2024-2025 Pre Season Training News and Games

[Blackhawk]

Once again the pre-season training will take place in Horst, Holland

- players to report in Thessaloniki in June 20, 2024

- training sessions at Nea Mesimvria (June 24 - June 29, 2024)

- pre-season training at Horst, Holland (July 1 - July 15). Four per-season friendlies are planned.

[pash]

A full 30 days off. A far cry from the bad old days. Hopefully we make this a tradition too?

Saw in passing that Sastre and Brandon Thomas flew back home on the same flight, and had a little impromptu interview. Cool to see, not that I know a word of Spanish beyond "hola bebe, cuanto??"

[Athens4]

Fun fact: they actually spoke in Mallorcan dialect, not Spanish!

[pash]

That makes so much sense - I completely missed the fact that they were both from Mallorca. Makes sense that they were on the same flight, then

[pash]

First two friendlies have been announced:

NEC Nijmegan, (with a name like that, how could they not be from the Netherlands?) : https://www.transfermarkt.us/nec-nijmegen/startseite/verein/467

And Genk: https://www.transfermarkt.us/krc-genk/startseite/verein/1184

Both very good choices for preseason opponents, IMO. I am sure we'll see one of those semi-amateur teams as an early match too.

[italosPAOK4]

Dutch Eagle we are waiting to see fotos of you with the champions !

[pash]

First official game announced: PAOK vs AEK Larnaca at 7pm (I'm assuming local time), on the 3rd

[pash]

Apparently we have a fourth friendly about to be announced (in addition to the three previously mentioned); this time it's against Cercle Brugge. Interesting; I literally didn't even know that team existed.

[Dutch Eagle]

Cercle shares the stadium with Club. Club is blue and black. Cercle is green and black. They change the colours of the Jan Breydel stadium for every match!!!!

They will play in the Europa League next season. It's their fourth European campaign. Last time they played (2010/2011 season) in Europe they met Anorthosis and were eliminated the qualifiers. 

[PaokCT]

Mr. Wikipedia over here

[Dutch Eagle]

On 6/7/2024 at 2:49 PM, PaokCT said:

Mr. Wikipedia over here

Only the part about their European history.🤓

The other info is common knowledge of football addicts from the low countries.

[PaokCT]

Guys I missed you! Even you @pash

Edited June 13, 2024 by PaokCT

[Blackhawk]

The games that have been officially announced are:

03-Jul-24, 19:00 EEST: PAOK - AEK Larnaca
10-Jul-24, 19:00 EEST: PAOK - KRC Genk

[Dutch Eagle]

Another one:

13-Jul-24, 17:00 EEST: PAOK - Union Saint-Gilloise. 

[Dutch Eagle]

And last confirmed friendly in the low countries:

6-Jul-24, 17.00 EEST: PAOK - Hibernian FC (Scotland)

[Blackhawk]

First training session for the champions today.

Taking part were our new signings Thymianis and Camara. Also present were our last season's loaners Lyratzis and Tsaousis. Several players from the 'B' team were present as well: Darelas, Smyrlis, Goumas, Tsopouroglou and Quagliata.

From the existing roster the players that got an extra vacation are Rafa Soares, Taison, Koulierakis, Tsiggaras, Despodov and Zivkovic. 

 

[PAOKSYD]

Whats the deal with filipo soares? 

[Blackhawk]

Another loan

[Dutch Eagle]

Travelling to me (again) are:

Κοτάρσκι, Τσιφτσή, Μπαλωμένο, Ταλιχμανίδη, Μοναστηρλή, Βιεϊρίνια, Σάστρε, Ότο, Εκόνγκ, Θυμιάνη, Κουλιεράκη, Μιχαηλίδη, Νάσμπεργκ, Ράφα Σοάρες, Μπάμπα, Τσαούση, Τσιγγάρα, Σβαμπ, Οζντόεφ, Καμαρά, Κωνσταντέλια, Μουργκ, Τάισον, Κουαλιάτα, Ντεσπόντοφ, Μπράντον, Σαμάτα, Σμυρλή, Τσοπούρογλου και Γκούμα.

So some youngsters, PAOK B-players but no Lyratzis and André Ricardo. 

Andrija is not mentioned but I think he might come at the end of the spell in Horst after a forthnight without football on his mind. 

[pash]

Lyratzis may be going to Boavista to join our former assistant coach (which would be great): https://inpaok.com/825992/i-record-gia-to-flert-boavista-lyratzi/

 

I'm not sure why people keep pointing out the missing Andrija (it's not just you Dutch Eagle, I see it on the instagram comments too). The list is surely just made up of the people who are actually in trainings right this moment. I am sure they won't forget about Zivkovic. For the same reason, if we manage to actually sign anyone I'm sure they'll go directly there too.

 

I am wondering, though, why Tsaousis is there. Don't get me wrong, I would have liked to keep him last year too - but three LBs is as silly as having three RBs (I'm looking at you, Andre).

[Dutch Eagle]

Especially for our beloved @pash: Andrija won't come to the Netherlands and joins the squad on July 16th in Thessaloniki. 

[pash]

IS HE FIRED?!

[Dutch Eagle]

Razvan wants a fifth friendly in the Netherlands. Should be played on the 13th (when we play Union St. Gilloise) of 14th. So it is for the B-squad to gain some minutes of playing time one might think.

[pash]

Yeah, I was thinking that since we'll almost certainly see different lineups for every half on the other friendlies, this might give him a chance to instead play a full game for each squad, without alternating half the team. I don't hate the idea!

Plus, I think we kind of showed last season that we don't really have a "B" team exactly. A lot of those positions are pretty fluid. Like is Despodov really only a backup to Zivkovic? Doubtful.

[Athens4]

It is clear that the B squad project has failed.