Ποιός ευθύνεται για τον θάνατο του Άλκη Καμπανού;

    Ένα ακόμα παιδί νεκρό λόγω "οπαδικών" διαφορών, μια κοινωνία "σοκαρισμένη", σύλλογοι που "εκφράζουν συλληπητήρια" και ένα κύκλωμα που παραμένει αναλλοίωτο και σφυρίζει αδιάφορα. Το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα της Ελλάδας στο μικροσκόπιο. Η ωμή αλήθεια από εντός του χώρου, χωρίς φωτογραφίες, βίντεο, λινκς, ή τίποτα άλλο. Μόνο λέξεις, που πηγάζουν από ατόφιες εμπειρίες.

   Μια οποιαδήποτε ημέρα σε ένα σχολικό προαύλιο της Αθήνας. Ακούγονται φωνές από εφήβους και παιδιά που τρέχουν και παίζουν, χωρίς να έχουν την παραμικρή φαγούρα για τις έγνοιες και τις ανησυχίες της "αληθινής ζωής", όπως πληρωμές, ενοίκια, ώρες εργασίας, κι άλλα τέτοια (η πλειονότητά τους τουλάχιστον). Τρέχουν χαρωπά, ασχολούνται με πράγματα ασήμαντα για εμάς τους "μεγάλους" και κάνουν ότι τους καπνίσει. Άλλωστε γι' αυτό υπάρχουν αυτές οι ηλικίες. Για να κάνεις βλακίες και να μαθαίνεις...

   Μα έλα όμως που αυτός ο μικρόκοσμος για πολλά (αν όχι όλα) από αυτά τα παιδιά είναι ίσως το δυσκολότερο πράγμα που έχουν αντιμετωπίσει στην ζωή τους. Και το χειρότερο είναι πως πρέπει να το αντιμετωπίσουν μόνα τους ή, αν είναι τυχερά, με ένα-δυό άτομα τα οποία μπορεί να αισθάνονται το ίδιο "πνιγμένα"! Αυτό που για εμάς τους "μεγάλους", που έχουμε τόσα και τόσα πάνω απ' το κεφάλι μας μοιάζει με καθημερινό παιχνίδι, για τους εφήβους και τα παιδιά είναι βουνό ολόκληρο!

   Και δεν είναι μόνο το θέμα των μαθημάτων, το οποίο και αυτό από μόνο του είναι επιεικώς απαράδεκτο. Καθηγητές αδιάφοροι, που το μόνο που τους ενδιαφέρει είναι να βγάλουν το μάθημα με "απόλυτη ησυχία", που αποβάλλουν διαρκώς λάθος μαθητές και χαβαλεδιάζουν και οι ίδιοι με άτομα τα οποία πιθανώς να μοιάζουν και επικίνδυνα από νεαρές ηλικίες. Άνθρωποι που δεν έχουν διάθεση να καθίσουν και να μιλήσουν ή να συμβουλέψουν τα παιδιά μετά το μάθημα και που σε καμία περίπτωση δεν έχουν αυτόν τον συμπληρωματικό ρόλο του γονέα, όπως θα έπρεπε. Το μεροκάματο να βγαίνει κι όλα καλά! Ποιός έχει όρεξη να ασχοληθεί με τα σκασμένα άλλωστε; Σωστά;

   Οι μαθητές αποχωρούν από τις αίθουσες με ένα ανυπολόγιστο βάρος μαθημάτων για το σπίτι στις πλάτες τους, μια σειρά από τελεσίγραφα ("αν δεν μου έχεις φέρει την εργασία την άλλη φορά θα αναγκαστώ να σε μηδενίσω!") και ίσως καμιά αστεία ιστορία από κάποιον που πιθανόν να του ζητήθηκε να πει το "μάθημα" (δηλαδή να έχει απομνημονεύσει πέντε-έξι σελίδες από την προηγούμενη ημέρα), να μην μπόρεσε και να ξεφτιλίστηκε μπροστά σ' όλη την τάξη.

   Κι αν αυτό μοιάζει σκληρό και βάναυσο ή απλά κάτι που "όλοι μας το περάσαμε μωρέ, σιγά", μην ανησυχείτε, είμαστε ακόμη στην αρχή! Ακολουθούν τα όσα γίνονται αφού χτυπήσει το κουδούνι. Θα πει κανείς, "μα πόσα μπορούν να γίνουν μέσα στα δέκα λεπτά του διαλείμματος;" Κι όμως...

   Οι μαθητές είναι παιδιά και τα παιδιά είναι άνθρωποι που αναπτύσσονται, που βρίσκονται σε διαδικασία ανακάλυψης του εαυτού τους, των ενδιαφερόντων τους. Αν ορισμένα από αυτά αναπτύξουν ενδιαφέρονται τα οποία δουν πως απορρίπτονται από τους γύρω τους ή θεωρούνται ως "μη αποδεκτά", τότε δεδομένα κι εκείνα, ως άτομα, θα αρχίσουν να κλείνονται στον εαυτό τους, θεωρώντας πως κάτι δεν κάνουν καλά.

   Στην μικροκοινωνία των σχολείων ωστόσο, τα μόνα αποδεκτά ενδιαφέροντα είναι αυτά που έχουν οι μεγάλοι: η μπάλα, το γκομενιλίκι, τα αμάξια, τα τσιγάρα, οι καφέδες, το πόσα ποτά παραπάνω μπορείς να πιεις από τον άλλον που κάθεται απέναντί σου χωρίς να βγάλεις τ' άντερά σου, κ.ο.κ. Άντε να σχολιάσετε και κάνα ριάλιτι. Αν αρχίσεις ξαφνικά να μιλάς για το πόσο σου αρέσει η ζωγραφική ή το τι παιχνίδια παίζεις στο πλέιστέισιο, τότε η θέση σου στην κοινωνική αλυσίδα πάει πολύ χαμηλά!

   Υπάρχει ένας διαρκής και άνευ λόγου ανταγωνισμός, κυρίως μεταξύ των αγοριών τα οποία παλεύουν να "δειχθούν" για να κερδίσουν τα κορίτσια. Αυτό γυρνάει πολλές φορές σε πράξεις κοινωνικής καταπίεσης προς άλλους μαθητές ή ακόμα και σε σωματική βία, όταν αυτός που έχουν απέναντί τους είναι από τα άτομα που έχει "υπόληψη" εντός της σχολικής αυλής. 

   Μιλάμε πάντα για παιδιά που δεν έχουν ακόμη ανακαλύψει που πατάνε και που βρίσκονται. Και για αυτά το "ξύλο" έρχεται πάντα σαν πρώτη απάντηση στην ερώτηση "πως μπορούμε να επιλύσουμε τις διαφορές μας". Όποιος φύγει πρώτος θεωρείται και ο "ηττημένος". Ο θάνατος ή ο σοβαρός τραυματισμός των άλλων δεν περνάει καν απ' το μυαλό σαν ενδεχόμενο.

   Και κάπου εδώ έρχονται στο τραπέζι και οι ομάδες. Κάτι με το οποίο τα παιδιά μπορούν να δεθούν συναισθηματικά αφού βλέπουν πως και οι "μεγάλοι" τα παρακολουθούν άρα δεν θα θεωρηθεί ως μη αποδεκτό σαν ασχολία, ενώ τα σπορ πάντα προκαλούν τέτοιου έιδους συναισθήματα σε όλες τις ηλικιακές ομάδες. Οι σύνδεσμοι των οργανωμένων τα καλλιεργούν λίγο παραπάνω, τα ποτίζουν σε επίπεδο... θρησκείας και δίνουν σε αυτά τα παιδιά την αίσθηση ότι υπηρετούν κάτι παραπάνω από τον εαυτό τους. Έναν σκοπό "ιερό".

   Οι "απέναντι" (Ολυμπιακοί, Παναθηναϊκοί, ΑΕΚτζήδες, ότι θέλετε πείτε τους) είναι εχθροί. Υπάρχουν για να τους πατάμε! Για να πανηγυρίζουμε νίκες απέναντί τους. Καμία νίκη τους επί της δικής μας ομαδάρας δεν είναι αποδεκτή και φταίνε πάντα οι πουλημένοι οι διαιτητές (τους οποίους επίσης δεν αποδεχόμαστε και βρίζουμε σε κάθε ευκαιρία)! Οι "απέναντι" είναι πάντα κάτω από εμάς και ποτέ δεν τους λέμε με το κανονικό όνομα της ομάδας τους αλλά με το "υποκοριστικό" (γάβροι, βαζέλια, χανούμια, βούλγαροι, σκουλίκια, γριές, κλπ.) κι όπου τους βρούμε, φροντίζουμε να είναι υπό κι άμα πάνε να σηκώσουνε κεφάλι πέφτει σφαλιάρα. Κι άμα αντιδράσουνε, πέρνουμε τηλέφωνο τα άλλα τα παιδιά από το σύνδεσμο και τους κανονίζουμε!

