Hello fellow punters!
The Greek National League kicked off in the weekend, so I think that you will need some info about the condition of the teams.
OLYMPIAKOS
Olympiakos is kind of a "Dictator" in Greece! They have won the last 7 Championships and they are heading for their 8th title in a row. President Kokkalis is a wealthy businessman, who knows how to "protect" his team in many different ways. There are many new faces in the squad.
Olympiakos lost some very good players. First of all, Giannakopoulos (midfielder) went to Bolton, Zetterberg (midfielder) returned to Anderlecht and Ze Elias (defender) is gone too.
9 new players arrived in Piraeus. The most important ones are: Goalkeeper Butchek (Xanthi), defenders Pantos (Proodeftiki) and Vallas (Xanthi), midfielders Gonias (Iraklis), Stoltidis (Iraklis), Kaffes (PAOK) and Georgiadis (PAOK), as well as striker Kuzba (Wisla Krakow).
Coach Oleg Protasov is lacking experience and that is a minus for the team.
Key Players: You should look out for Djordjevic, a very creative midfielder, who is considered the brain of Olympiakos. French Carembeu (midfielder) is also very important to the team. There is however a lack of alternatives in the offensive line. Striker Houtos is their best solution, since Kuzba is out of form due to an injury.
Last year: 1st Place (Champions)
Estimation: 1st Place (Champions)
PANATHINAIKOS
As a Panathinaikos fan, I am deeply worried that things will not be good this season for my favorite team. The owners of the Clup appointed a new President and Israeli Yitzhak Shum (Maccabi Haifa) is the new coach. Panathinaikos lost some of its best players and the newcomers don't seem capable to replace them.
Among those who left, the most influential were: Karagounis (midfielder) went to Inter, Kolkka (midfielder) went to Gladbach, Lyberopoulos (top scorer of the league) went to AEK and Boateng (talented midfileder) went to AIK Stockholm.
The most important transfers are: Goalkeeper Halkias (Iraklis), defender Moris (Aris), midfielders Maric (Dinamo Zagreb), Epale (Aris), Zoutautas (Maccabi Haifa), Sanmartean (Gloria Bistrita) and Minh (Gladbach), as well as striker Papadopoulos (Burnley).
Key Players: Striker Olisadebe is one of the key players in the offense. Midfielder Sanmartean looks like a promising player, yet due to the fact that he is young, it is doubtful that he can become the new leader of Panathinaikos. After the friendly matches that I have seen, I believe that the best transfer was the Lithuanian Zoutautas.
Last year: 2nd Place
Estimation: 3rd Place
AEK
If AEK were not facing such huge financial problems, then they will surely be considered as the favorites to win the title this year. A lot will depend on the match against Grasshoppers. If AEK goes through to the Champions League Groups, it would be a great financial boost for the Club.
AEK has the best coach in Greece, Dusan Bajevic and despite the financial crisis managed to make the best transfers. Mainly due to the fact that the players who came wanted themselves to work under the instructions of Bajevic!
AEK lost the 2 Costa Ricans, Wright (defender) and Senteno (midfielder). However the vital loss was Demis Nikolaidis who wanted to make a dream come true towards the end of his carreer and play in a greatest championship. So Demis (the heart of AEK) chose to go to Spain and he joined Athletico Madrid.
However, I believe that AEK will be stronger in the front line, than in the last year. Okkas (according to my opinion, the best striker in the League) came from PAOK, as well as Lyberopoulos (top scorer of the League last year) from Panathinaikos. The other important transfers are 2 defenders: Moras (Proodeftiki) and Abonsah (PAOK).
Key Players: Okkas is the most talented striker in the squad. Tsartas (midfielder) is the brain of the team. And Georgatos (defensive midfielder) is the non-stopping running machine.
Last year: 3rd Place
Estimation: 2nd Place
PAOK
PAOK is much more weaker than last season and coach Anastasiadis has to build a new team, since all the stars were sold due to the financial problems that the Club has. Strikers Okkas, Froussos, Koukielka, midfielders Georgiadis, Kaffes, and defender Abonsah are all gone. All of them were basic players.
Among those who came the most important players are: Defender Vokolos (Panathinaikos), Midfielder Hagan (Iraklis) and a talented striker Yannitsanakis.
PAOK have enthusiastic supporters and they will be very hard to beat at home!
Key Players: Striker Giassemi is the best solution in the offensive line. Defender Egomitis and midfielders Spasic and Hagan should have the greatest role in the team.
Last year: 4th Place
Estimation: 7th Place
PANIONIOS
Panionios was the biggest surprise last season. The squad has changed a lot and coach Bubenko has a hard task to create a powerful mix of old and young players.
Some of the best players last year are gone: Siliak, Bela, Ioannou, A. Mantzios, Ferekidis and Lagonikakis.
But the newcomers look pretty good and Panionios looked pretty strong in the firendly matches so far. Among those who came are: Majewski (Legia Warsaw), Giorgiopoulos (Akratitos), Smilianic (MTK Budapest), Pino (Rosario Central), Paronti (Colon Santa Fe), Klimek (Zaglebie).
Key Players: Goalkeeper Drobjni is very important to the team. Polish international Adam Majewski looks capable to become their leader this season.
Last year: 5th Place
Estimation: 5th Place
ARIS
Aris is in deep trouble. An Arab investor, who claimed himself to be a wealthy President, proved to be a fraud and the Club is facing enormous financial problems, with debts over 12 million Euros. Aris will struggle this year to avoid relegation!
Their best players were sold: Epale, Moris, Niren and Knopper.
