Hellas Football

Greek Football Legends: Dimitris Saravakos By Antonios Theodosis The name Dimitris Saravakos is one that is known and respected amongst every Greek football fan both young and old. His natural ability to find the back of the net made him a prolific player, scoring nearly two-hundred goals in his career and winning silverware at every club he played for. The emphatic forward dubbed “the kid” took Greek football by storm, cementing his legacy as an all time great in the Greek football world. He is a player that deserves all praise as he consistently performed at a high level throughout the majority of his career both in domestic and in European competition.   The opening chapter of this legendary player’s career begins in the 1970’s, where the Athenian born Saravakos started his footballing career at local side Panionios, joining their academy in 1976. Saravakos was quickly promoted to the men’s side just one year later and had no problem acclimating to the men’s game. His naturally ...

The Rise And Fall Of Sparta F.C. And Football In Laconia By Alex Koutakos Football in Laconia has always been a true passion and pleasure as it is in every other Greek regional unit/province. Over the years, football in Laconia has been underfunded and has seen a huge decline! Henceforth, in this article I will write to you(the readers) about the rise and fall of Sparta F.C.(the biggest club in Laconia) and the rise and fall of football in the region of Laconia. The Rise Of Sparta F.C. Sparta F.C. was initially founded under the name of Charisiakos F.C., in 1991. However, a few years later the club changed its name to Sparta F.C. The club’s home ground was “Sparta’s Municipal Stadium” up until the dissolution of the club in 2019.    The ultras of the club were called the 300’s. In terms of trophies, the club has won 7 "Laconic Cups and Titles", for a total of 14. They achieved promotion from the 3rd division to the 2nd division in their very successful 2015-16 season. In the ...

Olympiakos, 2017/18 The Season to Forget By Steve Kountourou Last week, I wrote and reflected on what is my favourite season supporting my club Olympiakos, the 2015/16 campaign. On the highs of the league title victory, what could have been in Europe and the squad, while not a vintage one, played an exciting brand of football under then manager Marco Silva. So I thought it would be fitting for this week, to look at my least favourite season supporting Thrylos. I am sure many fellow supporters of the Piraeus side, as well as other fans of different clubs, also have a particular campaign that is etched into their memory as truly woeful. We as fans of Olympiakos have been very privileged to not have too many eras of mediocrity but if you look hard enough there are certainly some.    While the baron years between 1985 to 1995, in which Thrylos failed to win a league title were bad for those who remember that period, this was thankfully before my time. The both the 2003/04 and 2009...

Can Gianluca Festa Save AEL Again? By Michael Vissini After the humiliating 5-0 1st leg loss against PAOK at Toumba in the Greek Cup, it was the swansong for Korydallo-free Giannis Tatsis, holding a record of 0 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses, and never changed the image of the team. It was obvious to everyone that the 48 year old does not possess the abilities to coach in the top level of Greece and that is why third division side Kallithea want to rehire him. Fantastic appointment Kougias. Don't forget, he was hired specifically to guide AEL to Europe. On Thursday, AEL sealed the third coaching change with the appointment of Gianluca Festa, with the 51 year old returning to the club for the second time. The Italian is much loved by AEL fans when he was sworn in during the 2018/19 season and successfully saved our season from dropping down to the second tier with a massive 0-1 away win against AEK, thanks to Slavko Bralic neatly converting the ball into the back of the net.  Why was he lo...

Olympiakos 2015/16 The Forgotten Season By Stephen Kountourou For many football fans, there is always a defining season that people remember most fondly above all else. I don't even have to be a vintage campaign which is the crowning glory that defines the sides success for the rest of time, just one that sticks out as one you particularly enjoyed. This is very much the case with me and the team that I support Olympiakos. What a shock.  Fans of Thrylos, when thinking about their favourite seasons supporting the current Greek champions, may hark back to such fond memories of the team that reached the champions league quarter finals in 98/99 The 13/14 side that dominated the league, and defeated Manchester United 2-0 in front of the sea of fans in Piraeus. Last season's side which won their first double in five years, famously knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League Round of 32 and normally missed out on going a full domestic campaign undefeated. Despite all of these campaigns b...

RESOLUTE AND EUROPEAN CHASING PANATHINAIKOS OFFER RAYS OF HOPE By Nick Tsambouniaris 2020 ended on a predictably sour note for Panathinaikos and us long suffering fans, who have been starved of success. The team lost an away derby at PAOK, plus senior players Federico Macheda and Lucas Villafanez had run ins with Laszlo Boloni, in which both players were punished. To add insult to injury, it was revealed in the lead up to the club's first match of 2021 that 4 players had returned to Koropi with COVID-19 after the break over the festive period. This did not bode well for a team chasing a European spot for the first time in 3 years. On top of this, the team was still reeling from its worst ever start to a season (winless in the opening 5 matches). However, we have seen a remarkable turnaround and early signs indicate that Boloni is on the right track in creating something special. The team has ridden its luck at different stages in the first four games of 2021, but the signs of clear...

The Double Preview PAOK vs Olympiakos & Aris vs AEK  By Steve Kountourou The rivalry between Northern Greek city Thessaloniki and the southern capital of Athens is rooted in a rich history, and at times, a volatile atmosphere. It can be traced back to the social contempt shown by the people from the north of the country, seeing the southern Athenians as the upper class and favoured by the Greek state over themselves. This also fuels the football rivalry between the two cities and makes for some of the most intense derby atmospheres in Europe. It just so happens that this week two intercity derbies will be taking place, in the form of PAOK vs Olympiakos and Aris vs AEK. The impact of these results, depending on which way each match goes, could be pivotal.   A PAOK win would help them overtake city rivals Aris, and start to mount a chase for 1st place Olympiakos. Thrylos, with a win against the Aspromavri, would either maintain or increase their current lead in the league st...