Here we go again!

[dark_horse]

Ze Roberto rekindles Olympiakos interest

Santos midfielder Ze Roberto seems to be singing a different tune from last summer's transfer window tirade and he is now rekindling Olympiakos interest in him. The Brazilian midfielder wants to play soccer in Europe and says that Olympiakos would be a great milestone in his carrer.

Ze Roberto gave an interview with Greek sports paper "Goalnews" and had to say the following: "When I was released from Bayern Munich, Olympiakos made me an offer which I had turn down because I wanted to return to Brazil. Olympiakos reached out to my manager Juan Figer, who in turn conveyed to me the Greek champions interest. I cannot say anything more on the matter but I know that Olympiakos is still interested in me today! However, I have plans in place and I will remain at Santos until the summer of 2007. Once my contract is over with Santos I would like to return to Europe and play for a club that is interested in me for the next few years. At this time Olympiakos has shown that interest but nothing can be said before the end of the season."

"I talked to Rivaldo and expressed to him my desire to play in Brazil for a year. I asked him to relay that message to the president of Olympiakos and to thank him for showing interest in me. It was the least I could do for a club that showed so much interest in me. I felt bad that I could not respond to their club offer at the proper timeframe and wanted to make sure that their president understood the reasons. Rivaldo told me that Athens is a beautiful city and that Olympiakos wanted to transfer players that would help the club have a good European run. He also told me that he feels very special by the love he gets from all of the Olympiakos supporters. I finally told him that my contract with Santos is over next summer and then I can start negotiations with Olympiakos once again."

[manos]

I think this year somebody in Olympiakos will have to take some technical decisions quite early.

Do we stick with a team of experienced top level players, in which case Ze Roberto is an ideal signing and we should also resign Ribo for next year, or do we start building a new team and sign inexperienced but promising youngsters?

My impression is that most people would go for the young team option although this would mean risking not doing well in the greek league next year, still I am not sure I wouldn’t like giving Ribo another go at the champions league especially if he could have a couple of players of Ze Roberto’s level next to him.

This is a very difficult decision which needs to be made by the person or the group of people acting as a Technical Director in Olympiakos rather than Sollied who might not be around next year anyway.

[DUDE]

I think this year somebody in Olympiakos will have to take some technical decisions quite early.

Do we stick with a team of experienced top level players, in which case Ze Roberto is an ideal signing and we should also resign Ribo for next year, or do we start building a new team and sign inexperienced but promising youngsters?

My impression is that most people would go for the young team option although this would mean risking not doing well in the greek league next year, still I am not sure I wouldn’t like giving Ribo another go at the champions league especially if he could have a couple of players of Ze Roberto’s level next to him.

This is a very difficult decision which needs to be made by the person or the group of people acting as a Technical Director in Olympiakos rather than Sollied who might not be around next year anyway.

There has to be a balance between youth and experience. When you consider that many of our players are aging or not good enough we need 6 players. We need 1 centreback, 1 left back, 2 central midfielders (1 defensive 1 creative), 1 right winger and 1 striker.

If I was manager I'd go for 1 of these players from each of the following sections, bearing in mind we can't spend too many millions so these players are affordable:

CENTRE-BACKS:

Meite (Bolton): Solid centreback, would be commanding presence in our defence.

Antonio Geder (Spartak Moscow): A best of a man with great control!

Stathis Tavlaridis (Lille): Is said to have had some type of full out at Lille and could be available.

Goran Gavrancic (Dynamo Kiev): Strong Serbian defender, and with Dynamo on a huge downer he may want to abandon a sinking ship.

Wes Brown (Man Utd): Wants to leave due to a lack of first team football. This guys is capable of becoming the best defender we've had in the past 20 years!

LEFT BACKS:

Athirson (Leverkusen): Product of Flamengo youth system, great getting forward, may lack defensively though!

Mikael Silvestre (Man Utd): Another one not playing and wanting to leave, it would be an audacious attempt but if West Ham can get Tevez its worth a try even if only on loan.

Ibarra (Boca): Only 17 years old and is a rising star, he wants a move to Europe.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER:

Ze Roberto (Santos): Still excellent and appears to want to come now!

Battaglia (Boca): Very hard-working and experienced.

Robbie Savage (Blackburn): He runs aroungd making tackles like the roadrunner on LSD!!

