Ολυμπιακός και Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ: Μια ταραχώδης σχέση!

    Πολλά λέγονται και πολλά γράφονται τον τελευταίο καιρό από τα ελληνικά ΜΜΕ για την παρουσία των ῾῾ερυθρολεύκων῾῾ στην κορυφαία διασυλλογική διοργάνωση, και ειδικότερα τη φετινή χρονιά που επανέρχονται ύστερα από απουσία έξι ετών. Ως ανεξάρτητος, αλλά και ως απλός φίλαθλος του Ολυμπιακού, θεώρησα σωστό να παραθέσω ορισμένα στοιχεία που μπορεί να αλλάζουν το... αφήγημα.

    Βράδυ Τετάρτης, 26 Νοεμβρίου, 2025, λίγα λεπτά πριν τα μεσάνυχτα. Ο Άγγλος διαιτητής Μάικλ Όλιβερ σφυρίζει για τελευταία φορά στο ῾᾽Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης᾽᾽, στην αναμέτρηση του γηπεδούχου Ολυμπιακού με την 15 φορές πρωταθλήτρια Ευρώπης Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης. Τελικό αποτέλεσμα: 3-4, με τους φιλοξενούμενους να έχουν αποκτήσει ᾽᾽αέρα᾽᾽ δύο τερμάτων από το 29ο λεπτό. Ο Αγιούμπ Ελ Κααμπί διαμόρφωσε το τελικό σκορ στο 81᾽, δίνοντας ελπίδες στο κοινό που γέμισε το φαληρικό στάδιο για κάτι καλύτερο, που ωστόσο δεν ήρθε ποτέ.

   Μετά το τέλος του αγώνα, οι αθλητικές ιστοσελίδες έσπευσαν να αποθεώσουν την ομάδα του Ίσπανου προπονητή Χοσέ Λουίς Μεντιλίμπαρ για την μαχητικότητά της, την πειθαρχία της, και το πείσμα της να μην εγκαταλείψει το παιχνίδι ακόμη κι όταν αυτό έμοιαζε χαμένο από χέρι (1-3 ο Κιλιάν Εμπαπέ στο 29᾽, 2-4 ο ίδιος παίκτης στο 60᾽). Φυσικά έγινε λόγος για τα αμυντικά λάθη και τις ολιγορίες που επέτρεψαν στον παίκτη της ᾽᾽βασίλισσας᾽᾽ να πετύχει τέσσερα τέρματα στο ίδιο παιχνίδι (και τρία σε ένα επτάλεπτο), αλλά δόθηκε ελαφρύντικο από το γεγονός ότι πρόκειται για έναν από τους εν ενεργεία καλύτερους πάικτες στον πλανήτη.

Μάχη με τα... θηρία!

   Η Ρεάλ Μαδρίτης δεν είναι το μοναδικό αποκαλούμενο ᾽᾽μεγαθήριο᾽᾽ που έχει αντιμετωπίσει φέτος ο Ολυμπιακός. Λόγω της αλλαγής στον τρόπο διεξαγωγής του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ από πέρσι, οι Πειραιώτες ήταν αναγκασμένοι να κοντραριστούν με τεράστια ονόματα από το ευρωπαϊκό στερέωμα. Πρώτη του πρόκληση ήταν στο Λονδίνο, απέναντι στην εξαιρετικά φορμαρισμένη (και αποφασισμένη να ξεφορτωθεί το στίγμα του αιώνιου loser φέτος) Άρσεναλ, ύστερα μια βόλτα από το λόφο του Μονζουίκ όπου τον περίμενε η πάντα δυνατή Μπαρτσελόνα, και τελευταίο συναπάντημα ήταν αυτό με τη Ρεάλ.

