Hellas Football

Kostas Manolas: Piraeus, Italy and Back Again By Stephen Kountourou  For years, supporters of Greek champions Olympiakos, have dreamed of talented defender Kostas Manolas returning to Piraeus to compete in the red and white once more. Many, myself included, thought that it could not happen this soon in the Greek internationals career, with Manolas still 30 years old and theoretically at the peak of his powers. There was also the issue of his transfer fee being far too high for Thrylos, as a supposed failed attempt to re-sign the Naxos native last summer apparently would have cost the club around 10 million Euros.  But to everyone’s surprise, Thrylos fans were treated to an early Christmas present as Manolas arrived at the club’s headquarters in Piraeus to officially rejoin Olympiakos. For the first blog of 2022, it’s a dive into the career of Kostas Manolas from leaving Piraeus on a high to compete in Serie A with two giants of the league before his return to Piraeus last mont...

Asteras Tripolis Mid-Season Review By Alexander Koutakos We are now halfway through the season, yet my verdict on whether or not this season is looking to be a successful one is still up in the air. There have been bright moments for sure, but there have been many lackluster performances that, compiled with poor squad selections have led to Asteras sitting in a mere 8th place.  The season itself has been a rollercoaster with Asteras generating a few wins here and there while at the same time having a few losses here and there, resulting in never gaining any tangible rhythm. For example, the club won back-to-back games against Apollon(1-0) and Panathinaikos(2-1) and what followed those impressive performances was a disappointing draw against PAS Giannina and a loss against Lamia due to an own goal by Ruben Garcia. It amazes me how Ruben Garcia gets playing time even after his big faults like the one against Lamia. David Carmona, the other RB, is far more talented and generates a big...