If the Czech football has been traumatized for the past few years, it’s Greek. In 2004, their national team eliminated us in the memorable semifinals of the European championship in Portugal and turned into the club scene as the kata of the Panathinaikos of Athens. On Thursday, Slovan Liberec will play the European League against one of the most unsuccessful Greek clubs, PAOK Thessaloniki. In a brief interview, we managed to speak directly to a rock fan and metrosport.gr and metrosport diary Petros Charizaklis, living in Thessaloniki. Why is PAOK waiting for the title so long and how is it feared fans?
EuroFotbal.cz: Would you like to introduce our readers briefly to PAOK?
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: PAOK is one of the largest teams in Greece.Only Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and PAOK have never ceased. He has a rich history, won two master titles (in 1976 and 1985) and has won the Greek Cup four times (1972, 1974, 2001 and 2003).
EuroFotbal.cz: That reminds me a bit of English Liverpool, a famous name, history, but not to wait for another title. Why?
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Why did not PAOK win the championship title since 1985? This is a long debate. The basic factor is Olympiakos. Of course, most of the time had and have a better team than PAOK, but football does not always play a major role in football. Let me say that he is paying the judge. Some titles have subscribed to it. Every year, with the exception of this, they earn millions from the Champions League, so they do not have to pay players out of their own money as other teams.Moreover, I think Greek football is ruining. They need two middle attackers and prefer to buy four, just to keep the players from playing PAOK, Panathinaikos or AEK. They do not, of course, play or travel to different hosts and so it’s over and over again. They do not need to buy the players…
EuroFotbal.cz: What fans do not have PAOK with them? It is generally known that the Greek stadium is a very turbulent atmosphere and that the fans of PAOK are among the worst. PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: PAOK fans are fanatics. The strongest of all northern Greece. Lots of northern Greeks are supporters, even though they are from another city. The atmosphere at the stadiums is hot, very hell. Last season, PAOK was disqualified from the Cup because of the turmoil of fans.It was in the match against Olympiakos, I was directly in the stadium and for this season they had three points in the league. But they do not do in European Cups. I only remember three times. In the 90’s against PSG, Rapid Vienna, because their fans are friends with Panathinaikos fans and once in Istanbul. Istanbul used to be a Greek town in the past, PAOK has its roots in it. The abbreviation PAOK means Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton. The PAOK logo (two eagles) is inspired by the old emblem of Byzantium and Constantinople.
EuroFotbal.cz: Who owns PAOK Thessaloniki?
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Ivan Savvidis. He is a billionaire from Russia. Besides the football club, he owns a tobacco factory and also a hotel on the Chalkidiki Peninsula.He is the founder and owner of Agrocom.
EuroFotbal.cz: How would you describe the current team and who is the biggest star? PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: They have no big star, they work as a team. The greatest support we can include Rodrigues, Varela, or the attacker Athanasiadis. They play offensive football, even if coach Vladimír Ivić wants to defend the team well. If you can not win the game, you do not have to lose it. It is the philosophy of former coach Fernando Santos, the current coach of Europe champions. Ivić played as a former PAOK player just recently under Santos. He is a young trainer, he is only 39 years old.
EuroFotbal.cz: If we look at individual posts…
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Glykos is in the goal. He’s a good goalkeeper, but every season he’s injured.He is also a Greek representative. Matos and Leovač play the defense. Matos is more offensive. The high and strong Varela is on the top, it has a good starting point and also a strong Tzavellas. He was originally an extreme defender, but he played as the midfielder for the last two seasons. The third stop is the fast-paced Crespo. The defensive midfielder is Canias, a strong player. Playmaker plays Biseswar and Athanasiadis is shooting at the tip.
EuroFotbal.cz: Recently, the Czech representative Tomáš Necid and the Slovak representative Robert Mak also joined the PAOK. Which one did you think was better?
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Mak was much better than Necid. But they are different players.…
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Kace is a good player. It is a great deal and is great in the defensive. He does not collect goals or assistance but has good defensive actions. Well he’s taking balloons. He has a great physique, he can play two matches without a problem within three days full of ninety minutes.
EuroFotbal.cz: On Thursday, PAOK is home to Slovan Liberec. Do the Greeks behave to respect?
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Of course. PAOK has respect for each team. I think we’re a lighter favorite, because we’re playing better outside than at home in Touba.I could see 45% for Liberec and 55% for PAOK, who has experienced players this year.
EuroFotbal.cz: PAOK in the first game was home 0: 0 with Fiorentina.
PETROS CHARIZAKLIS: Yes, because it is not so long ago that PAOK on Toumba lost 0: 1 with the same opponent, so the 0: 0 draw is a good result this time. The ambitions in the European League are first and foremost to master the basic group and when it comes out, move a step further and further down.