CREATIVE MIDFIELDER:

Niculae Dica (Steaua): Little and creative, can also play up front. He's a great passer.

Zinha (Toluca): Mexican wizard, really wonderful talent that wouldn't be expensive!

Segundo Castillo (Red Star Belgrade): Bajevic loves him! Strong, good in the air and quick!

Aimar (Zaragoza): Little magician! Skillful and creative, and he says he misses the the CL.

RIGHT WINGER:

Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton): Is no longer starting for Bolton and has always said he wants to finish his career at Olympiakos.

Gallardo (River): Very creative and skillful, is a match winner!

Nelson Cuevas (Pachucha): Very skillful and quick winger, similar to Neri Castillo.

STRIKERS:

Martin Palermo (Boca): Big strong target man, much like Konstantinou.

Palacio (Boca): Excellent striker!!! Fast, great movement and a great finish.

Paolo Wanchope (Herediano): Proved in the World Cup that he is still hugely talented!

The options are out there but our board have to show some a*****a and put some money in the pockets!!

[HOLLYWOOD]

i think if u guys get Ze roberto, u should renew Rivaldos contract for one more season leaving them the veterans of the team while implementing young greek talented players along with them...

[bar7]

you geys didnt get him to help you with the CL... i dont see the point in getting him now... He would help you maybe hold on to 1st in the super league... if you qualify for the UEFA where you belonged anyway, then i can see him coming... If not, forget it

[cyberfish]

ze-roberto would be good to see in Greece. I hope it works out.

I am personally not afraid because panathinaikos has "two ze robertos" (two zero bertos = one Leontiou) :P

You heard it here first B)

[TheCity1924]

I think this year somebody in Olympiakos will have to take some technical decisions quite early.

Do we stick with a team of experienced top level players, in which case Ze Roberto is an ideal signing and we should also resign Ribo for next year, or do we start building a new team and sign inexperienced but promising youngsters?

My impression is that most people would go for the young team option although this would mean risking not doing well in the greek league next year, still I am not sure I wouldn’t like giving Ribo another go at the champions league especially if he could have a couple of players of Ze Roberto’s level next to him.

This is a very difficult decision which needs to be made by the person or the group of people acting as a Technical Director in Olympiakos rather than Sollied who might not be around next year anyway.

There has to be a balance between youth and experience. When you consider that many of our players are aging or not good enough we need 6 players. We need 1 centreback, 1 left back, 2 central midfielders (1 defensive 1 creative), 1 right winger and 1 striker.

If I was manager I'd go for 1 of these players from each of the following sections, bearing in mind we can't spend too many millions so these players are affordable:

CENTRE-BACKS:

Meite (Bolton): Solid centreback, would be commanding presence in our defence.

Antonio Geder (Spartak Moscow): A best of a man with great control!

Stathis Tavlaridis (Lille): Is said to have had some type of full out at Lille and could be available.

Goran Gavrancic (Dynamo Kiev): Strong Serbian defender, and with Dynamo on a huge downer he may want to abandon a sinking ship.

Wes Brown (Man Utd): Wants to leave due to a lack of first team football. This guys is capable of becoming the best defender we've had in the past 20 years!

LEFT BACKS:

Athirson (Leverkusen): Product of Flamengo youth system, great getting forward, may lack defensively though!

Mikael Silvestre (Man Utd): Another one not playing and wanting to leave, it would be an audacious attempt but if West Ham can get Tevez its worth a try even if only on loan.

Ibarra (Boca): Only 17 years old and is a rising star, he wants a move to Europe.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER:

Ze Roberto (Santos): Still excellent and appears to want to come now!

Battaglia (Boca): Very hard-working and experienced.

Robbie Savage (Blackburn): He runs aroungd making tackles like the roadrunner on LSD!!

CREATIVE MIDFIELDER:

Niculae Dica (Steaua): Little and creative, can also play up front. He's a great passer.

Zinha (Toluca): Mexican wizard, really wonderful talent that wouldn't be expensive!

Segundo Castillo (Red Star Belgrade): Bajevic loves him! Strong, good in the air and quick!

Aimar (Zaragoza): Little magician! Skillful and creative, and he says he misses the the CL.

RIGHT WINGER:

Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton): Is no longer starting for Bolton and has always said he wants to finish his career at Olympiakos.

