Aris, PAOK facing struggles on-and-off the court
Lingering towards the bottom of the Basket League table, Thessaloniki rivals Aris and PAOK have been rocked with troubles on-and-off the court.
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Just seven weeks into the season and it appears that the prospects for a successful 2019/2020 season for Thessaloniki’s representatives is a real longshot.
Aris and PAOK are rooted deep in the bottom half of the table with PAOK sporting a 2-5 record while Aris have an even worse 1-6 record through the opening seven rounds.
Savvidis to the Rescue?
While the main talking point for Thessaloniki’s biggest clubs should be the struggles both sides are facing on the court, the off-court issues at Aris and PAOK are what continue to make headlines.
PAOK, who are also competing in the Basketball Champions League, are experiencing their worst start to a season in decades and it’s a problem compounded by the club’s financial problems. A lack of revenue over the years has caused the club to go into extreme debt with several former players still owed money by the club.
The fear is that former players will win their appeals and that PAOK will face sanctions from FIBA, usually in the form of transfer bans and restrictions on roster improvements that could further handcuff the club for years to come.
PAOK were slapped with a ban back in October following the appeal filed by Ousman Krubally and his agent, while it looks increasingly likely that a similar fate might be in store should the likes of Giannis Athinaiou, Antonis Koniaris, and William Hatcher follow suit.
Although a speedy resolution seems unlikely, there does appear to be hope in the form of Ivan Savvidis. The owner of PAOK’s football operations, Savvidis has long been rumoured to be interested in expanding his ownership to basketball. While the conditions might not be ideal, the dire situation on the basketball side could finally force Savvidis’ hand to help the cause.
Aris’ Catch 22
Across town, Aris’ situation is possible even more dire as the Autokratoras sit at the foot of the Basket League table and look destined for a long relegation battle yet again this season.
The season started brightly for Aris with a derby defeat of PAOK on the opening day of action in the Basket League, but six successive defeats have left Aris’ push for the playoffs almost completely out of the question and a relegation fight likely dead certain. Flirting with the drop to the second tier over the last two seasons, the 2019/2020 season might finally be the year the club drops to the A2 Basket League unless a solution can be found for the club’s problems on and off the court.
On the court, the club’s early season struggles have left head coach Soulis Markopoulos indicating after Saturday’s lopsided defeat to Ifaistos Limnou that he is seeking changes to the roster. The issue with that, however, is that Aris are currently restricted from any additions from abroad to their roster after receiving a transfer ban from FIBA last month over money owed to former player Kyle Weaver.
It’s a growing problem at the club as Aris remain without cover following the injury to Lefteris Bochoridis and Djorde Gagic’s departure from Thessaloniki. It’s also a problem that has left Aris without a true big man in the lineup as Markopoulos’ game-planning has been impacted with the reality he doesn’t have a true centre at his disposal.
While the main priority for the club is to settle their tax situation, Aris have reportedly set sights on luring Haris Giannopoulos from AEK as the Greek guard appears to be further down the Enosi’ depth chart following Vlado Jankovic’s arrival in Athens. Giannopoulos’ contract, which runs for the remainder of the season, appears to be yet another challenge for a desperate Aris side.
The pressures created by Aris’ financial struggles can be seen easily in Markopoulos’ demeanor as the Greek head coach – in spite of his fiery side – seems to be more confrontational than usual in recent weeks. It’s a trend that might continue in the coming weeks as Aris face yet another stern test when Peristeri visit Thessaloniki on Sunday.