The only worth mentioning transfers are: Goalkeeper Gitkos (Giannina) and Frantzeskos (A.E. Limmasol).
Key Players: 34 year-old midfielder Frantzeskos is the most experienced and valuable player. The heart of their defense is Nikos Papadopoulos.
Last year: 6th Place
Estimation: 12th Place
IRAKLIS
Iraklis is dreaming of a Champions League place this season. They have a very good coach, Dutch Eggen Gerard and have made a couple of great transfers.
They have lost goalkeeper Halkias, as well as midfielders Gonias, Stoltidis and Hagan.
They signed one of the best Greek strikers, Nikos Machlas (Sevilla) and Polish international Kucharski (Legia Warsaw).
Key Players: The strength of Iraklis lies in the front line. Strikers like Machlas, Fofonka (Brazilian) and Mietchel (Polish) are top class. And midfielder Kucharski looks pretty good. He should be the leader of the team.
Last year: 7th Place
Estimation: 4th Place
OFI
OFI looks very much alike as in the last season. Players know each other and they have an experienced coach, Czech Schazni. Their goal will be to earn a European ticket.
For the first time after 4 years, they will play without Costa Rican striker, Ronald Gomes, who had many injury problems last year.
The team from the island of Crete signed midfielder Koutsoures (Iraklis), defender Pitsos (Panathinaikos) and striker Neofitou (Anorthosis).
Key Players: Brazilian striker Soares, as well as Bulgarian midfielder Dejanov and Costa Rican midfielder Solis are the most valuable players.
Last year: 8th Place
Estimation: 6th Place
XANTHI
Totally new look for Skoda Xanthi this year. One of the mysteries of the season.
Xanthi lost many good players like Butchek, Vallas, Laitner, Geladaris.
They have signed many unknown players! The most important transfers seem to be: defenders Kalimanis (Proodeftiki) and Polis (Nueva Chicago), as well as midfielders Peres (Lanus), Ortiz (Huracan) and Drobnak (Inter Bratislava).
Key Players: Stavros Labriakos, a very tall striker, is the lethal weapon of Xanthi. Austrian striker Frizenbihler showed some skill last year. Coach Karageorgiou is expecting a lot from the Slovakian newcomer Drobnak.
Last year: 9th Place
Estimation: 9th Place
EGALEO
A small team who has amazed everybody with their constant improvement. Last year they reached the Cup Semi-Finals.
Not many important players left. Only Antonetti and Bikic are worth mentioning.
They have signed goalkeeper Klaevic (Panahaiki), midfielder Barkoglou (Akratitos) and some other unknown players.
Key Players: Striker Agritis, midfielder Skopelitis and defender Alexopoulos is the core of the team.
Last year: 10th place
Estimation: 8th place
PROODEFTIKI
Proodeftiki will face relegation this year, they have lost most of their talented players. Pantos, Tatsis, Moras, Kalimanis got a transfer to bigger clubs and coach Papadopoulos is deeply worried about the future.
Midfielder Vilanakis came from Ionikos with 5-6 unknown players.
Key Players: The heart of the team is the Albanian striker Zaimi and the rock in the defence is Giorgos Poulopoulos.
Last year: 11th place
Estimation: 13th place
AKRATITOS
Akratitos is hoping to avoid relegation as soon as prossible during the season. They have a good coach, Romanian Dumitriou, who by the way snobbed Intertoto matches against Alliansi, in order to work with his players in the training camp.
They have lost Giorgiopoulos, Tsvetanov, Barkoglou and have signed among others: Goalkeeper Georgiou (Olympiakos), defenders Bletsas (Giannina) and Milojevic (Iraklis), as well as midfielder Linkar (Panathinaikos).
Key Players: The fans are expecting that Romanian Eric Linkar will be the new leader of the team. In my opinion the most crucial player is striker Iordanidis.
Last year: 12th Place
Estimation: 11th place
KALLITHEA
Kallithea trusted last year's coach, Tennes, to save the team again this season. The most important "transfer" was that they managed to keep their best striker, Fanis Gekas.
Key Players: Striker Gekas is the most valuable player of the team. If he gets injured, the team will be in deep trouble.
Last year: 13th place
Estimation: 14th place
IONIKOS
Ionikos avoided relegation in the play-outs last year. The squad looked like the United Nations, with unknown players all over the world. The president decided to sell them and trusted some Greek experienced players.
13 players left and 14 came! The most important transfers are: Goalkeeper Bekiai (OFI), defenders Ferekidis and Mantzios (Panionios), as well as striker Froussos (PAOK).
Key Players: Striker Froussos returned at home and the fans are enthousiastic. Midfielder Afas is the brain of the team.
Last year: 14th Place
Estimation: 10th Place
HALKIDONA
One of the newly promoted teams, with no experience at all in the National League! They have signed a few experienced players like: defenders Geladaris (Xanthi) and Mikes (Ionikos), as well as striker Nasiopoulos (Iraklis).
Key Players: Veteran midfielder Nioplias, along with Al-Jaher is the brain of the team, while striker Nasiopoulos will have to score the goals for Halkidona.
Last year: Division 2
Estimation: 16th place
PANILIAKOS
Paniliakos returned to Division 1 after 3 years. The squad is similar to the one of last year. Young and withouy experience, I do not believe that they will survive in the League.
Key Players: Defender Vindra is the most important player and striker Thomaidis was the 2nd top scorer of Division 2 last year.
Last year: Division 2
Estimation: 15th place
Good luck,
Daglashen. :thumbsup:
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