Gallardo (River): Very creative and skillful, is a match winner!

Nelson Cuevas (Pachucha): Very skillful and quick winger, similar to Neri Castillo.

STRIKERS:

Martin Palermo (Boca): Big strong target man, much like Konstantinou.

Palacio (Boca): Excellent striker!!! Fast, great movement and a great finish.

Paolo Wanchope (Herediano): Proved in the World Cup that he is still hugely talented!

The options are out there but our board have to show some a*****a and put some money in the pockets!!

with the exception of giannakopoulos your whole list is comprised of foreign based players. Not that I am criticizing OFSP because all our teams have foreigners but what of the greek youth.

Dont you think that suffering a few years will a young Greek team develops is better than mediocre success next year.

This goes for all Greek teams, with a Greek kid being molded into a big team, the player will end up playing for the shirt he wears and not the paycheck he receives.

There are many foreigners that will come to OFSP, PAO, and AEK for European exposure and then leave at the first sign of interest from another team.

I say OFSP should risk the top seat on the table and form a young team that will last for years.

[8ypa7]

bravo re file :tup: you took the words right out of my mouth

[Guest Protathlitis7]

ze-roberto would be good to see in Greece. I hope it works out.

I am personally not afraid because panathinaikos has "two ze robertos" (two zero bertos = one Leontiou) :P

You heard it here first B)

hahahahah i remember all that equi = 2 rivaldos

where are all the peasants who were saying that now? :LOL:

[Olympiakosthyra7]

Ze Roberto lost his chance with Olympiakos but i guess he got lucky

If he was a starter in the World Cup.... he can be a great player for Olympiakos

But well see what happens after this season.

[DUDE]

with the exception of giannakopoulos your whole list is comprised of foreign based players. Not that I am criticizing OFSP because all our teams have foreigners but what of the greek youth.

Dont you think that suffering a few years will a young Greek team develops is better than mediocre success next year.

This goes for all Greek teams, with a Greek kid being molded into a big team, the player will end up playing for the shirt he wears and not the paycheck he receives.

There are many foreigners that will come to OFSP, PAO, and AEK for European exposure and then leave at the first sign of interest from another team.

I say OFSP should risk the top seat on the table and form a young team that will last for years.

Tavlaridis is Greek too, but I understand your point. Nonetheless Olympiakos already has young Greek players: Taralidis, Pappas, Medrinos, Giannou and Fakinos but they just aren't good enough to start at a team like Olympiakos. I think Taralidis and Pappas should feature alot more though. Nonetheless, I said we need 6 players to replace Georgatos, Anatolakis, Djole, Borja, Ribo and a right winger for depth in the squad. So thats 2 Greeks and 4 foreigners, if we sign Stelios, Tavlaridis and 4 foreigners we are in exactly the same position as this season. I def believe in having a large Greek base and with Patsa and Kapsis coming back to join Nikopolidis, Stoltidis, Okkas, Konstantinou, etc, the Greek base is their. I have always said that there should be a cap of 5 foreigners in the team as UEFA Law so the majority of the team is always representative of that nation but it isn't so its naive to say we can be good enough with just Greek players in the CL. Not even the English, French, Spanish or Italians could acheive success in the CL like that.

[manos]

ze-roberto would be good to see in Greece. I hope it works out.

I am personally not afraid because panathinaikos has "two ze robertos" (two zero bertos = one Leontiou)

[manos]

we need 6 players to replace Georgatos, Anatolakis, Djole, Borja, Ribo

I think it would make sense to hang on to Ribo and Djole if we sign someboby like Ze Roberto.

Ribo is 34 and he's got one more year in him, if we are not going to renew the squad I cannot see why he shouldn't stay.

Djole will start recovering from the difficult summer he had soon, and I am sure he wouldn't mind sitting on the bench in some matches if he's given the chance to do something good in the champions league next year.

Saying that, it might be better to let all of them go but also not even consider signing anyone who is over 26.

It might cost us the league but with the right coach we have the chance of building a team capable of doing well in europe in the future.

[Morphi]

even the English, French, Spanish or Italians could acheive success in the CL like that.

Are you sure about that?

How many foreigners had Marseille in 93?

How many CL England won before the Bosman rule?

[DUDE]

I think it would make sense to hang on to Ribo and Djole if we sign someboby like Ze Roberto.