   Απολογισμός; Τρεις ήττες, με πέντε τέρματα υπέρ και 12 κατά. Φυσικά, το έδαφος είχε στρωθεί και είχε γίνει η σχετική ψυχολογική προετοιμασία προς τους οπαδούς από μερίδα του τύπου αρκετό καιρό πριν από τα συγκεκριμένα παιχνίδια. ῾Ὁ Ολυμπιακός δεν περιμένει κάτι από τα ματς αυτά῾῾. ῾῾Και μόνο που αγωνίζεσαι απέναντι σε τέτοιους αντιπάλους είναι τιμητικό᾽᾽. ᾽᾽Άλλα παιχνίδια έχουν κυκλώσει ο Μεντιλίμπαρ και το προπονητικό τιμ στο μπλοκάκι τους για να συγκεντρώσουν βαθμούς στη διοργάνωση᾽᾽, ήταν ορισμένες από τις φράσεις που έβλεπες στα κείμενα των αρθρογράφων που ασχολούνται με το ρεπορτάζ των Πειραιωτών.

Σπάει το ένα ρεκόρ μετά το άλλο!

   Η πλάκα είναι πως ακόμη και σε παιχνίδια απέναντι σε θεωρητικά υποδεέστερους αντιπάλους, ο Ολυμπιακός φέτος δεν κατάφερε τίποτα το εξαιρετικό (0-0 με Πάφο, 1-1 με Αϊντχόφεν). Αλλά το θέμα μας δεν είναι αυτό...

   Και πριν, και μετά τους αγώνες με τα ᾽᾽μεγαθήρια᾽᾽, όπου η ήττα έρχεται συνήθως σαν αναπόφευκτο αποτέλεσμα, παρατηρείται από μερίδα του τύπου μια προσπάθεια απομαγνητισμού τις οποιασδήποτε κριτικής προς την ομάδα και τους παίκτες, η οποία έρχεται ως φυσικό επακόλουθο από φιλάθλους οι οποίοι δεν θέλουν να βλέπουν την ομάδα τους να χάνει ούτε από την... Ρεάλ!

   Λογικό είναι να χάσεις, λογικό να ηττηθείς, παράλογο ωστόσο είναι να έχεις φάει τρία πριν ολοκληρωθεί το ημίωρο, και μάλιστα στην έδρα σου, επίδοση που αποτελεί αρνητικό ρεκόρ για την παρουσία των ᾽᾽ερυθρολεύκων᾽᾽ στη διοργάνωση και που είχε καταρριφθεί μόνο από τη Γιουβέντους σε εκείνο το τραγικό 7-0 του 2003, τη βαρύτερη ήττα στην ευρωπαϊκή τους ιστορία. Ακόμα ένα ρεκόρ το οποίο η ομάδα του Μεντιλίμπαρ ῾῾φλέρταρε῾῾ να καταρρίψει στη Βαρκελώνη(6-1), μετά την (άδικη!) αποβολή του Σαντιάγκο Έζε, όταν παραδώθηκε αμαχητί στις ορέξεις του Λαμίν Γιαμάλ και της παρέας του.

Η αθλητική δημοσιογραφία στην Ελλάδα

   Η προσπάθεια αυτή από τους δημοσιογράφους και τα σάιτ να καλύψουν τα εξώφθαλμα, και να περάσουν όσο γίνεται πιο αναίμακτα τα παιχνίδια αυτά για τους Πειραιώτες, τη στιγμή που ο Μεντιλίμπαρ κάνει το ένα λάθος μετά το άλλο και η ομάδα καταρρίπτει σερί τα αρνητικά ρεκόρ, γίνεται κατανοήτη αν ληφθούν υπόψιν ορισμένοι παράγοντες που έχουν να κάνουν με τη δημοσιογραφία στην Ελλάδα, και δη την αθλητική. Σύμφωνα με τον Δείκτη Παγκόσμια Ελευθερίας του Τύπου (World Press Freedom Index) η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται στην 88η θέση μεταξύ των 180 συμμετεχόντων σε ότι αφορά την ανεξαρτησία των Μέσων Μαζικής Ενημέρωσης, κάτω από χώρες όπως η Ναμίμπια, το Μαυροβούνιο, τα Νησιά Φίτζι και το Τιμόρ-Λεστέ. 

   Σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό, ο ιδιοκτήτης της ΠΑΕ Ολυμπιακός, Βαγγέλης Μαρινάκης, έχει κινητοποιηθεί ιδιαίτερα στον χώρο των ΜΜΕ τα τελευταία χρόνια, δημιουργώντας το 2016 τον όμιλο εταιρειών Alter Ego Media, στην οποία υπάγονται πλέον (μεταξύ άλλων) το Mega Channel, το in.gr, καθώς και η εφημερίδα ''Το Βήμα''. Ο ίδιος ο μεγαλομέτοχος του συλλόγου του Πειραιά έχει ισχυροποιηθεί σε τέτοιο βαθμό που πλέον θεωρείται ένα από τα πιο γνωστά ονόματα στον ελλαδικό χώρο, σε σημείο που να επηρεάζει ακόμα και τις πολιτικές εξελίξεις. Ακόμη, μετά και την εξαγορά της Αγγλικής Νότινχαμ Φόρεστ, το όνομά του έχει ξεπεράσει τα στενά ελληνικά σύνορα.

   Τέλος, ακόμη ένα ζήτημα που πρέπει να ληφθεί σοβαρά υπόψιν είναι και αυτό της οπαδικής βίας στην Ελλάδα. Με τα κρούσματα να αυξάνονται διαρκώς, τα θύματα να διαδέχονται το ένα το άλλο και τις στρατειές των οργανωμένων οπαδών έτοιμες άνα πάσα ώρα και στιγμή να "υπερασπιστούν" την τιμή της ομάδας τους, λες και απειλείται η πατρίδα, δημιουργείται ένα εκρηκτικό μείγμα που θέτει σε κίνδυνο τη σωματική ακεραιότητα του οποιουδήποτε τολμήσει να αμφισβητήσει την κυριαρχία της ομαδάρας τους.

   Έχοντας υπόψιν τα γεγονότα αυτά, καθώς και το κλίμα που δημιουργούν, καταλαβαίνει κανείς πως πλέον για έναν Έλληνα δημοσιογράφο (και δη έναν αθλητικό δημοσιογράφο) που ασχολείται με το ρεπορτάζ του Ολυμπιακού, είναι δύσκολο να κάνει δριμεία κριτική στην ομάδα, τον προπονητή της, ή ακόμα χειρότερο, την διοίκησή της. Ποιος μεροκαματιάρης τολμά να βάλει απέναντί του κοτζάμ Μαρινάκη; Και γιατί να το θελήσει άλλωστε; 

Γεμάτες τσέπες, καμία προοπτική

   Μια διοίκηση που (σύμφωνα με το transfermarkt) είχε έσοδα μόνο από τις μεταγραφές του καλοκαιριού 43 εκατομύρια ευρώ, βάζοντας στα ταμεία της τουλάχιστον άλλα 30 από τη συμμετοχή της στο φετινό Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ, όμως δαπάνησε όλα κι όλα... 20 εκατομμύρια για την ενίσχυση του ρόστερ. Με αποτέλεσμα να μπει στη φετινή διοργάνωση ως η έβδομη φθηνότερη ομάδα, πάνω μόνο από συλλόγους όπως η Καϊράτ Αλμάτυ, η Πάφος, η Μποντο/Γκλιμτ ή η Κοπεγχάγη.

