the ok. Final option is not to play the final at all and use a coin toss to decide winner.

3:2 final Exciting game witnessed by the Dutchman in person.

Golara Zivkovic

2:2

2:1 Schwab

Penalty

1:1 Taison

10,100 the official attendance. Second half under way.

0:1 Tragic mistake by Koulierakis.

Quite disappointed to see so many empty seats at Toumba.

8th

It will be tough with Ingason and Augusto missing.

EPO has this pretty much covered. If there was a team in the final from northern Greece it would be played in Volos or outside of Greece. The problem is political. The prime Minister of Greece Marinakis is at war with EPO because he wants to control it. As a result he placing obstacles to discredit the AEK/PAOK controlled EPO.

Latest in the Greek Cup final saga is AEL FC Arena in Larisa on May 24. Why do I believe that this will not be the final location for the cup final.

VS MATCHUP: Panathinaikos Athens - P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki COMPETITION: Superleague 1 – Playoffs - Round 8 DATE: 04-May-2023 TIME: 20:00 EEST (17:00 UTC, 12:00 CDT, 03:00 AEST next day) CITY/STADIUM: Athens – Apostolos Nikoalidis Stadium (Capacity: 16,003) REFEREES: TELEVISION: COSMOTE Sport (Greece), Prime Tel (Cyprus), Antenna Satellite/Pacific (USA, Canada/Australia) Panathinaikos vs. P.A.O.K. history: Superleague 2022-2023: 0:3 (own goal, Zivkovic, Konstantelias)- Attendance: 13,612 2021-2022: 2:1 (Zivkovic)- Attendance: 9,416 (PLAY-OFFS) 2021-2022: 1:3 (Kurtic 2, Akpom)- Attendance: 12,792 2020-2021: 3:0 - Attendance: nf (PLAY-OFFS) 2020-2021: 2:1 (Tzolis) - Attendance: nf 2019-2020: 0:0 - Attendance: nf (PLAY-OFFS) 2019-2020: 2:0 - Attendance: 19,133 2018-2019: 0:2 (Mauricio, Jaba) - Attendance: 9,453 2017-2018: 0:3 (Prijovic 2, Shakhov) - Attendance: 8,649 2016-2017: 0:3 - Attendance: 4,111 (PLAY-OFFS) (PAOK won by forfeit after Ivic was hit by a beer can) 2016-2017: 1:0 - Attendance: 5,221 2015-2016: 1:1 (Charisis) - Attendance: 8,178 (PLAY-OFFS) 2015-2016: 2:2 (Cimirot, Pelkas) - Attendance: 8,318 2014-2015: 2:0 - Attendance: 12,964 (PLAY-OFFS) 2014-2015: 4:3 (Athanasiadis, Skondras, Noboa) - Attendance: no fans 2013-2014: 1:1 (Salpiggidis) - Attendance: 11,713 (PLAY-OFFS) 2013-2014: 2:1 (Athanasiadis) - Attendance: 11,113 2012-2013: 2:0 - Attendance: 13,511 (OAKA) 2011-2012: 2:0 - Attendance: 3,012 (OAKA) (PLAY-OFFS) 2011-2012: 0:2 (Lino-p, Salpiggidis) - Attendance: no fans (OAKA) 2010-2011: 1:0 - Attendance: 19,800 (OAKA) (PLAY-OFFS) 2010-2011: 1:0 - Attendance: no fans (OAKA) 2009-2010: 2:1 (Vieirinha) - Attendance: 19,875 (OAKA) 2008-2009: 4:1 (Malezas) - Attendance: 14,673 (OAKA) (PLAY-OFFS) 2008-2009: 3:0 - Attendance: 26,430 (OAKA) 2007-2008: 2:0 - Attendance: 10,048 2006-2007: 2:1 (Zegarra) - Attendance: 21,356 (OAKA) 2005-2006: 1:0 - Attendance: 21,358 (OAKA) Alpha Ethniki (Professional) 2004-2005: 2:1 (Andralas) - Attendance: 11,001 2003-2004: 3:0 - Attendance: 9,685 2002-2003: 1:0 - Attendance: 13,620 2001-2002: 1:2 (Okkas, Konstantinidis) - Attendance: 10,337 2000-2001: 5:2 (Georgiadis-p, Nalitzis) - Attendance: 9,914 1999-2000: 1:1 (Nagbe) - Attendance: 30,928 (OAKA) (4,000 PAOK fans in attendance) 1998-1999: 0:1 (Frantzeskos) - Attendance: 21,237 (OAKA) 1997-1998: 3:1 (Maragos) - Attendance: 