   Έτσι λειτούργησαν και οι δολοφόνοι του Άλκη. Κι όχι μόνο του Άλκη, αλλά και τόσων άλλων πριν και τόσων άλλων που θα ακολουθήσουν. Κι όταν συμβαίνει το περιστατικό και καταλαβαίνουν πως το παρατράβηξαν; Εκεί τι γίνεται; Φυσικά κανένας δεν θέλει να σκοτώσει. Εγγυημένα. Δεδομένα ακόμα και η δολοφονία του Άλκη ήταν ένας από αυτούς τους "τσαμπουκάδες" που πήγε πολύ μακριά. Θέλανε προφανώς να του "δώσουν ένα μάθημα" επειδή ήταν Άρης. Μόνο και μόνο για αυτόν τον λόγο.

   Κι όταν είδαν το αίμα, πρώτη κίνηση ήταν να τραπούν σε φυγή. Από φόβο. Τους έλουσε κρύος ιδρώτας. Ο θάνατος δεν υφίσταται καν στο μυαλό αυτών των ατόμων (δεν είναι παιδιά πλέον στα 23 τους) όταν κάνουν αυτές τις πράξεις, δεν το θεωρούν ως ενδεχόμενο. 

   Ο 23χρονος Αλβανός δολοφόνησε τον Άλκη. Αυτή είναι μια αλήθεια αναλλοίωτη και απαράλαχτη. Αλλά να το πούμε έτσι, να τον κοιτάζουμε λες και είναι κανα τέρας και να καθαρίσουμε τα χέρια μας λες και δεν έχουμε ευθύνη είναι πέρα για πέρα υποκριτικό. Ο άνθρωπος αυτός βγήκε από το σκάρτο εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα της Ελλάδος από το οποίο όλοι έχουμε περάσει. Ποιος ξέρει τι τράβηξε και πόση βία έπρεπε να διαπράξει προκειμένου να αποδείξει πως είχε θέση μεταξύ των οργανωμένων οπαδών του Άρη.

   Αν δεν θέλει η Ελλάδα να ζήσει κι άλλες τέτοιες περιπτώσεις, τότε έχει πάρα πολύ δουλειά να κάνει, ξεκινώντας από το οικογενειακό, σχολικό και κοινωνικό περιβάλλον στο οποίο (υποχρεούται να) ζει το κάθε παιδί. Μέχρι τότε, αναμένουμε τον επόμενο... 

Olympiacos: PSV, Arsenal and the team's inner struggles

  

   After a thriller of a night in Eindhoven, Olympiacos managed to avoid shooting themselves in the foot thanks to a last ditch effort by Ahmed Hassan and qualify for the round of 16 of the Europa League. There, they will be expected by their "old friends" Arsenal who will be thirsty for revenge after last season's fiasco at the Emirates.

   You'd think that a two-goal advantage would've been enough to secure that Olympiacos' game against PSV Eindhoven for the second leg of the Europa League round of 32 wouldn't turn into a horror show. Yet you would be far from the truth, as the team showed some of their old tendencies on the pitch, habits that fans thought they had given up somewhere near the end of the previous decade.

   But let's take thing from the beginning. Having the safety of the 4-2 result from the first game at the "Georgios Karaiskakis", Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins decided on a more patient approach for the return game at the "Philips Stadion", with a 4-3-3 formation. He had no issue with giving the home side the ball and waiting for a chance to strike them on the counterattack. He went with his favorite eleven: Sa, Lala, Reabciuk, Ba, Semedo, M'Vila, Bouchalakis, Camara, Bruma, Valbuena and El Arabi.

   On the other hand, PSV manager Roger Schmidt dropped his usual 4-2-2-2 formation for a far more aggressive 3-5-2. The big surprise was the use of injured central defender Oscar Boscagli in the heart of midfield to replace the penalized Sankhare. Nick Viergriever took his place in defense, while Max and Dumfries were in total charge of the left and right wing respectively. 

FIRST HALF

   The game began with Olympiacos looking rather comfortable holding onto the ball. They had little to worry about from the PSV attacking force, while up front the French quartet of M'Vila, Camara, Lala and Valbuena were attempting to put the pressure on the Dutch defense. But other than a cross that came from Bruma to bounce of the foot of Boscagli and land on the head El Arabi to go only inches wide of M'Vogo's goal, they weren't really able to create much else for the entire first 45 minutes.

   After they got their legs on the ground, the home side began to come forward with greater urgency, searching for a goal that would keep them alive in the tie. Without actually suffocating the Olympiacos defense, they were able to create a few chances. And in an opportunity that was highly reminiscent of the second goal that he scored in Piraeus, Eren Zahavi found himself unmarked during a corner kick and rose up to get the header. Jose Sa got a hand on the ball but it bounced off him to pass the line and give the home side the kick start they were so desperately searching for.

   As if that wasn't enough, a few seconds before the 45', El Arabi fouled the Israeli midfielder in a highly advantageous position outside the box. He made no mistakes and with a spectacular free kick that gave Sa no chance to react, put the advantage in the hands of PSV for the first time in the tie.

   What Olympiacos had struggled so hard to build during the first leg, they had destroyed so easily in just 45 minutes. It was such a shame but, with the way they were playing, there was no way they were going to make it through to the next round.

SECOND HALF

   Something needed to change and Martins knew it. He immediately took off both Valbuena and Bouchalakis for the more attacking-minded Fortounis and Masouras. The difference in the team's mentality was obvious as they held on to the ball more and put the Dutch under greater pressure, yet they weren't really able to get it into the area. 

   In a great effort on the right wing, Bruma got past his personal opponent and crossed the ball towards the oncoming Camara who took the the first-time shot. The ball bounced off the bar to a defeated M'Vogo's great relief and the Guinean midfielder's shock.

   Martins continued to believe in his team and brought on Androutsos and Hassan for Lala and the exhausted Bruma. The Greek team desperately searched for a way past M'Vogo and on the 77th a free kick by Fortounis found the woodwork once again, this being the second time in the night.

   PSV tried to come out of their shell and get past the Semedo-Ba duet, with both players raising their performance in the second half. On the 85th minute, a shot from outside the area by Dony Malen found the post of the defeated Jose Sa.

   Only a couple of minutes later, Olympiacos were finally vindicated. Reabciuk saw Fortounis' run on the left wing, with the Greek crossing the ball towards Youssef El Arabi. The Moroccan striker defeated his personal opponent but his header was stopped by M'Vogo, who fumbled the ball, with Hassan being first to the rebound and tapping it into the goal to give his team the single goal they needed to make it through.

   In the final minutes, Schmidt, who hadn't made a single change all night, brought on all the attacking players he could, but nothing changed, as Olympiacos had the security of Socratis Papastathopoulos to see them through the final five minutes of the game.

   Thanks to Hassan, Martins and their own persistence, Olympiacos were able to avoid a disqualification that would've been entirely caused by their own mistakes. PSV proved to be a team that was completely on their level and the Greek defense gave them far more ground than they should have.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

   Even though they qualified, Olympiacos did not play well at all, contrary to the first game. The first half was tragic, they failed to create anything up front and they crumbled under the slightest bit of pressure. Those are definitely not good signs. 

   As many people have noticed, Jose Sa has been underperforming for a while now, although according to information from Greece this is all based to his own personal issues so this is when the club and everyone really needs to support him. After all, we're talking about a Portuguese international goalkeeper.

   There also appears to be an issue on the left side. Oleg Reabciuk is not as solid defensively as initially thought, while there's also not a lot of cooperation going on between him and Bruma up front, which makes him the weak link in the starting lineup. He's still new in the team and the club needs to have faith in him but he also needs to apply himself more.

   In good news, It was nice to see Ousseynou Ba make such a solid performance once again. This is the defender we've come to know and if he continues to make such great appearances, he's more than likely to move to a much bigger club than his buddy Pape Cisse did.

   It's also great to see the team's fighting spirit. They never give up, they fight for one another and they all celebrate together. A solid unit, it's easy to believe in them and the sky's the limit.

THE FUTURE

   The next obstacle in Olympiacos' European frontier is one they've come to know very well the last few years: Arsenal.

   The gunners are already sharpening their claws after what Olympiacos did to them last season inside their own home and this time you can be sure there will be no underestimating.

   Things have certainly changed, especially on the Greek side, as the team that knocked out Arteta's side could barely make up a 14-player squad.

   This time however, the red-and-whites have a full list and many players that can come off the bench and provide many solutions.

   Among them is former "gunner" Sokratis Papastathopoulos who will want to prove himself to his former manager Mikel Arteta that practically forced him out of the team.

   Arsenal have also changed however, replacing Mezut Ozil with former Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard and bringing in Brazilian defender Gabriel from French side Lille.

   They still seem to be plagued by issues however, as they're barely 11th in the Premier League while they were almost disqualified in the previous round of the Europa League by Benfica, a team beaten by PAOK in the Champions League qualifiers.

   So while they always remain a team of massive quality, they also have some major flaws. If Olympiacos can improve on their own weaknesses, they could be able to do what they've never done before and qualify to the Europa League quarter finals. 

   It's all about breaking your own limits. And this is something they've done before, after all.