   Οι κινήσεις αυτές, αλλά και η αγωνιστική παρουσία του Ολυμπιακού στη διοργάνωση, μαρτυρούν πως ο σύλλογος βρίσκεται εκεί χωρίς καμία απολύτως προοπτική. Και γεννάται ευλόγως το ερώτημα: έτσι ονειρεύονται οι φίλοι του τον Ολυμπιακό; Μια... φιλική συμμετοχή, που έχει ως στόχο απλά και μόνο να καρπωθεί τα (αρκετά ομολογουμένως) χρήματα της παρουσίας, χωρίς κάτι παρακάτω, αποδεχόμενη την υπεροχή των αντιπάλων της;

   Οι φίλοι του Ολυμπιακού παρακολουθούσαν επί δεκαετίες το ίδιο έργο, να βλέπουν την ομάδα τους να αποκλείεται διαρκώς με κάτω τα χέρια, χωρίς να κάνει βήματα προόδου παρά τις συνεχόμενες παρουσίες της, αποδεχόμενη τη μοίρα της ως "απλά μια ελληνική ομάδα". Ως ένας... φτωχός και ξεχασμένος συγγενής, που θεωρούσε τον εαυτό του τυχερό που τον κάλεσαν και που μπορεί να φωτογραφηθεί με τα άλλα μέλη της οικογένειας που έκαναν λαμπρές καριέρες. Μέχρις ότου, από τη σεζόν 2021-22, δεν μπορούσε πια να ακολουθήσει. Τη στιγμή που όλη η υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη έκανε βήματα προς τα εμπρός, ο Ολυμπιακός, παρασυρόμενος από τη γενικότερη αυτοκαταστροφική τάση του ελληνικού πρωταθλήματος, είτε έμενε στάσιμος, είτε έκανε και πισωγυρίσματα, αποκλειόμενος από υποδεέστερες ομάδες τύπου Ανόρθωση ή Μακάμπι.

Η χαμένη ευκαιρία του Conference League

   Και φέτος, ύστερα από δύο σερί καλές (έως και εξαιρετικές) παρουσίες στην Ευρώπη, στις οποίες συμπεριλαμβάνεται και ένα τρόπαιο, το πρώτο ελληνικής ομάδας σε συλλογικό επίπεδο (ένα ασύλληπτο επίτευγμα), παρατηρείται ακόμη μια προσπάθεια από τους ιθύνοντες του συλλόγου να... βγάλουν μόνοι τους τα μάτια τους!

   Είτε η έλλειψη συγκέντρωσης και καθαρού μυαλού των παικτών στις τελικές προσπάθειες σε ματς που έπρεπε να πάρουν (Πάφος, Αϊντχόφεν), είτε αλλοπρόσαλα επιθετικά σχήματα από τον προπονητή απέναντι σε σαφώς ανώτερους αντιπάλους που διαρκώς εκθέτουν την άμυνα και τον σύλλογο γενικότερα (Μπαρτσελόνα, Ρεάλ), είτε ακόμα και το ρόστερ από το οποίο λείπουν παίκτες ποιότητας στους οποίους να μπορεί να στηριχθεί η ομάδα.

   Μετά από την κατάκτηση του Κόνφερενς Λιγκ πριν δύο χρόνια, η διοίκηση όφειλε στην ομάδα να την προστατεύσει, να την ενισχύσει, και να την καθιερώσει στις συνειδήσεις των απανταχού ευρωπαίων φιλάθλων ως μια νέα δύναμη που, τουλάχιστον για τα επόμενα πέντε με δέκα χρόνια, θα βρίσκεται μεταξύ των κορυφαίων. Αντ'αυτού την εξέθεσε, άφησε τα κορυφαία της στελέχη να φύγουν (Ποντένσε, Φορτούνης, Όρτα, Κάρμο, κλπ), πανηγύριζε που κατάφερε να κρατήσει έστω έναν (Ελ Κααμπί), και φυσικά δεν απέκτησε άξιους αντικαταστάτες (Ουίλιαν, Ολιβέιρα, που ήρθαν στις τελευταίες μέρες των μεταγραφών δεν προσέφεραν κάτι). Όλο αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα οι πάντες να θεωρούν... φούσκα και θέμα συγκυριών την κατάκτηση του Κόνφερενς Λιγκ από τον Ολυμπιακό, που και πάλι έχει υποβιβαστεί σε ρόλο κομπάρσου στο φετινό Τσαμπιονς Λιγκ, παρακολουθώντας από την 33η θέση (ύστερα από πέντε αγωνιστικές) και χωρίς καμία νίκη τους υπολοίπους να μάχονται για την πρόκριση στην επόμενη φάση. 

