Hellas Football

Razvan In Or Out? PAOK 2022 Review By Konstantinos Massaras As we enter a new year, and also a transfer window, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the first half of the 2022/23 season and look forward to the future. After a stunning elimination from the Europa Conference League, PAOK have managed to rebound domestically as they currently sit in third place, ten points behind league leaders Panathinaikos.  These past five years have been a roller coaster for PAOK fans. When Razvan Lucescu came into the club in 2017, it only took him two seasons to become one of the most accomplished managers in the club’s history. A shocking departure to Saudi Arabia in 2019 however did not allow the club to build off of its successes, and the Abel Ferreira era left PAOK fans in disarray. PAOK managed to win the 2020-21 Greek Cup under Pablo Garcia, only to be replaced with none other than Razvan Lucescu himself. The 2021-22 season was one extremely out of the ordinary. While finishing in 2nd place i

 How Olympiakos Defeated Pele’s Santos By Stephen Kountourou Yesterday the footballing world lost a legend of the game. One of the most gifted and iconic players of his time and perhaps of all time, Pele was a star that shone brightly as he embodied not only his nation Brazil but was the symbol of everything football for a generation and beyond. The three-time World Cup winner played 792 professional games for club and country, scoring 732 goals in that time.  With Santos FC, he toured all over the world, playing against clubs on every continent so that the Brazilian club could give others the chance to see their talismanic player on show. In 1961, during their European tour, Santos FC would play numerous European giants, defeating the likes of Juventus, Inter, Roma, Benfica, Lyon, AEK Athens and Panathinaikos. It was fitting then, that a player who was seen as the definition of sporting excellence was defeated by the club that strives for sporting excellence, Olympiakos.   The match i

Mattias Bjärsmyr Interview   By Andreas Mitsis In a little over a week, the league game will restart. After their fine autumn, Panathinaikos has a lead of a full eight points down on second place AEK and twelve down on both Olympiakos and PAOK.   The Greens from the capital, under the leadership of coach Ivan Jovanovic, have smartly built on the fine spring the team had last year, which included a cup title. However, the league title is also now within reach and should it be salvaged, it would be the first in 13 years.   The last league title for the club came in the 2009-10 season when they won the double. Swedish Mattias Bjärsmyr was one of the players in the fine edition of Panathinaikos.   In addition to the recently mentioned season, Bjärsmyr was also at the club in 2011-12 after being loaned to Rosenborg in between. Bjärsmyr put his shoes on the shelf in November after he finished the season with his IFK Gothenburg.   Read, among other things, what Bjärsmyr has to say about the c

Swedish acquaintance Kostoulas has sold Panetolikos to an American businessman By Andreas Mitsis After 17.5 years of successful management under Fotis Kostoulas, Panetolikos has changed ownership.    The Swedish association has sold its majority share in the Agrini club to the American businessman Maciek Kaminsiki, who early last autumn showed interest in Everton. After 17.5 years at the helm, it was clear yesterday Thursday (8/12) that Panetoliko's Swedish-acquainted owner Fotis Kostoulas has decided to sell his majority share in the Agrini club to the American businessman Maciek Kaminski. Kostoulas is the man behind the travel company Apollo. He founded the company in the 1980s together with Georgios Hadjis. The company developed over time and is today one of the leading companies in its industry in all of Scandinavia. In the summer of 2005, Kostoulas stepped into Panetolikos, which at the time was in a state of crisis. A club he later gradually came to make stronger in a very ni