Ribo is 34 and he's got one more year in him, if we are not going to renew the squad I cannot see why he shouldn't stay.

Djole will start recovering from the difficult summer he had soon, and I am sure he wouldn't mind sitting on the bench in some matches if he's given the chance to do something good in the champions league next year.

Saying that, it might be better to let all of them go but also not even consider signing anyone who is over 26.

It might cost us the league but with the right coach we have the chance of building a team capable of doing well in europe in the future.

I made the statement assumming that Ribo leaves, personally I agree that we have to hold on to him. We should do everything in our power to hold onto Konstantinou and Okkas also imo. Djole too, but he is aging and we need to have the option of rotating him.

[DUDE]

Are you sure about that?

How many foreigners had Marseille in 93?

How many CL England won before the Bosman rule?

Well that's the point I'm making. Football has changed alot in the last few years. Lets look at the very best English teams, how many British players do Arsenal field? Zero! Chelsea? 3. Man Utd? 4. Liverpool? 4.

Hardly an English based team. Hence, you need foreigners to win the CL in today's football

[Morphi]

Well that's the point I'm making. Football has changed alot in the last few years. Lets look at the very best English teams, how many British players do Arsenal field? Zero! Chelsea? 3. Man Utd? 4. Liverpool? 4.

Hardly an English based team. Hence, you need foreigners to win the CL in today's football

I watch Man United yesterday, they had 4 but normally Carrick is playing.

It is true to say the big guns don't have a massive lot of English players but West Ham plays 8 or 9, Tottenham with 6 or 7, Middlesbrough with 6 etc...

Plus, UEFA will be ruling about it and Arsenal is going to be in deep trouble...

[DUDE]

I watch Man United yesterday, they had 4 but normally Carrick is playing.

It is true to say the big guns don't have a massive lot of English players but West Ham plays 8 or 9, Tottenham with 6 or 7, Middlesbrough with 6 etc...

Plus, UEFA will be ruling about it and Arsenal is going to be in deep trouble...

Dude we are talking of creating a team which can acheive success in the CL and you use Tottenham and West Ham as examples? :huh:

[TheCity1924]

I watch Man United yesterday, they had 4 but normally Carrick is playing.

It is true to say the big guns don't have a massive lot of English players but West Ham plays 8 or 9, Tottenham with 6 or 7, Middlesbrough with 6 etc...

Plus, UEFA will be ruling about it and Arsenal is going to be in deep trouble...

Dude we are talking of creating a team which can acheive success in the CL and you use Tottenham and West Ham as examples? :huh:

Why do you think the top three greek teams are better than Tottenham. Tottenham almost finished fourth last year and would have played in the CL.

[DUDE]

I watch Man United yesterday, they had 4 but normally Carrick is playing.

It is true to say the big guns don't have a massive lot of English players but West Ham plays 8 or 9, Tottenham with 6 or 7, Middlesbrough with 6 etc...

Plus, UEFA will be ruling about it and Arsenal is going to be in deep trouble...

Dude we are talking of creating a team which can acheive success in the CL and you use Tottenham and West Ham as examples? :huh:

Why do you think the top three greek teams are better than Tottenham. Tottenham almost finished fourth last year and would have played in the CL.

Who said the top 3 Greek teams are better than Tottenham? I think there's been a misunderstanding with what I've been saying. I'm saying that to compete in the CL today you need foreigners too, all the top teams have more foriegners in their side then domestic based players. Top teams from England, Italy, Spain, etc are comprised of a majoirty of foriegners because of the nature of football today, so while I consider it desirable to have a team comprising of 8-9 Greeks the reality is we wouldnt be able to compete, and let's face it Greece is a small nation with limited resources in football, EVEN the bigger nations like England, etc, cannot compete if they were comprised by all English players. Then Morphi used Tottenham and Boro as an example (to be fair to him I dont think he followed the initial posts properly and may have misubderstood my point), but I was merely responding by saying these aren't top teams that could compete in the CL.

[Vasili0s]

taralidis isnt exactly what you call a young player in the footballing world of today. clearly his missuse at our club proved to be his unlikely demise like so many others.

but hey, so what ? as long as we can produce articles on the internet linking us to other great has-beens like ze.

ena vhma mprosta, duo pisw.