Απλή παρουσία αξίας 30 εκ. ή τρόπαιο που με το ζόρι φτάνει τα 8 εκατομμύρια..;

   Η διοίκηση φαίνεται να δείχνει ικανοποιημένη με την απλή παρουσία του Ολυμπιακού στη φάση ομίλου της διοργάνωσης. Οι παίκτες και ο προπονητής, βασιζόμενοι και στην επιτυχία της κατάκτησης του Κόνφερενς Λιγκ πριν δύο χρόνια, αλλά και στο γενικότερο κλίμα που επικρατεί στα ελληνικά ΜΜΕ, είναι στο απυρόβλητο. Δείχνουν να θέλουν, αλλά να μην μπορούν να κάνουν το κάτι παραπάνω. Να μην ξέρουν πως. Με αποτέλεσμα να μένουμε στο... χειροκρότημα. Στην απλή προσπάθεια. Να μας επαινούν (ίσως και ειρωνικά) οι αντίπαλοι για το... PR, έχοντας στο μεταξύ πάρει τους τρεις βαθμούς με σχετική ευκολία.

   Μπορεί τη διοίκηση του Ολυμπιακού να την ικανοποιεί η σταθερή παρουσία της ομάδας στη διοργάνωση, που εξασφαλίζει έσοδα ύψους άνω των 50 εκατομμυρίων ευρώ ανά έτος. Μπορεί να μη θέλει κάτι παραπάνω. Ο φίλαθλος όμως, ο οπαδός, δεν μπορεί να τη βλέπει να γίνεται κλωτσοσκούφι καμίας Ρεάλ, καμίας Μπαρτσελόνα και καμίας Άρσεναλ. Θυμίζουμε πως πριν τη φετινή καταστροφική σεζόν, οι "κανονιέρηδες" δεν μας είχαν κερδίσει ποτέ στην έδρα τους και η Ρεάλ δεν είχε ούτε μια νίκη εντός Ελλάδας. Ακόμα και η Μπαρτσελόνα του κορυφαίου Λιονέλ Μέσι "ίδρωνε" για να κερδίσει τον Ολυμπιακό του Οτζίτζα-Οφοέ και του Νικολάου. Και φέτος τους τα χαρίζουμε.

   Αν κάποιος δημοσιογράφος πάρει συνέντευξη εφ' όλης της ύλης απο τον Βαγγέλη Μαρινάκη κάποια στιγμή, θα ήταν ενδιαφέρον να του κάνει την εξής ερώτηση: θα προτιμούσε ο Ολυμπιακός να προσθέσει ακόμη ένα τρόπαιο Κόνφερενς Λιγκ στην συλλογή του ή άλλη μια συμμετοχή στη league phase του Τσάμπιονς Λιγκ; Από την απάντησή του πιστεύω θα καταλαβαίναμε πολλά...

What’s wrong with men?

Media outlets have sounded the alarm: men today aren’t doing well. From failing to hold on to a job to being unable to create a relationship with women, things aren’t going too well for men in Western civilizations. But why is that? Listing a few examples of how men live their day-to-day lives might help get to the root of the issue.

Tom is 7 years old. He’s been raised by his mother and his older sister. His father works in the navy, so he’s rarely around. Tom is being taught to respect women and their opinions from a very young age. His own thoughts and opinions are usually brushed aside or taken lightly because he’s the young one in the family.

Bill is 12 years old. He’s at the age where he’s beginning to notice women. There’s one girl in his class that he particularly likes. But he doesn’t tell her that he likes her. He fawns over her. Tries to get her attention. Tells his friends about her. They make fun of him. When he eventually makes up the nerve to ask her out, she turns him down. He becomes the laughing stock of his entire class. He tries to laugh it off, but the issue leaves him mentally scarred.

