Should Panathinaikos move to Votanikos?

Should Panathinaikos move to Votanikos?


By Antonios Theodosis



In recent days news has been revealed that Panathinaikos have underscored a “plan b” option in place of the Votanikos project that has been in the works for some time now. The proposed plan is to renovate Leoforos and expand the seating from 16,000 to 22,000. This comes as a bit of a surprise as owner Giannis Alafouzos has not been too keen on injecting cash into the club the last couple of years. Perhaps this change of heart from Alafouzos is a sign of good things to come, but that is neither here nor there.

 

My opinion is that this is something very positive for Panathinaikos both from a club and fan’s perspective. While having a brand new state of the art stadium would be nice, it would be in the Votanikos district which is highly industrialized and has no connection to the club whatsoever. Leoforos for being as old as it is, has proven itself to be a fortress in both European matches and in derbies, the atmosphere is unparalleled. It also goes without mention just how historically significant the stadium is.

 

Some will argue that the past is the past and that we should leave it for greener pastures, however I just don’t see how Votanikos would be the answer, at least for now. With how long permits take to be passed in Greece, along with the slow construction times to actually build the stadium, a renovated Leoforos with a fresh and hungry squad would be just what the club needs. Back in 2013 we saw just how big a boost the move back to Leoforos gave the club and it was under some similar though not exact circumstances, which revolved around a new squad spearheaded by a fresh new coach.  

 

If all goes to plan Panathinaikos will be returning to Leoforos the season after next having hopefully clinched a European spot. The move back to Leoforos would be a big help in European qualifying games because as mentioned earlier, the atmosphere in the stadium is intense. The move back and renovation also highlights something interesting as well. Alafouzos has taken a stance which seems to align with what many fans want, and that is having a stadium only at Leoforos.

 

Time will tell, but I’d say this move back to a renovated Leoforos is a huge step in the right direction and a great choice by Alafouzos. The club can try to build itself up and attempt to make some appearances in Europe and build the Panathinaikos brand again. From there on once things start to stabilize and a steady flow of cash comes into the club maybe then it would be good to move to a more state of the art stadium. For now let’s enjoy our historic Leoforos and see what the renovation will bring.


Hellas Football


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(Image labeled for reuse from wikimedia commons)

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