Olympiacos-PSV 4-2: Unstoppable!

    

   Despite being brought back to level terms twice by their Dutch opponents, the Greek champions were able to make the most of their home game and will now carry a two-goal advantage to the Netherlands in a few days time. Great coaching by Pedro Martins, who became the coach with the most European games in the history of the club.

   For those who were on neither side, the game between Olympiacos and PSV Eindhoven for the round of 16 of the Europa League at the "Georgios Karaiskakis" was a highly enjoyable evening of football, especially in the first half. Not one, not two, but five goals were scored in the space of 45 minutes, with yet another added in the second half to seal the final score. 

   But as Pedro Martins, the man who now has the highest number of games as manager of Olympiacos in Europe (overtaking Dusan Bajevic), said in a post-game interview, these types of matches may be a pleasure to watch for the spectators, but they're a coach's worst nightmare. Because it means that all of their plans have gone to waste.

   The Portuguese maestro decided to go with his all-time favorite 4-3-3 formation, giving a starting position to Yann M'Vila and Armindo Bruma, who had both been suffering from injuries and were doubtful for the tie. He also chose to play with all three of the club's recent transfer signings in defense, using Oleg Reabciuk on the left, Kenny Lala on the right and putting Sokratis Papastathopoulos next to Ousseynou Ba in the center. The three traditional midfielders were, besides M'Vila, captain Andreas Bouchalakis and Mady Camara who was charges with going up higher and pressuring the Dutch defenders. Up front were Bruma, Matthieu Valbuena and Youssef El Arabi.

   Olympiacos started the game rather cautiously, giving the ball to their opponents and trying to find an opportunity to hit on the counter. Thankfully they didn't need to wait too long, as a foul by left-back Max on Valbuena after nine minutes gave the French winger the chance to feed the ball inside the box to the unmarked Bouchalakis, who calmly headed the ball into the right-hand corner of Mvogo's goal, who was unable to react. This was Bouchalakis' first goal in Europe and his fourth in the season, as he continues to silence his doubters.

   A few minutes later though, Olympiacos would be punished for their choice to give the ball over to PSV so easily. After passing the ball outside Jose Sa's area, the ball fell to Eran Zahavi who dribbled nicely past Camara and took the shot, with the ball deflecting off Papastathopoulos and ending up in the back of the net.

   The two teams continued in the same rhythm, when on the 36th minute Olivier Boscagli took a knock and was temporarily forced off the pitch to receive treatment. Olympiacos made the most of their temporary advantage and a pass by Bruma on the left fell to M'Vila outside the area who blasted the ball past Mvogo for the second time in the evening.

   But once again, Olympiacos were made to pay for their sloppy defending and with PSV back to eleven men -after Timo Baumgartl replaced the unpable to continue Boscagli- they again found the equalizer, again with the same player. A corner kick by Max from the left saw Zahavi who, alone and unmarked in the heart of the Olympiacos defense had little trouble putting it away for his team.

   With the home side now being extra cautious of their own defensive errors and PSV happy to take the result into the changing rooms, it all seemed as though the two teams would head to the break on level terms. 

But no one judged on Baumgartl, who during injury time fell to the unbearable pressure of El Arabi, giving the ball away in the heart of his own defense and allowing the experienced striker to score perhaps one of the easiest goals of his career in Europe. 

As if that wasn't enough, Olympiacos' pressure to the Dutch defense continued to bare fruit when Camara won the ball deep inside the opponent's half just moments later, but instead of passing to the unmarked (yet possible offside) El Arabi, he decided to take the shot on his own, which was deflected for a corner kick.

   Both defenses suffered setbacks, yet with the necessary substitution, it was now PSV that looked the most vulnerable. At the start of the second half, Olympiacos continued to let PSV have possession, yet their every counterattack seemed lethal and could've made the difference between the two sides. 

   Eventually the two managers decided to take chances, Roger Schmidt looking for a third equalizer and Pedro Martins for a fourth goal that would give his team a two-goal safety cushion for next week's game in Eindhoven. Schmidt took out the -unconvincing- Mario Gotze and the rather aggressive Ibrahim Sangare to bring on Mauro Junior and Yorbe Vertessen, while Martins initially made his team a bit more defensive by taking off Valbuena and El Arabi to introduce Greek duo Giorgos Masouras and Kostas Fortounis to the game. 

   But on the 80th minute, and with his defense now looking a lot more solid, the Portuguese manager made a triple change that threw the Dutch for a loop, taking off Lala, Bruma and M'Vila and throwing in Thanasis Androutsos, Marius Vrousaj and Ahmed Hassan. 

   Olympiacos suddenly became a lot faster and more deadly up front, with Vrusaj creating many dangerous situations on the right wing. On one of those, he attempted to find the unmarked Hassan who was alone in front of the box, but Jordan Teze made a crucial clearance. 

   The fourth goal seemed inevitable however and it came a few seconds later, when Fortounis made the run again from the right, feeding a low ball into the area for the feet of Hassan who couldn't control it properly. The nearby Masouras however was there to tidy up and give his team the advantage they so desperately needed. 

   In the final minutes of the game, Schmidt brought on Marco van Ginkel and Erick Gutierrez, but it was Olympiacos that came closer to a fifth than PSV to a third. However, nothing else changed until the final whistle was blown, leaving the two sides to settle their differences in a week's time at the Philipstadion in Eindhoven.

A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THE GAME

   It's been a while since we've seen Olympiacos score so many goals in a single night of European football. And while the team started off looking extremely vulnerable in the back, that makes it even more of an achievement. 

   The Papastathopoulos-Ba duo don't seem to go well together at all and Olympiacos may come to regret their decision to let go of Cisse. It wasn't just the way he played, but it was also the influence he had on young Ba, who hasn't been his usual self at all ever since his co-patriot and best friend departed for French shores. Someone should really asking him how he's doing because those level of performances are not what we're used to seeing from him. 

   As for Sokratis, there's not much to say. He does have experience and he can help the Olympiacos defense, but Cisse had a more athletic figure. He was taller and faster, not to mention a lot younger.

   On the other hand, the performance of the other two newcomers, Reabciuk and Lala was quite interesting. The Moldavian left-back added another solid appearance to his record and he really is proving to be a great signing. 

   As for Kenny, it's obvious he hasn't shown his full potential yet, but once he does, he'll be able to take on the whole right side on his own. No disrespect to Thanasis Androutsos who has made an excellent season himself but the French back is on another level and can literally go up and down for way beyond 90 minutes. He has great technique, a good foot and high stamina. It's exciting to think about how strong the team will be once he grows accustomed to his new environment. 

   Of course, Yann M'Vila continues to impress and demonstrate why he was such an important signing for the club during the summer transfer period. It wasn't just his goal, he was literally everywhere inside the pitch. 

   However it was a disappointing night for Bruma, who did try to make things happen on the wing, especially in the first half, but didn't really have much luck. We're used to seeing more from him.

   All the credit for this win must go to Pedro Martins. Not only did he prepare his team mentally and physically, he also orchestrated them from the bench in such a way that PSV were left dumbfounded. During the final minutes of the game, he hit them with a triple-sub of Androutsos-Vrusaj and Hassan that Schmidt had no response for. 

   Olympiacos have great quality not only in their starting lineup but on their bench as well, and Martins knows how to get the most out of all his players, whether they play or not.

   It's difficult to predict how next week's game will go, since PSV are a team that score many goals, but Olympiacos have shown that they have what it takes to make it through. If they score first then it'll be hard for the Dutch to come back and the Greek champions might even walk away with another win.

   

Πως δείχνουν τα πράγματα εν όψει PSV

 

 

  Έχω αποφασίσει λοιπόν να κρατήσω ετούτο εδώ το μπλογκ για τα ελληνόγλωσσα ή αθλητικά κείμενά μου, μιας και τα υπόλοιπα πλέον τα γράφω στο medium (εδώ το λινκ προς πάσα ενδιαφερόμενο) ή σε άλλα σάιτ (σύντομα και πάλι ελπίζω), όμως χρειάζομαι που και που αυτή τη "διέξοδο", να τα βγάζω κι εγώ τα απωθημένα μου μιας και εδώ στα ξένα δεν υπάρχει άνθρωπος που να καταλαβαίνει τι θα πει "ελληνικό πρωτάθλημα" ή "Ολυμπιακός". Εκτός κι αν κάνουμε καμιά παλικαριά και πάρουμε το Europa League. Αλλά όπως δείχνει φέτος η ομάδα, μάλλον απίθανο φαίνεται ένα τέτοιο σενάριο!

   Λίγες ώρες μετά το τέλος του αγώνα με τον ΠΑΟΚ (τον οποίο ομολογουμένως δεν παρακολούθησα ζωντανά, αν και το ήθελα, μιας και εδώ η ώρα έναρξης ήταν στις 4.30 το πρωί!) και τα πράγματα δείχνουν αν μη τι άλλο απογοητευτικά. Το γεγονός ότι η ψαλίδα μεταξύ του Ολυμπιακού και των μικρομεσαίων ομάδων της Super League - πόση ειρωνεία αυτό το όνομα! - έχει ανοίξει τόσο πολύ έχει δημιουργήσει μια επικίνδυνη ψευδαίσθηση πως η ομάδα είναι σούπερ, πετάει, όλα είναι καλά και δεν υπάρχει κανένα απολύτως πρόβλημα.

