Preview to the Greek Superleague

[paoktzi]

ATROMITOS

With kick-off to the 2010/2011 Greek Super League season approaching quickly, Greeksoccer.com’s Peter Katsiris weighs in with his thoughts on the new season by providing a club-by-club guide to the new season. Next on the list, Atromitos FC...

Atromitos FC
Manager: Giorgos Donis since July 2009
Star Men: Marcelo Sarmiento, Henri Camara
Last Season: 7th
Season Expectations: Mid-table

Ins: Massamba Sambou, Henri Kamara

Outs: Carlos Masara, Carlos Blenchio, Panagiotis Korbos, Xristos Kalantzis, Dominic Vasi.

Following the success of last season, Atromitos will be looking to carry the momentum to the upcoming season in the Greek Super League. The Peristeri-based club surprised many with their seventh place finish, with manager Giorgos Donis getting most of the plaudits despite an unsuccessful stint with AEK Athens FC prior to signing with the Asteri.

The Greek manager took Atromitos within eight points of the Super League play-offs in the same season the club returned to the top flight. Now, with one year of experience under the belt of each player in the squad, Atromitos are looking to target even higher as a relatively quiet summer in the transfer market could spell success in the Athenian suburb.

The arrival of Henri Kamara from Championship side Sheffield United FC boosts the club’s attack, which previously relied on the goal-scoring talent of Zdravko Popovic and Ilias Anastasakos. The Senegalese striker should become the focal point of success with his new employers, with the Atromitos board hoping he can match the success of his predecessors.

But, while the club’s ambitions are certainly understandable, the bitter reality that the Super League’s hierarchy -- reigning from central Athens and Thessaloniki -- continues to pull away from the rest of the pack.

With most of the league unsettled by the numerous managerial changes, the best tonic for Atromitos could potentially be a long stint with Donis as manager. Although the player-turned-coach has struggled to achieve the best from his players under the most extreme circumstances, Donis presence on the sidelines has seen many smiles light up Peristeri.

www.greeksoccer.com/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1282593711&archive=&start_from=&ucat=15&

[mini]

I'm such a mouni, but in Greece I support 3 Clubs, and Atromitos is one of them. The other two also play in the Super League!

[paoktzi]

With kick-off to the 2010/2011 Greek Super League season approaching quickly, Greeksoccer.com’s Peter Katsiris weighs in with his thoughts on the new season by providing a club-by-club guide to the new season. Next on the list, Ergotelis FC...

Ergotelis FC
Manager: Nikos Karageorgiou since February 2006
Star Men: Maris Verpakovskis, Diego Romano
Last Season: 11th
Season Expectations: Survival

Ins: Egutu Oliseh, Aggelos Chandi, Giorgos Alexopoulos.

Outs: Panagiotis Kordonouris, Zsolt Posza, Dimitris Geladaris, Deividas Cesnauskis, Sotiris Balafas, Dimitris Kiliaras, Patrick Ogounsoto.

Ergotelis will be keen on a top-half finish this season as the Cretan club looks to recover from a woeful eleventh-place finish last term. The Canaries were deprived in offense following last summer’s loss of Vasilis Koutsianikoulis to PAOK FC, leaving manager Nikos Karageorgiou to rely heavily on the scoring record of Maris Verpakovskis and Patrick Ogounsoto.

The latter, has now left the island, meaning yet another icon in Heraklion, no longer exists. The club will be looking for a new hero to emerge, perhaps setting the stage for promising Greek starlet Nikos Karelis to recognise his queue. The promising young star had once caught the eye of Arsenal FC manager Arsene Wenger a few seasons ago, instilling optimism in Crete that another talent had pulled up on the island.

Despite the hype around him, Ergotelis fans have yet to see the wunderkind live up to his reputation. Of course, they’ll expect to see at least a dose of his talent this season, particularly if the club is to survive relegation. The islanders have been known to give Greece’s top sides a scare on the island, but a lack of consistency has come costly in recent seasons.

Unlike most managerial positions around the league, Karageorgiou has managed to tie down his job since 2006. An unsuccessful season this year, however, could be the final straw as Ergotelis look to remain Crete’s top club following the demise of local rivals OFI Crete FC.

European football might not be the expectation for a club still trying to find its leaders, but certainly an extended stay in the Greek Super League is something the club will be chasing.

www.greeksoccer.com/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1282692784&archive=&start_from=&ucat=28&

[paoktzi]

Iraklis FC
Manager: Marinos Ouzounidis since August 2010
Star Men: Mirnes Sisic, Dimitris Eleftheropoulos
Last Season: 10th
Season Expectations: Survival

Ins: Juri Krejci, Abrahama Alenchewu, Gianluca Zavarise, Petros Kanakoudis, Karim Soltani, Robert Szczot, Giorgos Kyriazis, Dimitris Eleftheropoulos, Nikos Arambatzis, Pablo Lima, Mirnes Sisic.

