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National Team heads back to OAKA


plato-ny

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http://sportingreece.com/kb/article.asp?fIndex=3388

Tuesday, July 07, 2009 : EPO chose OAKA for last two games

The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) decided to move Greece's games back to Athens and the Olympic Stadium, after playing a game in Crete last spring.

EPO was to inform FIFA of its decision to host the matches with Latvia on October 10 and Luxembourg on October 14 at Greece's biggest stadium for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

After a disappointing turnout at the Karaiskaki Stadium in Piraeus for Greece's qualifiers with Moldova and Switzerland and a friendly with world champion Italy in end-2008 EPO decided to move its next home game with Israel to the Pankritio Stadium in Iraklion on April 1.

Now EPO wishes to come back to Athens in order to end its run to the South Africa finals with as many fans attending as possible, hence the switch to the 65,000-seat Olympic Stadium.

Meanwhile Greece has climbed six places to the 11th spot in the FIFA world ranking for July, despite not playing any games, as more than one year has passed since June 2008 when Greece suffered three losses at the Euro 2008

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Hmmm I thought Otto didn't like OAKA. Anyway, they stopped playing in Piraeus because of attendance.....Well guess what, playing in Athens, you have the same Attiki market to have s%$#! attendance from. I don't get this, not at all

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Hmmm I thought Otto didn't like OAKA. Anyway, they stopped playing in Piraeus because of attendance.....Well guess what, playing in Athens, you have the same Attiki market to have s%$#! attendance from. I don't get this, not at all

But OAKA is more panhellenic stadium. Karaiskaki is an Olympiakos stadium. Its a s%$#! place for the national teams, esp when OAKA is beautiful. As for attendances, bigger and more accesible stadium means more people will be interested. I'm sure it will hit bigger numbers, you will see. Fans would rather go to OAKA I beleive. Its a much more special "event" a game at OAKA. The team belongs there.

PAO has been selling out big games and European games and if they can get the crazy going with OAKA in big numbers it can be way better venue than Karaiskaki which is mostly OSFP blockheads anyways. Its so much more communal feel to it, and more space. I think it will attract more fans actually, its time the team plays in Greece's most proud stadium...and the atmosphere can be even better in the big stadium even if it is more open, I have to say when it rocks, its quite impressive to see fans like that near 70.000 shaking the place as opposed to 24,000...

I think attendances will go up, esp as World Cup fever picks up and if we get the result in Switzerland well be months away from a WC! It will definitley be awesome. Maybe even....like old days! :tup:

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So you're saying fans of Panathinaikos and AEK, as well as lesser Attiki teams, were turned off from going to ethniki matches at Karaiskaki, just because it is Olympiakos's home? That's kinda sad. OAKA though technically the home of PAO and AEK, would probably not pose the same problems. I like the idea of a full OAKA, 70,000 strong going crazy to send off the ethniki to South Africa, but I wonder if attendance would even exceed 30,000

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The crowd wont be any larger than 35,000 for the remaining home games. Recall, in Euro 2008 qualification, Greece had won IN Turkey, which clinched a spot in Euro 2008 and a virtual first place finish, and played Malta at home in the next match. The crowd was about 35,000, only a few thousand larger than Karaiskaki. I thought it would be a much larger crowd. Perhaps winning Euro 2004 has spoiled Greek fans.

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All I know is that Crete was a great host to our NT a couple of months ago as opposed to the low turn out in Athens the last two years. If EPO for some reason wants to have the games back in Athens then I hope that we'll see at least 30000 (seriously, still VERY LOW in relation to most other European countries' standards for an NT game) people there but maybe that's just wishful thinking ...

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So you're saying fans of Panathinaikos and AEK, as well as lesser Attiki teams, were turned off from going to ethniki matches at Karaiskaki, just because it is Olympiakos's home? That's kinda sad. OAKA though technically the home of PAO and AEK, would probably not pose the same problems. I like the idea of a full OAKA, 70,000 strong going crazy to send off the ethniki to South Africa, but I wonder if attendance would even exceed 30,000

Not exactly like that. For one, its in Faliro, I'm not sure the parking situation for some fans. Generally the atmosphere is more OSFP oriented being there, is what I'm saying. Someitmes there are OSFP chants in the past etc and the whole stadium has team crest on it etc....

If the team takes a big result in Switzerland or makes the playoff for qualifying, come on....for sure OAKA will be in big numbers. You can also sell the tickets cheaper because theres more seats too. Sometimes the very idea of a fuller stadium an attraction for people to come.

Also man, OAKA is a much nicer stadium, by far. Its Greece's top stadium, its Athens' top stadium and it always will be. There are many more events going on in this stadium that locals are more accustomed to going to it. PAO-AEK dont own the place and only there temporarily.