   Κι όμως, στην πρώτη δυσκολία, στο πρώτο κλείσιμο άμυνας από πλευράς αντιπάλου, σε κάθε ματς με λίγο υψηλότερο επίπεδο δυσκολίας, όπως αυτό κόντρα στην ΑΕΚ στο ΟΑΚΑ ή το προαναφερθέν με τον ΠΑΟΚ στην Τούμπα, η ομάδα χάνει τον μπούσουλα, δείχνει να μην έχει επιθετικές λύσεις. Μάλιστα θυμίζει σε πολλά αυτήν την ομαδούλα που πήγαινε στα εκτός έδρας ματς του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ και απλά διατηρούσε την κατοχή τη μπάλας, αλλάζοντας άσκοπα πάσες στο χώρο της μεσαίας γραμμής μέχρι μοιραία κάποιος να κλέψει την μπάλα και να δημιουργήσει συνθήκες αντεπίθεσης για την άμυνά μας, η οποία απλά παρακολουθούσε, ανήμπορη να αντιδράσει.

   Αποχωρώντας από τα δύο αυτά ματς με ισοπαλίες 1-1 και κατορθώνοντας να διατηρήσει το εντός συνόρων αήττητο, θα νόμιζε κανείς πως ο Ολυμπιακός ήταν και άτυχος που δεν κέρδισε τα συγκεκριμένα ματς, ενώ η αλήθεια είναι πολύ διαφορετική.

   Κι αν για το παιχνίδι του ΟΑΚΑ μπορεί να υπάρχουν κάποια μικρά δικαιολογιτικά (απουσίες Βαλμπουενά, Καμαρά, Χασάν, κλπ) και το ματς ήταν λίγο πιο ισορροπημένο, με τους "κιτρινόμαυρους" να ισοφαρίζουν στα τελευταία λεπτά της αναμέτρησης το γκολ του Βρουσάι, για το ματς της Τούμπας δεν υπάρχει απολύτως καμία δικαιολογία. Ένας Ολυμπιακός με (σχεδόν) όλα του τα όπλα (και αυτό είναι ακόμα ένα θέμα στο οποίο θα αναφερθώ εντός ολίγου), με όλους τους παίκτες του σε φόρμα, χωρίς κανένα πρόβλημα και έπαιζε... άμυνα! Λες και είχε κάποιο σκορ να προστατέψει. Αυτό στο οποίο αναφέρθηκα προηγουμένως: φοβικό ποδόσφαιρό, χωρίς δημιουργία και φαντασία, δίχως πηγή κινδύνου για τον αντίπαλο.

   Αυτά τα δύο ματς είναι κομβικής σημασίας καθώς μιλάμε για δύο ομάδες οι οποίες δεν είναι καν επιπέδου 32 του Europa League. Και οι δύο αποκλείστηκαν και μάλιστα η ΑΕΚ πανηγυρικά. Αν θες να έχεις ελπίδες με την PSV, τότε παιχνίδια με την ΑΕΚ στο ΟΑΚΑ ή τον ΠΑΟΚ στην Τούμπα πρέπει να μπαίνεις και να τα τελειώνεις με συνοπτικές διαδικασίες. Ναι, μπορεί οι Ολλανδοί να έχασαν και μάλιστα... πανηγυρικά από τον "δικέφαλο του Βορρά" στην Θεσσαλονίκη, αλλά εσύ θες να είσαι καλύτερος από αυτούς. Και αυτή τη στιγμή ο Ολυμπιακός δεν φαίνεται να βρίσκεται σε πολύ καλύτερο επίπεδο από τον ΠΑΟΚ.

   Ή μάλλον για να το πω πιο σωστά δεν φαίνεται να έχει ανέβει επίπεδο από εκείνη την ομάδα που στις αρχές του Δεκέμβρη κι ενώ καιγόταν για την νίκη, ηττήθηκε εύκολα από την δεύτερη ομάδα της Πόρτο με 0-2 εντός έδρας. Όπως είπα στις αρχές του κειμένου, τα 0-6, 5-1 και 0-4 με Λαμία, ΑΕΛ και Αστέρα αντίστοιχα είναι μια... οπτασία ή οποία δεν αφήνει την ομάδα να εξελιχθεί περαιτέρω.

   Και τι παραπάνω θα μπορούσε να συμβεί, θα ρωτήσει κάποιος; Με πόσα γκολ θα πρέπει να κερδίζει ο Ολυμπιακός τον κάθε εντός συνόρων αντίπαλο για να φανεί πως όντως κάνει βήματα μπροστά και έχει αφήσει πίσω του τον ανταγωνισμό;

   Αυτό είναι άγνωστο. Το μόνο που ξέρουμε είναι πως με την εικόνα που έδειξε η ομάδα στα εκτός έδρας παιχνίδια με ΑΕΚ και ΠΑΟΚ, δυστυχώς όχι μόνο δεν υπάρχει καμία εξέλιξη, αλλά παρασύρεται από την γενικότερη οπισθοδρόμηση του ελληνικού ποδοσφαίρου που δείχνει να έχει πάρει για τα καλά τον κατήφορο και να μην σταματάει πουθενά.

   Όσο για τις... ελλείψεις του προχθεσινού αγώνα στις οποίες αναφέρθηκα πιο πάνω, μου κάνει εντύπωση πως ο Μπρούμα πάντα τυχαίνει να αρρωσταίνει λίγο πριν από όλα τα κρίσιμα ματς ή απλά να μένει εκτός ενδεκάδας για να παίζει ο Ραντζέλοβιτς, ο Μασούρας, ο Βρουσάι, κι οποιοσδήποτε άλλος (όχι πως έχω κάτι με τους συγκεκριμένους παίκτες, απλά ο Πορτογάλος επιλέχθηκε για βασικός εξτρέμ). Κάποιος... καχύποπτος στη θέση μου θα έλεγε πως ο παίκτης αυτός επελέγη ως αναγκαστική λύση στο τέλος της μεταγραφικής περιόδου (μαζί με τον ήδη αποχωρήσαντα και με ρήτρα στα 24 εκατομμύρια Ρούμπεν Βινάγκρε) προκειμένου να καλύψει απλά τη θέση για μια σεζόν μέχρι να βρεθεί μια πιο "προσιτή" αλλά και εξελίξιμη οικονομικά λύση. Άλλωστε το να χειραγωγήσεις την κοινή γνώμη εναντίον ενός παίκτη ("άντε μωρέ τον μισθοφόρο!", "μόνο για τα φράγκα ήρθε!", "όλο τον τραυματία μας κάνει!", κλπ) είναι το μόνο απλό, αλλά ο Μπρούμα στις λίγες φορές που έχει αγωνιστεί έχει αποδείξει πως μπορεί να προσφέρει στην ομάδα. Με ρήτρα στα 7,5 εκατομμύρια όμως, μάλλον τον βλέπω να τραυματίζεται και να χάνει τη σεζόν σύντομα ή να αποχωρεί λόγω "πειθαρχικού παραπτώματος". Αλλά μην ανησυχείτε... Θα τον αντικαταστήσει κάποιος ελπιδοφόρος νεαρός από την Σερβία!

Olympiacos Top XI Of All Time

    As I was scrolling through Twitter recently, I noticed a post by the Hellas Football Podcast that called upon its audience to choose the eleven best players that have participated in the Greek Super League this last decade. Wanting to take things a step further, I realized that I've been following my favorite club, Olympiacos, for well over 20 years now -ever since we made that grand journey all the way to the Champions League quarter finals, damn you Conte!- and I could make a top eleven list of my own. Only this list won't be limited to this last decade. It will be of all time! Well, at least of all the time I've been with the team. I can't exactly write about players that I've never seen play and I don't think it's fair to talk about players that might have a great reputation and I may have seen them in black-and-white videos, but I never got to experience them play live. Kind of like the current comparison between Pele and Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo. They can't be compared because there aren't many people that experienced them both playing. Different eras. But I digress.

   So my Olympiacos Best XI Players Of All Time (or post-1998-99) is:

Goalkeeper - Roberto Jimenez Gago: I'm quite sure that if there are any West Ham United fans bumping into this blog, they're probably laughing their hearts out right about now, but believe me when I say that during his tenure at Piraeus this guy seemed unstoppable. I don't know if it was the nice weather, the good food, the people or whatnot, but his performances were on a completely other level! We've had some great goalkeepers at Olympiacos, but this Spaniard provided his defense with some real security. More specifically, his performances against his former club Atletico, or those against Juventus, PSG, Anderlecht and Benfica come to mind when speaking about this friendly giant. It wasn't just his incredible saves. He was also very stable and commanding under the goal, his presence could truly be felt by everyone in the team and they knew that any possible mistake would immediately be corrected by him.

