Greek Football Season 19/20

[og2002gr]

We are still waiting for AEK to decide if they will file an appeal.

If they do, they win the match 3-0 and PAOK gets -3.

There would normally be no reason not to appeal the decision, they get 2nd place and CL Qualyfing BUT in the magic world of Greek football backstage, there is a reason not to do that : AEK and PAOK owers are "frenemies", united against their common enemy, Olympiacos' owner. If AEK does not appeal, the only explanation is a backstage deal.

Panathinaikos didn't appeal against the game vs Lamia, getting eliminated.
https://www.enikos.gr/sports/622216/den ... ia-tou-syl

PAOK didn't appeal against Aris, facing their first defeat.
https://www.onsports.gr/podosfairo/supe ... ma-savvidi

Sometimes teams are not obsessed with gaining results out of the pitch. It is not about wrong or right. It is just a point of character.

[Firnen]

We are still waiting for AEK to decide if they will file an appeal.

If they do, they win the match 3-0 and PAOK gets -3.

There would normally be no reason not to appeal the decision, they get 2nd place and CL Qualyfing BUT in the magic world of Greek football backstage, there is a reason not to do that : AEK and PAOK owers are "frenemies", united against their common enemy, Olympiacos' owner. If AEK does not appeal, the only explanation is a backstage deal.

Panathinaikos didn't appeal against the game vs Lamia, getting eliminated.
https://www.enikos.gr/sports/622216/den ... ia-tou-syl

PAOK didn't appeal against Aris, facing their first defeat.
https://www.onsports.gr/podosfairo/supe ... ma-savvidi

Sometimes teams are not obsessed with gaining results out of the pitch. It is not about wrong or right. It is just a point of character.

PAOK was out of the 48-hour window of appeal, they couldn't have done that. The same way Olympiacos, OFI and Panathinaikos cannot appeal against PAOK right now because more than 48 hours have passed since the game.

There is no in and out of pitch. The game has rules. Otherwise someone could field 12 players, or make transfers outside the transfer window, or field playres that had been red-carded in the previous match. And when they got disqualified after the game, they would have lost "out of the pitch" ?

[Firnen]

AEK announced they will not appeal. Maintaining the alliance is more important than a long shot for CL. Also some people claim that AEK coach Carrera had a huge 2nd place bonus in his contract that would have to be paid to him if AEK had appealed

[og2002gr]

It is not about wrong or right. It is just a point of character.

edit: I support any Alliance since it is against toxicity.

[seso]

Panathinaikos will keep playing at Olympic Stadium in next years?

According to Greek media, Pana will play at the Olympic 'Spyros Louis' stadium stadium during 2020-21. The reason being that it is a 70,000-seat stadium, so even with social distancing, you can get several thousands of fans in the stadium.
The plan then is to move to Apostolos Nikolaidis 'Leoforos' stadium for the 2021-22 season.
And then (maybe in 2023-24) Pana can move to the new 'Votanikos' stadium... The plans are for this to be a 40,000-seat stadium, but of course nobody knows if it will ever be built...

So many years moving back and forth, discussing about building new stadiums etc...

[Firnen]

Mark Clattenburg is the new head of referees in Greece, as decided by the "big 4" in a rare moment of unity.

[Firnen]

Panionios is relegated, while Xanthi will play in the play-outs against Apollon Smyrni. PAS Giannena promoted.

Plot twist : there will probably be an increase of clubs to 16 (or even 18) so noone will be relegated. We are following the long Greek tradition of not knowing who will play in the next league long after the end of the season.

[og2002gr]

Finally Panionios is relegated. One of the most historic clubs that got one of the dirtiest.
I hope there will be no restructuring of the leagues and teams will remain as few as possible.

Relegation play-offs results (7 MDs):

12 - Asteras (42=30+12)
11 - Panionios (22=11+11)
9 - Atromitos (41=32+9)
9 - Panetolikos (26=17+9)
7 - Lamia (34=27+7)
5 - Larissa (35=30+5)
5 - Xanthi (23=18+5)
4 - Volos (31=27+4)

[Firnen]

Funnily, the one facilitating the restructing is Panathinaikos president Alafouzos, who is promising contracts with the state TV to the small clubs.
Of course a Panathinaikos fan would not like Panionios, let me guess, you like Panaitolikos...

[og2002gr]

Firnen I am Panathinaikos fan. Not president's fanboy. I don't adopt what Alafouzos says/does. I have my own opinion.

Concerning Panetolikos (I think international names use the simplest vowels) they used to be independent, but lately my sources say their are under PAOK's influence (like Xanthi-Volos). I prefer them over corrupted Panionios.

As I understand, the problem relies on that Xanthi is not owned by Savvidis himself (he is not so stupid) but by a company that has one of his relatives appointed as owner. So Savvidis and PAOK say that they don't have anything to deal with Xanthi, while most people don't believe that this is just a coincidence.

Everybody knows who owns whom in Greek Football. The problem is that it is not so easy to prove it in courts (mafia owners are not idiots and justice system is very corrupted). One easy way is to see how every team votes when the Federation takes decisions about various matters AND how the fans react against their own club owners.

Less than a week after my comment, both Aris and Panionios fans made an announcement against clubs presidents for their connections with Olympiacos

[Firnen]

I m not having this discussion again, I have wasted enough of my time in arguments with other people in this forum about the "backstage".

[seso]

I hope there will be no restructuring of the leagues and teams will remain as few as possible.

Relegation play-offs results (7 MDs):
4 - Volos (31=27+4)

I also hope that the number of clubs in the first division will be 12-14!

I am surprised that Volos NFC did not 'sell' more of their matches!

[og2002gr]

I hope there will be no restructuring of the leagues and teams will remain as few as possible.

Relegation play-offs results (7 MDs):
4 - Volos (31=27+4)

I also hope that the number of clubs in the first division will be 12-14!

I am surprised that Volos NFC did not 'sell' more of their matches!

Volos record in play-outs was 1-1-5 or 0,57 ppg while it was 1+ in the regular season against more difficult opponents.

At this point, we should underline that both Panionios and Xanthi who are facing relegation had point deduction penalties.

Points on pitch:

........
36 - AEL
36 - Xanthi
35 - Lamia
31 - Volos
29 - Panetolikos
29 - Panionios

[seso]

Volos record in play-outs was 1-1-4 or 0,57 ppg while it was 1= in the regular season against more difficult opponents.

Yes, but it's 'easier' to gain money in the play-outs (more important matches for other clubs)!

[Firnen]

Olympiacos beat AEK 3-0 very easily to seal a very dominant league title.
PAOK did not manage to beat Aris who had no players on the bench except for the GK (0-0).
Panathinaikos finished the season by beating OFI 3-2.

Olympiacos 91
PAOK 73
AEK 69
Panathinaikos 58
Aris 42
OFI 36