OAKA has been selling out a lot lately and its a great venue, as PAO fans, concerts etc. For me it just more of the national stadium thank Karaiskaki or any other could ever be.

The attendance would exceed Karaiskaki numbers, take PAO for example, who moved from Leoforos. The fact that its at a bigger venue simply equals more people for a variety of reasons...PAO goes from 9-10 thousand and weak attendances to going to much much higher in OAKA....

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Not exactly like that. For one, its in Faliro, I'm not sure the parking situation for some fans. Generally the atmosphere is more OSFP oriented being there, is what I'm saying. Someitmes there are OSFP chants in the past etc and the whole stadium has team crest on it etc....

If the team takes a big result in Switzerland or makes the playoff for qualifying, come on....for sure OAKA will be in big numbers. You can also sell the tickets cheaper because theres more seats too. Sometimes the very idea of a fuller stadium an attraction for people to come.

Also man, OAKA is a much nicer stadium, by far. Its Greece's top stadium, its Athens' top stadium and it always will be. There are many more events going on in this stadium that locals are more accustomed to going to it. PAO-AEK dont own the place and only there temporarily.

OAKA has been selling out a lot lately and its a great venue, as PAO fans, concerts etc. For me it just more of the national stadium thank Karaiskaki or any other could ever be.

The attendance would exceed Karaiskaki numbers, take PAO for example, who moved from Leoforos. The fact that its at a bigger venue simply equals more people for a variety of reasons...PAO goes from 9-10 thousand and weak attendances to going to much much higher in OAKA....

I'm a PAO fan and OAKA would be my last option. I want the team to play in a good atmosphere and OAKA simply doesn't provide that. It's too big to be filled and there's a track around the pitch. Greek fans generally don't seem to be fussed about the national team unless they're world-beaters, particularly in Athens. So imho the games should either be moved to Crete on a permanent basis or other stadiums should be tried out: Kleanthis Vikelidis for instance.
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Vikelidis is a s%$#! stadium in a small city. OAKA is the top stadium in Greece in Greece's biggest city. You may as well have the games in Nea Smyrni. There would be not one decent reason to have it in Aris's stadium

Greece vs Bosnia???? Man WTF CARES. As for OAKA never fills, when was the last time we had an official match there (NOT a friendly)? Its been well over 6 years since we last played. Perceptions, stadiums, everything has changed since. Fans are fans. Its not a matter of whos "fanatic" to make an atmosphere. In Greece, when a stadium is full only several thosuand are "fanatics", yet the entire stadium joins in. I'm going to have to refernce Athens 2004, becuase if you were there and went to Greek events, you'd see the diff. The only way to get more people to the games, is to lower there ticket prices and have more seating and a professional venue. Thats what OAKA has that no other stadium has in Greece.

Greece DOES have good fans and all, when they are inspired to come. Thats something EPO should work on, getting people out to the stadiums and building a stronger support etc. However, unless we move to OAKA, were never going to have that support anyways.

A 20.000 stadium in Faliron is hardly condusive to a major NT match event. The olympic stadium has a much different vibe, and people enjoy going there, are used to going there, there is parking, transport, plenty of seats, cheaper seats, better stadium.

Also, we've seen OAKA be quite succesful in the last 6 years or so with PAO and AEK being in it, some memorable sell outs for major matches, and that is ultimatley the ambition of EPO. And that SHOULD be their ambition. Not to settle with that POS Karaiskaki.....

OAKA not fit for a Greek national team, and Kleanthis Vikelidis is?????? Unbeleivable statement.

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I'm not sure if Greece played Bosnia in the OAKA. It makes no difference, to base it on 1 game. We barely play there.

Do you see that Greece vs Russia game how many fans? thats because we were off to the WORLD CUP. If were in that position again,yes we'll have fans. To suggest we are better off playing in Thessaloniki's 3rd biggest stadium instead of OAKA, is really the "WTF" question in this thread.

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I'm not sure if Greece played Bosnia in the OAKA. It makes no difference, to base it on 1 game. We barely play there.

Do you see that Greece vs Russia game how many fans? thats because we were off to the WORLD CUP. If were in that position again,yes we'll have fans. To suggest we are better off playing in Thessaloniki's 3rd biggest stadium instead of OAKA, is really the "WTF" question in this thread.

Drakos you seem to make judgements without having any knowledge on the subject. Greece have played numerous competitive games in Athens in the last few years and the turn-out has been poor. This includes games at OAKA. I'd rather have 26k in Apostolos Vikelidis that will sing their hearts out, than 15k at OAKA.
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I have been in OAKA plenty more than you have, for various events. Not having any knowledge? We have played TWO games there, I looked it up. Bosnia, and MALTA. No S*** attendance is lower. And they still were at 30.000 range.