Honorable mentions: Antonis Nikopolidis, Roy Carroll, Dimitris Eleftheropoulos, Jose Sa

Left Back - Grigoris Georgatos: The team has had their fair share of quality players on the left side of defense, yet it seems they're all trying to live up to the standard of this former legend. One of the few players in the world during that time that could even be compared with the greatest player of all time in that position, Brazilian Roberto Carlos, Georgatos would run up and down the pitch with seemingly unlimited energy. He was a skilled defender but where he truly shone was in the opponent's half of the pitch, using his left foot to deliver pinpoint crosses that very usually found their mark and would create a threat for opposing goalkeepers. The ease with which he would dribble past opposing midfielders and right-backs was a sight to behold and after going all the way to the Champions League quarterfinals with Olympiacos, it was no coincidence that a team the size of Inter Milan would come calling for him. Even there, Georgatos continued to stand out, providing valuable assists to strikers such as Cristian Vieri, Ivan Zamorano or even Ronaldo, making their life a whole lot easier. 

Honorable mentions: Kostas Tsimikas, Raul Bravo

Right Back - Vasilis Torosidis: The position of right defender is not really one in which Olympiacos have had what you would call truly high quality players, but there were some exceptionally hard workers who were committed to the team. None among them signifies this better than Vasilis Torosidis. A player that came from the Xanthi academy in Thrace to eventually become Olympiacos captain and eventually the club's team leader, "El Toro" as he is known demonstrated incredible fighting spirit on the pitch and gave his all so that the team could go as far as they could. A player of many layers, he would be just as comfortable playing in the right side of defense as he would in the heart of midfield, organizing play. He was one of those players that coaches love to have on hand as he always makes their lives that much easier. But just because he was a defender, that doesn't mean he didn't know how to score goals. In fact, Torosidis has scored some of the most influential goals in the history of both Olympiacos and the Greek national team. He was deadly with both his right foot and his head from set pieces, as he knew how to position himself within the opponent's defense. A true great.

Honorable mentions: Christos Patsatzoglou, Dimitris Mavrogenidis, Omar Elabdellaoui

Center Back (1) - Olaf Mellberg: Just as it is with Georgatos in the position of left back, so is it with Olaf Mellberg in the heart of defense. No player has been as calm, clinical or influential in keeping the Olympiacos back line under control as the former Swede international. It was as if his mere presence terrorized opposition attackers. And how wouldn't it? He had spent over eight years in the Premier League and another three at Italian champions Juventus before moving to Piraeus. Not to mention participating in more than a few professional tournaments with his national team. Strong defense was his middle name and he cleaned up with very little effort for the red-and-whites, especially in the Greek League. Alongside Avraam Papadopoulos and Ivan Marcano, they made a solid defensive line up that even some of the toughest European frontlines had issues breaking down. Even to this day, Olympiacos fans have made a bit of a legend out of Mellberg's name as no defender can seem to live up to the impossibly high standard left by the humble Swede.

Center Back (2) - Gabriel Schurrer: Not many Olympiacos fans may remember Gabriel Schurrer. They may go for the more closer to home Manolas, Siovas, or even Karataidis, Anatolakis or Papadopoulos. There was even the great Eric Abidal for a short while. Yet Gabriel Schurrer was within one of the best teams in Olympiacos history. Joining the club during the same transfer period as the great Rivaldo, Schurrer was a highly experienced defender that came from Spanish giants Deportivo La Coruna (they may be in the second division now but back then they were championship competitors) in order to close down any holes in the heart of defense. And he did that with great success. Even though his partner was a much older Giorgos Anatolakis (in his early 30's), Schurrer was able to go up against some of the strongest forwards in Europe (such as Saviola, Morientes, Pauleta, Baros, etc.) and still come out on top. It was his efforts that kept the team's net unviolated for all of their three home games in the 2004-2005 season in the Champions League. An underappreciated player.

Honorable mentions: Kostas Manolas, Dimitris Siovas, Ruben Semedo

Defensive Midfielder (1) - Yaya Toure: This guy came literally out of nowhere to become one of the best players in the world in his position. I can still remember seeing him during a pre-season friendly match in Valencia where he literally took on the entire home side defense on his own to set up Haruna Babangida twice, only for the Nigerian winger to walk away with the "Man Of The Match" award. Back then, all eyes were on Babangida. No one truly understood the true value of Toure. All we knew was that he was Kolo's younger brother. But as the days went on, as he played next to Rivaldo and proved himself even more valuable for the team than the Brazilian former Ballon d'Or winner, the more everyone would come to realize that this isn't just your run-of-the-mill defensive midfielder we're looking at here. This is something truly special. The way he would just charge in towards the opposition defense, using his wide step as a way to get away from opponents, the unpredictability of his passes, the clever way he would set up his teammates, this guy was unstoppable. It wouldn't take long for Olympiacos fans to realize that the boundaries of Greece are just too small for a player of his talents and they would soon need to say their farewells to him. Unfortunately, besides Rivaldo, Djordjevic (who were at the twilight years of their careers) and Nery Castillo, there wasn't really anyone else to support the team back then and so Yaya's efforts were largely unrewarded until the day he made his move to AS Monaco.

Defensive Midfielder (2) - Guillherme: I could've just as easily given this spot to Christian Karembeu, considering he was a European and World Champion before he even moved to Pireaus, but I feel that Guillherme accomplished more with the club, at least on the European front. Yet another Latin American to join the team from Deportivo La Coruna - only this time from Brazil - Guillherme was a calm and collected type of player that would organize the attack from the back. He wasn't as attacking minded as the aforementioned Yaya Toure, but he did possess the necessary creativity to make a dangerous situation with a single long pass from behind. He also rarely missed the target with his passes, he knew how to weigh his long distance volleys. His run against the Wolverhampton Wanderers but also his magnificent shot against AC Milan will forever remain in the annals of Olympiacos history. He was passionate when he needed to be, but usually a very controlled player that put the team on top of his own self. His recent departure to the Emirates left a massive hole in the Olympiacos midfield, but one that thankfully Frenchman Yann M' Vila has been able to fill more than adequately.

Honorable mentions: Christian Karembeu, Moedim Ze Elias, Dudu Cearense

Attacking Midfielder - Rivaldo: Not much to say about the guy. If you don't know who he is, you should just go to YouTube and check him out. Go on, right now. You done? Good! Now you know that we're talking about a former Barcelona and AC Milan legend, one of the players that will see his name in the record books alongside those of the late Diego Maradona, Pele, Yohann Cruyff, Gary Lineker, George Best, Zico and all those other people that made the sport what it is today. No one ever really believed that this sort of player could come to Greece for any other reason than a simple vacation. It all started as a joke... During the celebrations for the seventh consecutive championship by the team that were held at the port of Piraeus, a group of over 100,000 people chanted towards then president of the club, Sokratis Kokkalis: "Please bring Rivaldo to Olympiacos!" After all, he was known as a big spender that had a knack for bringing well-known international players to the club (Giovanni and Karembeu most notable among them.) But no one thought he would be crazy enough to pull this off. And yet a few weeks later, there he was, landing besides his latest signing and 2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo at an airport full of over 10,000 overjoyed Olympiacos fanatics. With the scenes that unfolded, you would've thought that their team had just won the Champions League or something. It was truly out of this world, leaving even the Brazilian at a loss for words. But what's even more crazy is that this player wore the Olympiacos jersey for two whole seasons. That would be like if Messi joined the club today. Could you imagine?

Honorable mentions: Ariel Ibagaza, Alejandro "Chori" Domingez, Kostas Fortounis

Left Winger - Predrag Djordjevic: I swear, after watching him play for all those years, I could never understand what it was that made Djordjevic such an important player for Olympiacos. He didn't have the speed or dribbling skills of Georgatos. He didn't possess a knack for passing like Yaya Toure. He didn't have a passion like Stelios Giannakopoulos or Torosidis. He wasn't any good with his head. So what was it then? For what reason did all Olympiacos coaches choose to give this player a position in the starting lineup before even players of the quality of Giovanni, Rivaldo, Karembeu or Castillo? Well, the answer to that ended up being fairly simple: he was the team's leader. He was always that player the ball would go to in a difficult situation. He was always the one his teammates would seek out to start a counter attack or to create a dangerous situation from the left. He would be the one to step up for all the set pieces and dead ball situations. He had the confidence to take on all the challenges inside the pitch. Even when all those other highly experienced players joined the club, the coach (no matter who that may have been at the time) would always make sure it was well known that the leader here is Djordjevic. He scored so many crucial goals for the club and set up so many others, it would be hard for him not to be the team's leader. Additionally, when he was approached by a few high profile clubs from top tier European leagues (rumor has it that Juventus offered him a contract) he turned them all down, choosing instead to seek European glory with the red-and-whites. They owed it to him to keep him as their top player, no matter who else they signed. Because Djordjevic signified a whole lot more than the simple skill on the pitch. He was the personification of faith and dedication towards the club. Which is why he will always be the Olympiacos captain.

