paokarag4

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

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.

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.

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.

Once again we move at an astrnomically slow speed. These are key decisions that need to be made quickly, not a week and a half before pre-season is due to commence. There has been ample time for the club to move on Lucescu and have brought in a new manager and have been focusing on transfers and what type of player the new coach wants/needs. Instead we are here with the club seemingly scrambling late in the piece trying to figure out what the coaching staff will look like for 26-27. Poor managment and such slow decision making always sets us behind the 8 ball and it's only June. It sets us up to chase our tail for the rest of the season.

I've always thought a technical director is in charge of transfers, signings and selling. According to google a sporting director seems to have similar responsibilities, whatever they do specifically, they are going to be working closely.

I've heard varying reports about what they are asking. I've heard they are asking for 3 million and we are offering 2. I've also heard they are asking for 5 Million and we are offering 1. Clearly you prefer the difference to be the former, because a 4 million difference is a lot of ground to cover to reach an agreement. In regard to the interest from Olympiacos and AEK, it seems Giannoulis has made it clear at this stage he only wants to return to Greece to play for PAOK. Olympiacos and AEK have understood this and seem to have moved on, while probably waiting in the corner incase he changes his tune. For Giannoulis it seems it will either be us or he will remain at Augsburg and continue playing in the Bundesliga.

Nothing surer than despite us being seeded, we will cop Besiktas. From memory the early qualifying rounds of the Europa League can throw up some tough match-ups. I feel like by the 3rd round and certainly the playoffs, those tougher teams have become seeded by virtue of eliminating their "seeded" opponents, so it gets easier.

Caps off his brilliant 17 goal, 23 assist Championship winning season by being crowned MVP of the Belgian League. Bravo Christo, a big move is sure to come this summer.

Kyziridis gets his first call-up to the Ethniki for the upcoming friendlies against Sweden and Italy. He was part of the Hearts team that just fell short of clinching the Scottish Premier League title after losing to Celtic on the last day of the season. He and Androutsos (first call up in 5 years) are late replacements for Konstantelias and Karetas, who have pulled out of the squad. Full Squad Τερματοφύλακες: Βλαχοδήμος, Μανδάς, Τζολάκης Αμυντικοί: Μαυροπάνος, Χατζηδιάκος, Ρέτσος, Κουλιεράκης, Ντόη, Ρότα, Κυριακόπουλος, Βαγιαννίδης, Γιαννούλης, Τσιμίκας Μέσοι: Κοντούρης, Ζαφείρης, Τριάντης, Κουρμπέλης, Μουζακίτης, Ανδρούτσος Επιθετικοί: Κυζιρίδης, Τζόλης, Μασούρας, Παυλίδης, Δουβίκας, Τεττέη, Κωστούλας https://www.sport24.gr/football/ethniki-elladas-ektos-konstantelias-kai-karetsas-proti-gia-kiziridi-kai-epistrofi-androutsou/

No they don't. The Conference League Playoffs only work if someone from the top 4 (Championship Playoffs) wins the Cup. Since that didn't happen, the Conference League spot doesn't drop to 5th place. So Aris and co are playing for nothing but pride.

Really? Up until Feburary, we were absolutely playing the best and most attractive football in the league. Then injuries took hold and we have fallen apart since. Strongly disagree with that point as I do with saying the league was "down" in 2024. Olympiacos won a European title that season. We only just pipped AEK to win the title. Saying it was down is simply untrue and inidcates you either drink too much (likely) or are just desperate to justify your point (less likely but still plausible.) Not wanting Lucescu is fair enough, it is okay to not like him for whatever reason, but claiming we played ugly football all season is not true. We were lauded across the league for playing attractive football, we scored brilliant goals, were top of the table and were drawing comparisons to the great team of the 70's. Let me finish by saying, I don't think Lucescu should be guaranteed to coach next season. There clearly needs to be a review and assessment conducted. The jungle drums are rumbling and pressure mounting more than ever from fans and media alike. There comes a point when it is better to just shake hands and move on.

After we won the league? Your hatred of the man has no limits. Season has been a failure unfortunately, and Lucescescu made mistakes with regard to the starting 11. Our midfield (Meite and Ozdoev) were non-existent defensively, OFI consistently got between our lines and were able to turn and face their attacking goal. Taison has always been a liability defensively, OFI attacked our left side with that knowledge and constantly had 2 v 1s on that side of the pitch. If OFI had played out the game instead of going into that hideous "game management" I genuinely believe they would've won 1-3. Instead they turned it into a grudge match and that fired our boys up enough to equalise. The penalty is unlucky, the corner should never have been conceded and then Chatisids' inexperience sees him leave his arm dangling. Regardless we didn't deserve to win the Cup and if we had it would have been a case of us stealing it rather than winning it. Questions and pressure will be mounted on Lucescu and so it should be, this season which had so much promise just 2 months ago has fizzled out in the most disappointing fashion. That is something for the board and Savvidis to discuss in the summer, for now we have to attack the last 4 games. I am more worried about holding off Panathinaikos and sewing up 3rd spot than I am thinking about catching Olympiacos and coming 2nd. The anti-Savvidis crew is now out in force too following the result. It is going to be a rough week for everyone involved with the club. I do not envy any of them.

With the title race done and dusted for us, this Cup final is now massive. Win a trophy and secure the "good" Europa League spot (playoff round IIRC). It will also hopefully rejuvenate the team and give us confidence to attack the final 4 games of the league as we chase 2nd spot and a spot in Champions League qualifying. Hard to have any sort of confidence with our form of late. Conversely, OFI have gradually improved across the course of the season and are a well drilled and organised team. Zivkovic and Kenny being fit again is a huge plus. One of Mythou or Chatsidis need to start this one and with Zivkovic fit again, coupled with the fact Giakoumakis is injured, I wonder if Lucescu will go with Mythou up top.