Tony is 17 years old. He’s in the final stages of high school. Everything he knows about women, he’s learned from watching porn. He tries to act up in front of his mates, saying he’s been mixed up with multiple girls from both his school and elsewhere. The reality is, he hasn’t had any success in the dating department. But admitting that would leave him humiliated and open to ridicule from his friends. So he goes on with the facade. He also talks down to the girls in his class, like the rest of his friends, even though he secretly wants to be friends with them.

Liam is 25 years old. He works at a department store in his neighbourhood. He’s attracted to one of the girls there, but she doesn’t pay much attention to him. She prefers to talk to the other guys at the store. Liam tries to get her attention by dressing up or speaking to her on break time, but she ignores him. Unable to understand why he’s being ignored in favor of other men, he begins to think there’s something wrong with him. When the girl inevitably reaches out to Liam for a work-related issue, he responds angrily, even though she has never even spoken to him in the few months they’ve both worked there.

Frank is 32 years old. He’s been working at the same job for most of his adult life. He’s only had one long-term relationship that lasted a little over two years. Beyond that, he’s only been with two other girls, but he wasn’t with them long enough for those to be considered relationships. He decides that he’s tired of being alone and goes to a live dating event. None of the girls he’s matched with shows any interest in going out with him. After four or five failed attempts, he inevitably gives up and focuses his energy on other things.

Jason is 38 years old. He works in a highly professional environment. His job demands that he give 100% every day. He knows not to mix business with his personal feelings. But he’s recently begun to form a bond with one of his female co-workers. They work late hours together, open up to one another about their daily lives, and have gotten used to each other’s presence. One night, after finishing work, he offers to take her home. He does this because he’s worried about her, but also because he’s hoping to spend some more time with her. A few days later, he’s invited into HR and is forced to take a workplace seminar after being accused of making an inappropriate and unwanted advance towards a colleague. Everyone at the office begins to treat Jason differently, and people keep their distance from him. He never speaks to his female colleague again, and eventually Jason is forced to resign.

Nico is 35 years old. He hasn’t been fortunate with work. Can’t find a workplace environment that feels right for him. After about a year or so, he begins to feel unmotivated or bored with the daily routine. Still, he does everything that’s asked of him and is always there when needed. However, the company he works for has recently gone through a new hiring cycle. Among them are mostly young, energetic college graduates or migrants. These people get half as much pay as Nico. Yet he sees them putting in twice as much effort, even staying behind after work, putting in labor for no compensation. Nico cannot compete. He doesn’t have the energy. He’s been doing this for years. Inevitably, a few weeks later, his employer informs him that he’s being let go.

George is 18 years old. He has great dreams for the future. He works hard and is an aspiring writer. As a member of his “constantly online” age group, George has a strong social conscience, and he’s an activist for multiple causes. He supports the switch to more eco-friendly forms of energy, the right of migrants to seek asylum in wealthier Western nations, and all women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights and causes. He calls out any wrong behaviour against marginalized social groups. George adds all of this to his Tinder dating profile. He gets zero matches. Months go by, and nothing changes. Even when he’s finally able to find a woman to go out with, she refuses to get into a relationship with him because “he’s not manly enough!” George begins to reevaluate his ideals.

Alex is 24 years old. After years of being unable to find a girlfriend, one of his former classmates decides to message him on Facebook. They meet up and, with her initiative, they decide to start going out. They spend their first night together. Again, Alex has been unable to find a girlfriend until now. He loses this girl as well, because she accuses him of “not knowing what he’s doing in bed.” It’ll be years before Alex finds another girl.