Honorable mentions: Joel Campbell, Nery Castillo, Sebastian Leto

Right Winger - Stelios Giannakopoulos: He may not be the most talented or skillful winger out there, but not many can say they have the persistence or have left their mark in the history books of the club as this Euro 2004 winner. A transfer from Panetolikos during the 1996-97 period, Giannakopoulos didn't really seem like much to look at initially, but through his hard work and dedication he fought his way to the first team and managed to score what is considered to this day one of the greatest goals in Champions League history in his competition debut against FC Porto. But he did not stop there. The following season Giannakopoulos continued to score for his club, helping them find success both domestically and internationally as they made their way to quarterfinals of the Champions League. Stelios was featured in most matches within the starting lineup, while he managed to score the crucial equalizer in Zagreb against Croatia that helped his club advance from the group stage in what was only their second participation! Giannakopoulos' knack for scoring crucial goals is what truly separates him from the other players on this list as it was his shot that gave Greece a shock away win against Spain in Zaragoza back in 2003, in what would prove to be the team's turning point in their journey to win the Euro of 2004. Olympiacos may have had better right wingers, but none have had the "golden touch" of crazy "Stelaras".

Honorable mentions: Luciano Galletti, Daniel Podence, Matthieu Valbuena

Striker - Giovanni: There can really be no one else. He didn't have the scoring proficiency of Mitroglou, Alexandris or El Arabi, nor was he as fast as Choutos or Okkas. He might not even had the strength of Lua Lua or Konstantinou. Some might even argue that he wasn't even a real forward. Like his former coach at Barcelona, Luis Van Gaal, that used to place him in the position of right midfielder. But when it comes to Giovanni, none of that matters. When you watched him play, you were simply mesmerized by the simplicity with which he would perform even the most complex maneuvers with the ball. For a few moments, both fans and opponents would become one in order to see what he was going to come up with next. It was like the whole pitch was his canvas and the ball was his pencil (that part's stolen, I didn't make it up!) For real though, over the five years that he played in the Greek League it was as if his presence alone increased its overall quality. People would tune in to watch the games just to see what crazy stunt he would come up with. I remember going to a Greek Cup game against Iraklis when I was young and seeing Giovanni score two of the most magnificent goals you could ever see. Eventually, the opposing coach, one of the grumpiest men in the history of Greek football known as Angelos Anastasiadis stood up, walked over to him and gave him his hand, as a sign of recognition. I know that today there are players coming and going all the time but I feel very fortunate as an Olympiacos fan that I got to witness the era of Giovanni and see what real football truly looks like.

Honorable mentions: Kostas Mitroglou, Javier Saviola, Youssef El Arabi

And there you have it! A complete list of what my top eleven Olympiacos players of all time looks like! Although there is a high chance this may change over time (for example, Yann M' Vila, Ruben Semedo and Armildo Bruma all look like they have a their fair chance of entering the list), currently this is what it looks like. Hopefully, the European success of the club gives me many reasons to change my mind but, for now at least, this is it. I hope that whoever read this had a good enough time as I did writing it and remember to keep following the team, despite all the ups and downs. Cheers!

Απολογισμός της "ερυθρόλευκης" σεζόν

    Άλλη μια χρονιά φτάνει στο τέλος της, άλλη μια αγωνιστική περίοδος και για τον Ολυμπιακό σιγά-σιγά ολοκληρώνεται. Ή μάλλον φτάνει στη μέση της, καθώς τόσο το πρωτάθλημα, όσο και οι ευρωπαϊκές διοργανώσεις έχουν διακοπεί προσωρινά προκειμένου να απολαύσουν οι ποδοσφαιριστές τις απαραίτητες στιγμές ξεκούρασης και να γιορτάσουν τον ερχομό του νέου έτους με τα αγαπημένα τους πρόσωπα.

   Τι έκρυψε η χρονιά αυτή για τον Ολυμπιακό; Μα ότι και για όλους τους άλλους ανθρώπους ανά τον πλανήτη: ανασφάλεια, ασθένια, αβεβαιότητα και πολλές συγκινήσεις. 

   Θα έλεγε κανείς πως τα πράγματα ξεκίνησαν ιδανικά, καθώς η ομάδα έδειχνε να έχει βρει για τα καλά τα πατήματά της και παρά την απώλεια των Κώστα Φορτούνη (λόγω σοβαρού τραυματισμού στους χιαστούς) και Ντανιέλ Ποντένσε (με μεταγραφή στην αγγλική Γουλβερχάμπτον Γουόντερερς), όλα κυλούσαν ομαλά εντός αγωνιστικού χώρου. Η άφιξη του Χασάν με την μορφή δανεισμού από την Πορτογαλική Μπράγκα "έλυσε" λίγο παραπάνω τα χέρια του προπονητή της ομάδας Πέδρο Μαρτίνς, με τον Αιγύπτιο να πετυχαίνει ορισμένα πολύ κρίσιμα γκολ (όπως αυτό στην εκπνοή του αγώνα στο Περιστέρι κόντρα στον Ατρόμητο) και να δίνει πολύτιμες ανάσες στον αβάσταχτο Γιούσεφ Ελ Αράμπι.

   Ο Μαροκινός από την πλευρά του απέδειξε από την πρώτη στιγμή πως πρόκειται για τεράστιο κεφάλαιο στην ιστορία του Ολυμπιακού αλλά και του ελληνικού ποδοσφαίρου γενικότερα, καθώς η σχέση του με τα αντίπαλα δίχτυα είναι σχεδόν ερωτική, με τα ποσοστά του κατά τη διάρκεια της περσινής σεζόν να αγγίζουν το 1-και-κάτι γκολ άνα ματς, ενώ και φέτος δεν φαίνεται διατεθειμένος να πατήσει φρένο.

   Και στις ευρωπαϊκές τους υποχρεώσεις όμως οι "ερυθρόλευκοι" στάθηκαν αξιοπρεπέστατα, αφήνωντας άφωνη όλη την ήπειρο με τον αποκλεισμό της φιναλίστ του Γιουρόπα Λιγκ της περιόδου 2018-19 Άρσεναλ και μάλιστα μέσα στην έδρα της, χάρη στο γκολ του Ελ Άραμπι στο... 119', έπειτα από ασίστ του Γιώργου Μασούρα. Να σημειωθεί πως οι "κανονιέρηδες" είχαν ισοφαρίσει το παιχνίδι σε 1-1 μόλις πέντε λεπτά νωρίτερα, φαινομενικά εξανεμίζοντας τις όποιες ελπίδες της ομάδας του Μαρτίνς. Στη φάση των 16 της διοργάνωσης, ο Ολυμπιακός αντιμετώπισε ακόμα μια αγγλική ομάδα, τους Γουλβς, στην οποία κατά διαβολική σύμπτωση είχε παραχωρήσει πριν από λίγους μήνες τον καλύτερό του ακραίο, Ντανιέλ Ποντένσε. Και ήταν αυτός που τελικά θα έκανε τη διαφορά στο συγκεκριμένο ζευγάρι. Μετά το 1-1 του πρώτου αγώνα, που σημαδεύτηκε από τα γκολ του Ελ Αραμπί και του Νέτο, αλλά και την αποβολή του Ρούμπεν Σεμέδο, ο επαναληπτικός της Αγγλίας διεξήχθη πάνω από έξι μήνες αργότερα, ελέω της πανδημίας και του γενικότερου πανικού που είχε ξεσπάσει. Το παιχνίδι αυτό βρήκε νικητές τους γηπεδούχους με 1-0 χάρη σε κερδισμένο πέναλτι του Ποντένσε από τον τερματοφύλακα Μπόμπι Αλέν, ο οποίος κλήθηκε να αντικαταστήσει τον τραυματία Χοσέ Σα κάτω από τα γκολπόστ των "ερυθρολεύκων" δίχως να σταθεί άξιος της περίστασης. Το σκορ δεν άλλαξε παρά το γκολ που πέτυχε ο Μαντί Καμαρά, το οποίο ακυρώθηκε από το VAR ως οφσάιντ στην έναρξη της φάσης. Έτσι έληξε η "περιοδεία" του Ολυμπιακού για την σεζόν 19-20, αφήνωντάς τους με μια γλυκόπικρη γεύση, καθώς μετά τον αποκλεισμό της Άρσεναλ, σίγουρα θεωρούσαν πως μπορούσαν να πετύχουν πολλά περισσότερα.

   Εντός των συνόρων, οι "ερυθρόλευκοι" επέστρεψαν δυναμικά στον θρόνο τους, αφού μετά την τιμωρία του ΠΑΟΚ για το σκάνδαλο συνιδιοκτησίας με την Ξάνθη η μεταξύ τους βαθμολογική διαφορά εκτοξεύθηκε, με αποτέλεσμα η ομάδα του Μαρτίνς να μπει με... "αέρα" στα πλέι-οφ. Και εκεί όμως, δεν έδωσε δικαιώματα για να αμφισβητηθεί η υπεροχή της, αφού επικράτησε κατα σειρά των ΠΑΟΚ, ΑΕΚ, Παναθηναϊκού και Άρη, με μόνο τους "πράσινους" να κατορθώνουν να τους κόψουν την φόρα.