Outs: Lucas Rimoldi, Denis Epstein, Kostas Giannoulis, Andre Marques, Daniel Fernandes, Grigoris Papazacharias, Nuno Piloto, Charalambos Perperidis, Wojciech Kowalevski, Samuele Dalla Bonna, Fredy Vera, Javier Martos, Dimitris Giantsis, Giorgos Ioannidis, Panagiotis Kone.

Iraklis will be hoping a fresh start in the Greek Super League will end a difficult period at the club as financial uncertainty nearly had the historic club relegated to the Delta Ethniki this summer. The Thessaloniki-based outfit, one of Greece’s oldest clubs, has struggled to turn profit as the poor economic situation has plagued Iraklis’ board.

In fact, the club’s lack of capital gain in recent months has forced management to sell key players including prospects like Panagiotis Kone and Dimitris Giantsis. The depth of changes at the Kaftanzogleio Stadium does suggest that the club is undergoing a redevelopment process, but to what extent the team must rebuild remains a mystery.

Certainly the flare of Iraklis has been lost with the departure of such key players, but promise for the future lies in the form of youngster Apostolos Vellios. The Greek starlet earned him fame by scoring a late equalizer away to Olympiacos FC last season, earning the Galanoleuki their first positive result in Piraeus for the first time in several years.

Ironically, enough Olympiacos is first up for Iraklis this season as Iraklis will be in tough against the former Greek Champions. Situated in a demanding market, Marinos Ouzounidis will need to find his niche quickly in Thessaloniki, but results shouldn’t be expected too quickly of the former Larissa FC manager. With new recruits like Dimitris Eleftheropoulos and Mirnes Sisic, the experience of Iraklis’ squad might be the telling factor for a club nicknamed ‘the Old one.’

Nevertheless, patience might be the best remedy for Iraklis and its supporters, but unfortunately the continuous success of local rivals PAOK FC and Aris Thessaloniki FC doesn’t bode well for the blue side of Thessaloniki. Derby delight is never out of the question, but consistency is the most important thing for Iraklis. Only the most optimistic Iraklis supporters will be eyeing European football for next season, meaning survival in the Super League might have to do for at least another year.

www.greeksoccer.com/news/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1282841293&archive=&start_from=&ucat=21&

[paoktzi]

FC Kavala

Manager: Dragomir Okuka since July 2010
Star Men: Benjamin Onwuachi, Mario Galinovic
Last Season: 6th
Season Expectations: Mid-table

Ins: Giorgos Delizisis, Thomas Nazlidis, Serafim Mousidis, Anastasios Avlonitis, Xristos Tripsas, Igor Tomasic, Javier Lopez Vallejo, Nemanja Vucicevic, Tomo Sokota, Mario Galinovic, Djamel Abdoun.

Outs: Wilson Oruma, Ivan Gvozdenovic, Frederic Mendy, Charles Itandje, Ebi Smolarek, Zeljko Kalac, Craig Moore, Manolis Psomas, Aleksandar Popovic, Sinisa Dobrasinovic, Lukasz Sosin, Lazaros Seferidis.

A summer of change in Kavala sees the Argonauts return with a new look on the sidelines in the form of Dragomir Okuka as manager, and on the field as last season's regulars, including Ebi Smolarek and Wilson Oruma, have moved on.

The side from the periphery of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace returns with perhaps the samin intentions, but another summer of revolutionary change could have take its toll on the team's chemistry.

A sixth place finish in the Super League last season saw Kavala miss out on a berth in the play-offs by a narrow margin, a feat that will surely act as encouragement for the club this season. With Greece's football hierarchy only improving in the summer, the leap from a mid-table club to a contender for European football could be even more difficult this time around.

Certainly the club has made summer moves which will fill the voids left by the departure of key figures like Oruma, Smolarek, and perhaps Sinisa Dobrasinovic. The acquistion of Mario Galinovic and Javier Lopez Vallejo, both on free transfers, should cover any goalkeeping issues that arose following the departure of Charles Itandje and Zeljko Kalac.

Regardless of the presence of the steady stalwarts between the sticks for Kavala, the Argonauts will need an efficient striker. The skill-set of Benjamin Onwuachi will need to be put to good use if the Argonauts are to set sail again.

[denpaokala]

Iraklis 2 -1 Olympiakos

F&&K what a bad loss, how can we lose with our squad and coach?

[mini]

not gonna talk with Pao have a draw with Xanthi...

[mav10]

sucked in olympiakossssss boutsaa, paokkk oleeeeee

[paoktzi]

Paok to smash Panserraikos tonight and well be on top of the greek league

[mini]

some shock results.

Pao 1 - Xanthi 1

Olympiakos losing.

Kerkyra beating AEK

[paoktzi]

PAOK ontop of the league ole ole ole ole

[prostkxy]

fucking poustides kerkyra gamoto!

[mini]

Vourligans ole ole ole