John is 39 years old. He’s always kept to himself. Always minded his own business. He’s never gotten a match on Tinder, despite being on the platform for years. He’s never been told any kind words by a woman. He’s never felt any type of affection from any woman. He hasn’t had any significant achievements in his professional career. But he goes on. He sees women at his workplace praising one another every day, while no one even notices he’s there. As he commutes to and from work, he tries to find reasons to keep doing this. Maybe a video game he’s excited about… Maybe a new show he’d like to see… But recently, the only thought that comes to his mind is that if he jumps off the nearest bridge, it might make his mother sad. And he doesn’t want to make her sad. What most people don’t know is that John is an extremely kind person.

Bruce is 35 years old. He doesn’t have a job. He hasn’t been able to hold on to one for a while, so he’s been forced to move back in with his parents. He spends most of his time either playing video games or on social media. Tries to numb reality. Although he doesn’t do much, Bruce is bombarded every day with messages and posts that accuse him and all people like him of being privileged. Of living life on “easy mode”. Of having life paved out for them. Of taking advantage of other people’s misery. Of being sexist, racist, ableist, intolerant, or agist. Of not considering other people’s struggles. That just by existing, they’re causing harm, and that the world would be better off without them. Bruce is hit by these types of messages day after day. After being unable to find a job, Bruce begins to take the content of those posts more seriously. He begins to question if he has a place in the world. And, after several months, Bruce decides to take his own life.

The boy next door (to you!)

Although some names have been altered, these are all REAL stories from REAL men. Some might say it’s deserved, others might argue that they’re still better off than, say, the starving children of Gaza or the sick children of Africa. And others might say that men are just feeling sorry for themselves, and they need to “pick themselves up by their bootstraps.”

Those are all fair arguments. Well, they’re arguments. However, the undeniable truth is that wherever you look, you will find a man suffering in silence. Because it’s “uncool” for them to admit they’re in emotional pain. And when so many men are made to feel that they’re useless or, even worse, responsible for all the evils of the world, eventually they’ll get fed up with it. At some point, they may stop taking it out on themselves and lash out at the community that’s making them feel like that instead.

It’s a dangerous game being played here by women (who will cry “rape” and take advantage of the laws that men -or simps- created for them if someone under six feet attempts to talk to them, but who openly prostitute themselves on websites like OnlyFans for that same guy and everyone else like him if it means financial profit) and unskilled migrants (who flock to nations and societies established by the hard work of white men, crying “racist” whenever things don’t go their way but continuing to disrespect, murder and steal from everyone around them as they did back home).

From the day they’re born, men in Western societies are being fed the narrative that they’re “wrong”, that they “need to listen”, that they “harass”, that they “take from others”, that they “need to be better”… Even if they themselves haven’t done anything! They live in a society that’s constantly watching them and that’s ready to judge them if they step out of bounds. At the same time, men continue to see members of other groups being praised for simply existing (a random girl can post an image on Instagram, and it gets 1K likes and 700 comments of “slay queen”).

They feel worthless, with nothing to strive for and no reason to get out of bed. There’s something important that most men of this generation are lacking. Motivation. The life has been entirely sucked out of them, and they’ve been hung out to dry. And because men are, by nature, competitive beings, they would never turn to one another for support in the same way that women do (even a comment like “yas king” by another man seems cringeworthy).

This could only go one of two ways. Either all men will become submissive, tame beasts, living only to be told what to do and to be used in sperm banks by women, or (and this would be the unfortunate outcome), they begin to rise, attempting to return society to its previous status. Which could only mean one thing. The rights that women and migrants fought so hard to gain for themselves could be put at risk. More lines could be drawn. More boundaries would be made. More walls would be raised. Can you imagine men, women, and people of colour segregated by nations?

It’s not a nice mental image to paint, but with all other social groups refusing to acknowledge the issues that men of all ages are currently facing and casting them aside, it seems as though we’re only drawing closer to it. Fingers crossed it doesn’t come to pass. But really, if you have a man in your life, or if you know a guy at work that nobody talks to, it might be worth checking in on them. It could be the line between life and death (or even worse!) for them, who knows?

(*This article was initially published on Medium.)

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!