Focusing on Twitter (@greekfooty) 12/09/2010
 When I started this blog during my August holiday I thought I would be able to keep up with it throughout the season but it turns out after only a couple of weeks back at work/normal life that I can't! So my apologies but from now on I will be focusing on twitter which seems to be the perfect tool for my case given the time constraints I am facing. I hope I will be able to update you quickly and efficiently about all the latest developments in greek footy there! If anybody has a question or needs more info about anything related to greek football (a clubm, a game, a player, some development or anythine else) pleae free to contact me via twitter and I will be happy to provide that information asap via twitter or email (depending on its length). Thanks for the encouraging words everybody! 4 Comments Football agent who makes headlines for tax evation probably also involved in match fixing 04/09/2010
 An exclusive story by daily newspaper "Ta Nea" (aka The News) revealed today that a Greek football agent is currently under investigation after the tax authorities detected abnormally high transactions not corresponding to his declared income/activity in a bank account of his.
Apart from tax evasion the agent might also be prosecuted for his participation in activities related to match fixing and money laundering. Click on "Read More" for a translated full version of the article "Ta Nea" published earlier this morning.  Bring it on Otto Rehhagel haters! I have nothing against Fernando Santos (I actually like the guy) and after all it is too early to judge him- Her Otto had lost 5- 1 at Finland in his debut! However I must confess I had mixed feelings after tonight's game. On the one hand, a 1-1 draw at home vs Georgia is a terrible way to start our Euro 2012 qualifying campaign and does not really help our chances against Croatia. On the other hand I loved it! Yes, I did because it was the first wake up call (expect more to follow) for all those ungrateful people who loved using every chance they got during the last 3 or 4 years in order to criticize the man who led Greece to unprecedent success during his reign at the national team. What do all those "managers of the stands" (this is a direct translation of an expression used in greek football slang) have to say now? I used to listen to them and think that if Rehhagel and his obsessions left we would become world beaters or something. Well gues what guys? Whether you like it or not, get ready for a tough post Rehhagel era...
Greece indeed started with 4-4-2 diamond formation and the line up I had down in my pregame post (with Seitaridis getting the nod ahead of Vintra for the RB position). As predicted the problem was that we used 3 players who played out of position (or in one case "out of role"): Samaras who is a forward as an AMC (he barely contributed in th the 60mins he played), Karagounis who is an MC as an ML (he cannot play wide and since he did not get the chance to cut inside and use his right foot to test the keeper he could not really provide much help) and Katsouranis as a sole DM (he is a player with well known attributes but doing the dirty work in midfield is not one of them and there is no Gilberto Silva or Simao in Greece). In addition we started with two players who can't hold the ball up front and maGekas and Salpigidis) making it easier for Georgia to defend.  When Otto Rehhagel took charge of the Greek national team back in 2001 not even the most optimistic person in Greece could even dream of what would follow. Greece was an international nobody as far as finals of major tournaments were concerned, having only reached the finals of Euro 1980 and the 1994 World Cup where it had a joined record of W0-D1-L5 with a goal difference of 1-14(!) and Rehhagel's debut, a friendly 5-1 thrashing by Jari Litmanen's Finland, indicated that more of the same should be expected.
The rest is pretty much history. Greece beat Spain 0-1 in Zaragoza on course to qualifying for Euro 2004 which they won after beating hosts Portugal twice and one-nil wins vs Zidane's France (QF) and Nedved's Czech Rep (SF- the only game Greece deserved to lose based on their performance). I really think us winning Euro 2004 was the biggest upset (by means of an outright win) in the history on international football. Greece did not make it to the 2006 World Cup, but qualified for Euro 2008 (they were awful there but did qualify) and the finals of the 2010 World Cup where they managed their fist World Cup win ever (2-1 vs Nigeria in the second group stage game). Pre-Rehhagel Greece had qualified in 1/17 World Cup and 1/11 Euro Championship finals. With Rehhagel in charge they made 1/2 and 2/2 respectively while winning the Euro 2004.  The first week of the new Super League kick was rather not promising to be full of surprises as Panathinaikos were playing at home to Skoda Xanthi who only managed to avoid relegation at the last day of the season in April, Olympiacos away vs Iraklis who had endured a terrible summer full of ownership and financial trouble which even threatened their participation in the league at some stage in June and AEK faced newly promoted side away from home but at the neutral Patras stadium with their fans being the majority in the stands. However as you will find out (if you have not already) the Big 3 were in for a shock start to the season. At the same time the three Salonica sides (PAOK, Aris and Iraklis) all won their games. I am not really sure when the last time this has happened (the big three from Athens not winning their games while the three Salonica sies all taking 3 points) in the opening game of the season. Actually I just checked and it has never ever happened before in the history of the Super League (or in the Division 1 as it was formerly known)!
Click on "Read More" for a full - game by game- review of Matchday 1 of the new Super League season. Europa League: Mission accomplished (3/3) 28/08/2010
 Greek sides had all won 1-0 in the 1st leg (Aris-Austria Vienna, PAOK-Fenerbahce, Dundee Utd-AEK) but with Aris and PAOK facing difficult matches away from home (especially PAOK) in the 2nd leg and AEK playing their home game without their fans at Olympiacos' stadium with the presence of only 500 Dundee Utd fans, it was never going to be easy for the Greek Europa League participants to make it to the group stage.
 Just when you think you've seen everything in Greek football, you realise you haven't!
You've probably read my last post about the disgraceful state of the OAKA (Olympic Stadium) pitch during the midweek friendly between Panathinaikos and Genoa. As it was expected, Sunday's friendly immediately fueled speculation about where the two games scheduled to take place at OAKA on Thursday (AEK-Dundee Utd, Europa League) and Friday (Panathinaikos-Skoda Xanthi, opening game of the Super League season) would take place. The OAKA director had already sounded the alarm horn: "If the pitch is not replaced it cannot be repaired in time for the games to take place as scheduled". Initially though it looked like OAKA could win the battle it faced against time and be ready for the games. The first stories on Monday gave it a 70% chance to be able to host both games. AEK's youth would be called upon to act as Guinea pigs and test the pitch on Wednesday night to see if it was good enough(!) and the decision would then be made. However rather quickly that scenario was abandoned, so the hunt for the replacement venue(s) started. And it was bound to be a long and eventful hunt! We are playing here this week. Are U 2 ? 23/08/2010
 Quoting the penultimate paragraph of my first post:
"The season kicks off on a Friday for the first time in history (champions Panathinaikos play hosts to Skoda Xanthi) because- oh well- the U2 are coming to town! No kidding. Bono and co are performing in Athens on September 3rd and according to the contract they have with the Olympic Stadium of Athens (where Panathinaikos and AEK play their home games) the stadium has to be handed over to them on Saturday (August 28th)." Well Panathinaikos thought they should also play a last friendly at home before the season kicks off, so they invited Genoa over. Oops! Bad idea.  Which is the most successfull national team during the last 5 years? Surely Spain.
Which is the best side in Europe during the last 5 years. Probably Barcelona. What does this have to do with Greek football? Well nothing really, but when you are in a complete lack of arguments in order to defend your country's top flight quality, you grab on to anything that is thrown at you and- oh well- Greece is the country which can boast of hosting the most Spanish footballers who play away from their home country. An introduction to Greek football 21/08/2010
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