Hellas Football

 A Revolving Door of Coaches Fear of the Future Greece’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup has triggered familiar frustration among supporters, not only because of the results, but because of the manner in which the campaign ended.  Once again, the national team approached a dead rubber match with the same conservatism that has plagued it for years, revealing a long standing reluctance to look ahead and embrace meaningful change. A consistent issue across the various coaching regimes we’ve seen has been the unwillingness to use inconsequential fixtures as opportunities to build for the future.  Instead of experimenting with new talent, testing depth, or giving young players valuable international experience, the default has been to field safe, predictable lineups built to get the result that evening. The outcome is almost always the same: flat performances, uninspired football, and results like the one we saw. The problem isn’t merely tactical; it’s cultural. It f...

 A Disconnect in Greek Football:  Can the New Generation Thrive Amid Old Guard Failures? A 3-2 at home where we looked like world beaters and park footballers who met up 30 minutes ago to kick a ball around is all too common with our national side these days.  Our Ethniki Omada’s failure to qualify for the current World Cup has reignited a long-standing concern within Greek football circles,  “the widening disconnect between the established core of the national team and the promising new generation emerging beneath them.” Every national side must navigate generational turnover, but for us it feels particularly delicate.  For the first time in years, we have a wave of genuinely exciting young talent who are technically gifted, tactically flexible, and shaped by modern footballing environments.  Yet their integration into the senior setup has been uneven at best. Part of the issue stems from the older generation’s entrenched role within the squad. Many of the...

 Future Greek internationals waiting in the wings By Stephen Kountourou In the aftermath of another disappointing campaign in which Greece, for the sixth time, failed to qualify for a major tournament, this time the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.  Ivan Jovanovic and a talented Ethniki side, despite an encouraging start to life under the Serbian manager, have shown their mental fragility and lack of experience in the big moments, with comprehensive defeats against Scotland and Denmark twice in their group.  Although this was a hammer blow for us as supporters of the national team, there is still hope for the long-term future of this team. We have spoken many times over the last year about the young core of emerging Greek talent who have become regulars when the international break comes around, with some of whom, we believe, have the highest level of potential we have seen from a crop of players in years.  As far as the current squad which was called up...

The rise of Levadiakos By Stephen Kountourou The Greek Super League has had a few surprise package clubs in recent years.  Teams with less pedigree than the giants of the Greek game, who, despite having far more limited resources, can cobble together a strong core of Greek and foreign players and a pragmatic manager with a functional style of play that can put everything together and finish higher up the table than most would expect them to on face value.  The likes of PAS Giannina, Lamia, Volos and Panserraikos have all caused shock results, played some entertaining and competitive football and not been afraid to take on teams with bigger budgets and better quality players.  It is a breath of fresh air from a time when it felt like the majority of teams in the Greek topflight, outside of the big four and Aris, would resort to defensive anti-football with ten men behind the ball from kick off to full time. Currently, the team that optimises this new trend is Levadiakos. U...

 Olympiakos vs PSV Eindhoven:  UEFA Champions League matchday four preview By Stephen Kountourou UEFA Champions League League Phase Matchday Four Kick-off Time: 22:00 Greek Time Venue: Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium Where to Watch: Cosmote Sport 2 HD It is hard to put into words exactly what to think about Olympiakos’s UEFA Champions League campaign thus far. In some ways, the performances have been spirited; certain decisions that have gone against the Greek champions have ranged from unfortunate to downright egregious, and their points tally as we enter the midway point of the League Phase is probably not a true reflection of how competitive they have been, especially against better opposition at times.  On the other hand, however, the first match against Pafos FC, as I will continue to reiterate, was a huge missed opportunity, despite a spirited performance against Arsenal; early mistakes ultimately cost them, and the same can be said to a lesser extent against Barc...