   Όσο για το κύπελλο Ελλάδος, οι Πειραιώτες επέστρεψαν στον τελικό, ο οποίος όμως εξελίχθηκε σε φαρσοκωμωδία, με την Ομοσπονδία να βρίσκει διαρκώς λόγους ώστε να τον αναβάλλει. Τελικά το παιχνίδι διεξήχθει στις αρχές... Σεπτέμβρη, με τους δύο συμμετέχοντες (Ολυμπιακό και ΑΕΚ) να μπορούν να δηλώσουν μόνο παίκτες από τα ρόστερ της προηγούμενης περιόδου, τη στιγμή που ήταν στα μέσα του σχηματισμού των ομάδων τους για την επόμενη! Για την ιστορία, ο Ολυμπιακός κατέκτησε και αυτό το τρόπαιο παρά τα όποια εμπόδια, χάρη σε γκολ του Λαζάρ Ραντζέλοβιτς στο 9'.

   Η συνέχεια λίγο τα... χάλασε, αφού ο μεταγραφικός σχεδιασμός πήγε πίσω, ειδικά σε ότι αφορά την απόκτηση πλαγίων μπακ οι οποίοι θα κάλυπταν τα κενά των Κώστα Τσιμίκα που πήγε στην Λίβερπουλ και Ομάρ Ελαμπντελαουί που αποφάσισε να συνεχίσει στην Γαλατασαράι. Ενώ αποκτήθηκαν δύο παίκτες οι οποίοι θεωρούνταν περισσότερο εναλλακτικές λύσεις (Χοσέ Χολέμπας από Γουότφορντ και Ραφίνια από Φλαμένγκο), η ολιγορία της διοίκησης των Πειραιωτών, η αδυναμία τους να ολοκληρώσουν μεταγραφικές επιθυμίες του Πέδρο Μαρτίνς αλλά και οι... εμμονές του Πορτογάλου προπονητή οδήγησαν σε μεγάλη καθυστέρηση, με αποτέλεσμα να αποκτηθούν μεν παίκτες για τις θέσεις αυτές, αλλά να μην έχουν τον απαραίτητο χρόνο ώστε να μπουν στην ψυχοσύνθεση της ομάδας. Ο λόγος για τους Ρούμπεν Βινάγκρε των Γουλβς και Μοχάμεντ Ντρέγκερ της Πάντερμπορν.

   Αντίθετα, το κενό που άφησε πίσω του ο Βραζιλιάνος μέσος Γκιγιέρμε (που αναχώρησε για τα Εμιράτα) καλύφθηκε και με το παραπάνω από τον ταχύτατο και οξυδερκή Γιαν Εμβιλά που ήρθε από την Σεντ Ετιέν. Ο Γάλλος ήταν από τους λίγους που διασώθηκαν από το βατερλώ του Ολυμπιακού στην φάση των ομίλων του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ, όπου παρά τη σχετικά βατή κλήρωση με Πόρτο, Μάντσεστερ Σίτι και Μαρσέιγ, βγήκε τρίτος και καταϊδρωμένος με μόλις μια νίκη και τρεις βαθμούς. Καμία σχέση με την μαχητική ομάδα της περσινής σεζόν.

   Ακόμη και στο ελληνικό πρωτάθλημα, οι παίκτες του Μαρτίνς αντιμετώπισαν αρκετά προβλήματα στην αρχή, με πολλά πεταμένα ημίχρονα, δυσκολίες να ανοίξουν τις αντίπαλες άμυνες, ανυπαρξία στις οργανωμένες επιθέσεις και έλλειψη καθαρού μυαλού. Παρά το γεγονός πως υπήρχαν μόλις 2-3 νέα πρόσωπα στην ενδεκάδα, ήταν λες και όλο το οικοδόμημα χτιζόταν από την αρχή.

   Μετά την απογοητευτική έξοδο από το Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ (την τελευταία αγωνιστική ο Ολυμπιακός έχασε 0-2 από τα δεύτερα της Πόρτο που είχαν ήδη προκριθεί στην επόμενη φάση και μόνο χάρη στην νίκη της Μάντσεστερ Σίτι επί της Μαρσέιγ κατάφερε να προκριθεί στην επόμενη φάση) οι "ερυθρόλευκοι" έχουν πλέον πάνω από δύο μήνες (χωρίς να υπολογίζουμε τυχόν αναβολές) και καμία δικαιολογία ώστε να αντιμετωπίσουν την επόμενη πρόκληση που λέγεται Αϊντχόβεν. Οι δευτεραθλητές Ολλανδίας θα είναι ο αντίπαλός τους στην φάση των 32 του Γιουρόπα και με βάση τα όσα έδειξαν απέναντι στον ΠΑΟΚ (ήταν αντίπαλοι στην φάση των ομίλων) θα είναι έγκλημα αν η ομάδα του Πειραιά δεν προκριθεί. Για του λόγου το αληθές, οι Ολλανδοί ηττήθηκαν με 4-1 στην Τούμπα, σε ένα ματς που νικούσαν 0-1 στο ημίχρονο!

   Το τέλος της χρονιάς έληξε με δύο άκρως ελπιδοφόρες νίκες (0-6 επί της Λαμίας και 5-1 επί της ΑΕΛ) αλλά και το 1-1 με την ΑΕΚ στο ΟΑΚΑ. Σκορ τα οποία δείχνουν πως αν μη τι άλλο η "ερυθρόλευκη" μηχανή αρχίζει να λειτουργεί κανονικά και πως οι παίκτες έχουν μάθει πλέον πως να λειτουργούν ο ένας με τον άλλον. Ακόμη και τα νέα "γρανάζια" όπως οι ακραίοι Μπρούμα και Βρουσάι δείχνουν πως θα αποτελέσουν υπερπολίτιμες μονάδες στις οποίες μπορεί να στηριχθεί ο Μαρτίνς. Επιλογές υπάρχουν.

   Το θέμα δεν είναι να κατακτηθεί ακόμη ένα πρωτάθλημα ή νταμπλ. Τόσο ο Ολυμπιακός, όσο και ο Μαρτίνς απέδειξαν για τα καλά πως αυτό είναι μέσα στις δυνατότητές τους να το πετύχουν όποτε θέλουν. Το θέμα είναι να μην γκρεμιστεί αυτό που με τόσο κόπο χτίστηκε στην Ευρώπη, δηλαδή η καλή εικόνα του Ολυμπιακού. Το να χάνεις από την Μάνστεστερ Σίτι, την Μπάγερν ή την Τότεναμ, εύκολα ή δύσκολα, επιτρέπεται. Το να σε κάνουν ότι θέλουν τα παιδαρέλια της Πόρτο στην έδρα σου ή να σε νικάει (και μάλιστα με ανατροπή στο σκορ!) μια ομάδα που έχει το μεγαλύτερο σερί ηττών στην ιστορία του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ, όχι, αυτό δεν συγχωρείται. Νομίζαμε πως οι εποχές που ο Ολυμπιακός έπαιζε ευρωπαϊκό ματς και η ήττα ήταν δεδομένη πριν καν σφυρίξει ο διαιτητής είχαν περάσει.

   Δεν πρέπει η ομάδα να επιστρέψει εκεί. Γι' αυτόν ακριβώς τον λόγο και η πρόκριση επί της Αϊντχόβεν είναι επιτακτική.

UEFA Champions League season 2020/21 predictions

    So, here we are. Just a few hours before yet another Champions League group stage is set to kick off all across Europe. Of course, this has to be the strangest one yet, considering all that's going on in the world right now with Covid-19 that will undoubtedly continue to impact the competition in more ways than one. Yet the organizers remain optimistic and all we can do is share that optimism, in the hope that our focus will be allowed to stay inside the pitch rather than on the events that threaten the football world with even more lockdowns and cancellations.

   Although the dates were pushed back and the qualifiers were somewhat altered, the group stage is finally scheduled to begin tomorrow, with the first eight games from groups E to H taking place in the evening. But just before all the teams head out to the pitch, let's take a deep breath to focus on each of the groups and have a look at the participants, to see who are the favorites for the two top spots that lead to the round of 16, who are most likely to finish third and continue their European journey in the Europa League and who are the outsiders.

   In group A, we have title-holders Bayern Munich, alongside Atletico Madrid, Lokomotiv Moscow and RB Salzburg. Bayern are heavy favorites to finish first of course, as they have made little changes to the team that squashed Barcelona 8-2 on their way to win the Champions League trophy a couple of months ago. And although Hans Flick's side have lost the leadership qualities of Thiago Alcantara who joined Liverpool, they still remain an opponent who could crush anyone on their good day. Most recent signings include Leroy Sane, Douglas Costa and Eric Choupo-Moting. Diego Simeone's Atletico haven't done bad on the transfer front either, bringing in former Barcelona powerhouse Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was no longer happy at the Camp Nou and chose to move to Madrid where he has created a striking force to be reckoned with, alongside Joao Felix and Diego Costa. Atletico are always one of the strongest sides in the tournament and one of the most difficult opponents to subdue due to their strong and well-organized defensive attitude, courtesy of their manager's teachings who was one of the toughest midfielders himself during his prime. Considering the names of their opponents, it doesn't seem like there will be much left to do for Lokomotiv and Salzburg but to fight for third place. However both these two teams have proven themselves in Europe, with the Austrians beating Liverpool last season, so it's more than likely that they'll do some damage and play a crucial role in the final rankings.