10,432 (OAKA) 1996-1997: 5:0 - Attendance: 4,873 (OAKA) 1995-1996: 2:0 - Attendance: 10,179 (OAKA) 1994-1995: 3:0 - Attendance: 22,883 (OAKA) 1993-1994: 2:0 - Attendance: 4,593 (OAKA) 1992-1993: 5:0 - Attendance: 17,903 (OAKA) 1991-1992: 5:1 (Toursounidis-p) - Attendance: 8,236 (OAKA) 1990-1991: 3:0 - Attendance: 31,314 (OAKA) (This is the game where PAOK owner Thomas Voulinos took the team off the field in the 77th minute due to biased officiating by the ref Karamanis, who has shown red cards to Skartados and Magdi. PAOK lost the game on paper and was deducted 3 points from the standings. 1989-1990: 2:2 (Lagonidis, Malioufas) - Attendance: 32,141 (OAKA) 1988-1989: 1:0 - Attendance: 13,771 1987-1988: 2:1 (Alexandridis) - Attendance: 18,552 (OAKA) 1986-1987: 0:0 - Attendance: 29,663 (OAKA) 1985-1986: 5:0 - Attendance: 46,961 (OAKA) 1984-1985: 0:1 (Paprica) - Attendance: 74,043 (OAKA) (8,000 PAOK fans in attendance) 1983-1984: 0:0 - Attendance: 24,400 1982-1983: 2:0 - Attendance: 6,704 1981-1982: 2:1 (Dimopoulos) - Attendance: 24,000 1980-1981: 0:0 - Attendance: 11,086 (Rizoupoli Stadium) 1979-1980: 0:0 - Attendance: 20,007 Alpha Ethniki (Amateur/Semi-Professional) 1978-1979: 2:2 (Kermanidis, Kostikos) - Attendance: 11,407 1977-1978: 0:0 - Attendance: 22,572 1976-1977: 0:0 - Attendance: 23,684 1975-1976: 1:1 (Anastasiadis) - Attendance: 24,646 1974-1975: 1:1 (Sarafis) - Attendance: 23,886 1973-1974: 3:2 (Terzanidis, Tsakiropoulos) - Attendance: 24,877 1972-1973: 0:2 (forfeit) - Attendance: NA 1971-1972: 1:0 - Attendance: 25,968 1970-1971: 3:0 - Attendance: 18,730 1969-1970: 1:1 (Afentoulidis) - Attendance: 22,985 1968-1969: 2:0 - Attendance: 22,787 1967-1968: 1:0 - Attendance: 19,803 1966-1967: 0:0 - Attendance: 20,449 1965-1966: 2:0 - Attendance: 15,901 1964-1965: 2:0 - Attendance: 24,373 1963-1964: 4:0 - Attendance: 18,374 1962-1963: 2:1 (Giakoumis) - Attendance: 24,229 1961-1962: 3:1 (Leandros) - Attendance: 22,449 1960-1961: 2:0 - Attendance: ? 1959-1960: 1:0 - Attendance: 11,441 Panhellenic Championship 1958-1959: 3:0 - Attendance: ? 1957-1958: 1:1 (Gentzis)- Attendance: ? 1956-1957: 3:1 (Gianellos) - Attendance: ? 1955-1956: 3:1 (Kouiroukidis) - Attendance: ? 1954-1955: 3:2 (Papadakis 2) - Attendance: 12,000 1953-1954: 1:1 (Gientzis) - Attendance: ? 1936-1937: 2:0 - Attendance: ? 1935-1936: 1:0 - Attendance: ? 1931-1932: 2:1 (Papagiordanidis)- Attendance: ? 1930-1931: 7:1 (Konstantinidis) - Attendance: ? GAMES: 84 WINS: 10 TIES: 19 LOSSES: 55 All games played at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium (Leoforos Alexandras) unless otherwise noted.

Augusto and Taison are back and available. Ingason will miss at least the next two games.

2022 - 2023 Season: Round 23 (04.05.2023, 14:45 EEST - Makedonikos Stadium, Efkarpia) PAOK 'B' Thessaloniki - Niki Volos TV: no coverage

Iraklis Larisa - PAOK 1:4

Ingason to miss the game. In other words our available CBs are Michailidis, Koulierakis, Nasberg. Good luck to the team. And the Aris fake owner has announced that Aris players will receive extra bonus if they win at Toumba.

Unfortunately Ingason got injured. Hopefully it's not too serious. Without him it will be much tougher. There re still 4 games left plus the cup final. Need to regroup and hope for the best.