Canadi continuing to work miracles in Peristeri

For the second consecutive season, wily Austrian coach Damir Canadi is masterminding a remarkable success story in Peristeri, leading Atromitos to an unlikely second spot in the Super League after 10 rounds. AGONAsport analyses.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage from AGONASport.com! 

On the previous matchday, Canadi managed his 40th Super League game in charge of Atromitos, steering the club to a memorable 2:0 triumph against reigning champions AEK at the Olympic Stadium. Incredibly, in those 40 matches in the top flight, the 48-year old Austrian manager has conceded a mere four defeats! They all came in the 2017/2018 season against PAOK (1:2, 0:2), Panetolikos (0:1) and Panathinaikos (0:1), with Atromitos undefeated in the opening 10 matches of the current campaign.

If Canadi was working with one of the big four (AEK, PAOK, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos), this statistic would be more understandable, but the fact that he coaches modest Atromitos makes it hugely impressive. In their 95-year history, the Peristeri outfit have never been classed as a leading club in Greece, but Canadi is doing his best to change that assumption. In the 2017/2018 campaign, Canadi won plenty of plaudits for Atromitos’ heroics, taking the team to fourth place in the table and a European berth. Atromitos ended up losing 4:5 on aggregate to Dynamo Brest in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying phase.

Taking into account the departure of key players such as Amr Warda and Nicolas Diguiny, many expected Atromitos to fall back into mid-table mediocrity, but they’re proving everyone wrong. With PAOK loanee Efthyimis Koulouris scoring a large eight goals and new goalkeeper Balazs Megyeri solid between the sticks, Atromitos have been riding under the crest of a wave again, winning seven and drawing three to sit two points behind PAOK in second position after 10 Super League matches. Their three ties arrived with Xanthi (0:0), Panionios (2:2) and PAOK (1:1).

Canadi’s brilliant, albeit underrated, management skills are on full show for everyone to admire. Despite possessing a seemingly average squad, Canadi has brought the players together, inspiring them with ambitious goals and beating opponents with intelligent tactical schemes. The victory against AEK on November 11 displayed that perfectly. It must be noted that AEK struck the woodwork on three occasions, but asides from those openings, the Kitrinomavri very rarely troubled the organised, determined Atromitos defence. Atromitos were patient all game, and in the concluding two minutes, Spyros Risvanis and Koulouris popped up with two goals to snatch a vital 2:0 victory. Atromitos have now beaten AEK at the OAKA in two successive seasons.

In order to set a new club record of 11 Super League matches in a row without defeat, Atromitos must avoid a loss against Olympiacos on Sunday. In the 2017/2018 season, they enjoyed success when playing the Piraeus giants, claiming a 1:0 victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium and drawing 2:2 at home in Peristeri. Interestingly, when combining all home matches from last season and this campaign, Atromitos have only conceded a mere 12 goals on their own turf. Talk about creating a fortress.

Canadi’s 40 Super League matches at the helm of Atromitos:

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!