I just could not remember the last time we played a competitive match in OAKA. It has been 2 games, in the last 5 years at least. That is nothing.

The turnout would not be higher in that POS Vikelidis, than OAKA. Vikelidis 26000? Hardly ever gets that Its smaller, older, and in a smaller city than even Karaiskaki. If Greece was going to Saloniki it would obviously be Toumpa.

Calling OAKA a last option, when it is Greece's most modern, beautiful and most accesible stadium, is utlimately the dumbest thing anybody has ever said on these forums. I think you need to go see these stadiums and realize what you are saying.

Stadiums fill up when the occasion is right. If Greece takes points in Switzerland, the trela for Mundial will start. Or, if Greece takes 2nd place in the group and goes to playoffs, the playoff game will be full. It works, EXACTLY like it does for club teams. PAO does not sell out to see Tblisi or Prague in Europe, not even for AEK in the league. But when its time for CL, OSFP etc the 'occasion' is there and its a big event drawing people.

You're also totally lacking in ambition. In order to get 60000 people to a match, you need a stadium that fits 60.000 before you can do anything else. I think ideally, we would have our games in OAKA with big attendances for every match. But, that can never happen unless you START in OAKA, and move the promotions/efforts to get people into it from there. Something a lot of teams do to create the "event" and following is giving away excess tickets for long periods of times, that the event will become so accustomed to having large crowds that people will want to come. There are things they can do, and they cant do anything from basing our ethniki matches in SALONIKI. No problem with Saloniki getting the occasional matches, or even minor matches but as a "base" for big matches, OAKA deserves that title. We've seen fans being more accustomed to getting out there and fillin it up for PAO and AEK's occasions, now its time for the Ethniki to follow suit, and its 100% realistic.

But matches like Malta, Latvia etc, maybe they are better off in Faliro, Saloniki, Patra, Iraklio etc. They should be willing to rotate off the smaller matches no doubt.

If Greece takes points in Switzerland, then its the final paces for WC Qualification. Doesnt matter who were playing because the 'bandwagon' will be fired up for WC 2010. I'm not sure if you remember the last time that happened, but I was very little and it was very exciting times for Greece.

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I have been in OAKA plenty more than you have, for various events. Not having any knowledge?

Firstly, there's no need to be rude. In my opinion, you're the one that's saying "the dumbest things ever said on these forums" but i haven't been insulting you. Since you like to take that approach though I'm happy to speak to you as you speak to me.

I think it's you that needs to visit these stadiums and others around the world to realise how an atmosphere is generated. 30k in OAKA is nothing, it's less than nothing. Look at PAO at OAKA this season for instance. Getting 28k for a game is more than the 19k Leoforo would get, but which stadium hosted a better atmosphere?? Unless OAKA has 50k+ the atmosphere isn't as good because the stadium is so big and has a running track, keeping the fans distant, that the atmosphere suffers. Out of interest, who had a better atmosphere at their home games last year, Aris or PAO?

We have played TWO games there, I looked it up. Bosnia, and MALTA. No S*** attendance is lower. And they still were at 30.000 range. I just could not remember the last time we played a competitive match in OAKA. It has been 2 games, in the last 5 years at least. That is nothing.....

Stadiums fill up when the occasion is right. If Greece takes points in Switzerland, the trela for Mundial will start.

These are yet more dumb comments coming from you. You're implying that Bosnia and Malta are poor opponents and that's why the attendance was low. Most qualifiers are against mediocre teams, if we say "well OAKA is bound to have a low attendance during these kind of games" we are basically saying that 90% of qualifiers will be played in a half-empty OAKA. That defies that purpose of having a "home-advantage". As for the "trela for the mundial", Bosnia and Malta were in the latter stages of qualifying when the "treal for Euro 2008" had started and it made little difference.

Or, if Greece takes 2nd place in the group and goes to playoffs, the playoff game will be full.  It works, EXACTLY like it does for club teams. PAO does not sell out to see Tblisi or Prague in Europe, not even for AEK in the league. But when its time for CL, OSFP etc the 'occasion' is there and its a big event drawing people.

I have no problem with playing the biggest games at OAKA, i.e. the play-offs or against a super opponent in a competitive match, but the average qualifier must be moved away from Athens and to a city or island where the fans will appreciate having the national team. Whether that's Crete, Apostolos Vikelidis, or wherever else is a different stroy. We can't afford a situation like the Greek clubs where the fans only turn out for big games. As for Toumba, I'd be reluctant becuase of the actions of the PAOK fans against Salpi when we played Spain.

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