QUALIFICATION: Bayern, Liverpool

THIRD PLACE: Salzburg

   Group B features 13-time winners of the Champions League Real Madrid, alongside Ukrainian powerhouse Shakhtar Donetsk, Europa League finalists Inter Milan and Bundesliga competitors Borussia Monchengladbach. Zinedine Zidane's side are not who they used to be in previous years and they appear to be quite vulnerable. Eden Hazard has not lived up to his role as Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement as the team is going through a transition phase. Meanwhile Shakhtar had a great run last season that saw them reach the Europa League semi-finals and will hope to do even better this year. Yet fate has brought them up against the team that denied them a place in last year's final, as Inter Milan are also in Group C. Antonio Conte's side will be looking to do better in the tournament this season, having strengthened their squad with the likes of Arturo Vidal and Aleksandar Kolarov, along with the return of European champion Ivan Perisic after his loan spell at Bayern. Of course, Monchencgladbach will not settle with simply closing out the group, considering they are a team from Germany and the Bundesliga. Marco Rose has created a group of players that never go down without a fight and play a very attractive style of football, putting the final ingredient in what promises to be an explosive group.

QUALIFICATION: Inter, Gladbach

THIRD PLACE: Shakhtar

   The third group has a clear favorite and three teams that will duke it out for that other lucrative spot that leads to the round of 16. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will go up against Portuguese champions Porto, runner-ups of the French league Olympique Marseille and one of the most well-known figures in this competition, Olympiacos of Greece. Having lost last season's premiership title to Liverpool and seeing their European journey come to a shocking end at the hands of Lyon, the citizens are expected to be back with a vengeance this year to reclaim all they have lost and finally taste success in Europe. Yet the many injuries plaguing the squad (Aguero, De Bruyne, etc) are creating unnecessary problems for the Catalan manager, however in a group such as this, the club should be easily able to overcome them and clinch first place. As for their other three competitors, Sergio Conceicao's Porto appear to be in good shape despite the loss of their captain Alex Telles who moved to Manchester United at the end of the transfer season. The club chose to replace him with Nigerian full-back Zaidu Sanusi and the youngster has already begun to live up to his role. Not much else has changed at the 'Dragao', with Pepe, Sergio Oliveira, Moussa Marega and Joao Mario leading up the charges. Speaking of Portugal, Olympiacos could almost be mistaken for a club hailing from the small Iberian nation having a group of six players in their squad, which increases to seven if you were to include their manager Pedro Martins. The Greeks are not to be taken lightly by anyone, as they were one of the few clubs that came close to putting a halt to Bayern Munich's winning streak last season, while they went on to eliminate Arsenal from the Europa League. Within a group such as this and with many of their key players still in their ranks, they feel confident and have nothing to lose. Closing the group is a team lead by yet another Portuguese manager, Olympique Marseille. Andre Villas-Boas seems to have found a haven in the French coast, with his team constantly growing in quality. Bayern's Michael Cuissance joins the likes of Florin Thauvin, Dimitri Payet and Dario Benedetto to create an ensemble who's capabilities know no bounds. If there's any one team that's likely to put a stop to City, it would be them.

QUALIFICATION: Manchester City, Marseille

THIRD PLACE: Olympiacos

   The fourth group also holds a favorite, but is more likely to have a few surprises. Premier League champions Liverpool take on Dutch giants Ajax, Italian surprise Atalanta and Champions League debutants Midtjylland. Considering the Danish are simply happy to make it this far and it will be an enormous shock if they are able to even grab any points in this group, they are removed from the equation so that the focus can go to the other three teams. Liverpool easily won the league in England last season, but as proven by Atletico Madrid, they aren't as unbeatable in Europe. What remains in question is if Ajax, who's squad has been considerably weakened compared to the team that made it all the way to the semis a couple of years, or Atalanta, who's free style of football is as threating to their opponents as it is appealing for the audience, are up to the task. It's worth pointing out that the team from Anfield have significantly boosted their squad with the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas. Should be an interesting group nonetheless.

QUALIFICATION: Liverpool, Atalanta

THIRD PLACE: Ajax

   Moving on to the latter half of the groups, the fifth seems to be fairly ironed out. Europa League winners Sevilla take on Premier League side Chelsea, Russian first-timers Krasnodar and French surprise Rennes. The Spaniards no doubt have the first word in topping the group as they appear to be in great shape, despite the loss of their key playmaker Ever Banega. The club found the ideal replacement by bringing back Croatian mastermind Ivan Rakitic who spent the last six seasons at Barcelona. Chelsea on the other hand seem to be a fair bit behind as Frank Lampard is still trying to settle on a formation that gets the best out of his players. The London blues were quite active during the recent transfer window, going all out to boost their squad with the likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. Among the players to join Chelsea was goalkeeper Eduard Mendy, a major contributor in Rennais rise to third place during their recent French league campaign. The club will aspire to make an impact in their first appearance in the Champions League group stages, a sentiment that will also be shared by their cohorts at Krasnodar. The Russians may be appearing for the first time in the tournament, but with the likes of Tonny Vilhena, Markus Berg, Wanderson, Remy Cabella and Victor Claesson leading their efforts, experience is the one things they won't be lacking.

QUALIFICATION: Sevilla, Chelsea

THIRD PLACE: Rennes

   Group F is a bit of an enigma. Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg face Bundesliga runner-ups Borussia Dortmund, Italian side Lazio and Belgian champions Club Brugge. Considering the current condition of all these teams, not much can really be said in regards to favorites and outsiders. Dortmund, who acquired the services of Emre Can from Juventus and Thomas Meunier from PSG, have not really been at the top of their game recently, at least not to the point that would allow someone to say without doubt that they will finish at first place, something that is well within their capabilities. On the other hand, neither Ciro Immobile's Lazio, much less Zenit or Brugge, seem to have what it takes to be able to hold Dortmund back, no matter what condition the Germans are in. The games between Lazio and Dortmund promise to be highly entertaining, while the other two teams will strive to take what they can from this group.

QUALIFICATION: Dortmund, Lazio

THIRD PLACE: Zenit

   The penultimate group, G, is one of two giants, one well-developed team and one brought back from the history books. Barcelona and Juventus -or as most people these days might call them, Messi and Ronaldo's teams- are the two top dogs here and clear favorites to proceed to the next round. The fact that these two clubs were drawn in the same group was a bit of good fortune for all football fans across the globe, as we will be given the rare opportunity to see these two record-breakers on the same pitch a couple more times as they both draw nearer to the inevitable day where they will hang their boots. Both teams are in a bit of a rut at the moment, as Juventus are feeling the hot breath of their contenders in Italy, having lost the leadership skills of Miralem Pjanic who moved to Barca. On their end, the Catalans are still feeling the aftershock of their annihilation by Bayern Munich a few months back that brought many changes to the Camp Nou, including the arrival of Ronald Koeman as manager. Even though the mere names of these teams may overshadow the rest of the group, Dynamo Kiev has proven on many occasions that they're nobody's fool and are ready to severely punish anyone who makes the mistake of taking them lightly. The Ukrainian side was in great shape during the play-offs and had no trouble securing their place in the group stage. One would need to search way back in order to find the last time Hungarian champions Ferencvaros joined the Champions League, or as it was known then, the European Cup. This is their first time joining the competition in its current form and will look to gain as much from it as they can.

QUALIFICATION: Juventus, Barcelona

THIRD PLACE: Dynamo Kiev

   Last but certainly not least, in Group H we have last season's finalists, Paris Saint-Germain, who are joined by one of the most significant clubs in the tournament's history, Manchester United, one of last season's biggest surprises, RB Leipzig and champions of Turkey Istanbul Basaksehir. Also described as "the group of death", this is where the most upsets are expected to rise from, considering all teams here are fairly evenly matched. The French champions will be looking to prove themselves as they attempt to reach the final yet again this season, but a highly renewed United squad (with the likes of Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani) will be hoping to stand in their way. Of course, RB Leipzig have already proven that they're not to be taken lightly by anyone and will themselves want to improve their record in the tournament from last summer, despite the hefty loss of key striker Timo Werner. Basaksehir will also play their part despite being in the competition for the first time in their short history, and with a squad that includes the likes of Rafael, Demba Ba, Nacer Chadli and Edin Visca, they possess more than enough quality to make quite a few upsets. It might be safe to presume that PSG will top the group, but from there on its anyone's guess.

QUALIFICATION: Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig

THIRD PLACE: Manchester United

   And there you have it! Those are the predictions for this season's UEFA Champions League group stage. How close or how far we've fallen, remains to be seen. What's important however is that we're all able to enjoy another good season of Europe's top football competition with as few interruptions as possible. Let the games begin!