Carrera helping Almpanis to finally gain momentum
Since Massimo Carrera became the AEK boss, Christos Almpanis has started showing his obvious potential again, producing bright displays to help the club make a realistic challenge for second place.
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Almpanis has experienced several positive and negative moments since joining AEK from Apollon Smyrnis in the summer of 2018. At times, the left winger has shown glimpses of the talent which he certainly possesses, but he has struggled with injuries and a lack of playing time. However, since Carrera replaced Nikos Kostenoglou as the AEK head coach in late 2019, Almpanis has started playing at a high level on a more regular basis.
His two Super League goals in the 2019/2020 campaign have been important ones. In early January, Almpanis scored the winner at Volos NFC for the Enosi as he alertly pounced on a defensive error, before the 25-year-old subsequently grabbed the only goal of the game against Aris in Thessaloniki during February with a neat finish:
On the left flank, Almpanis began competing with more energy, enthusiasm and confidence as the regular season progressed, possessing the ability to beat his opponents for skill and find a way to the opposing penalty area. At the moment, there are still question marks when it comes to end product, however he needs to be given the opportunity to gain a good run of form.
Carrera, without doubt, has helped Almpanis find his feet at AEK in a more successful manner: “Our coach makes all of us feel really important to the team,” revealed the player when speaking to Sport24 after the Enosi defeated Panetolikos 4-0 in the Greek Cup in February. “This is crucial for our psychology. He has displayed confidence in me both during training sessions and matches. Last year, I had an injury which kept me out for a long time, but it’s not the same this season. I feel good and I’m trying to help the team to the best of my abilities.”
The main negative point for Almpanis at AEK is the fierce competition within the team. Although he has been starting more games of late, Almpanis has generally been used as an impact substitute, with Marko Livaja, Petros Mantalos, Daniele Verde and Sergio Araujo difficult to shift out of the line-up. The playoffs, suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, would have been a wonderful chance for Almpanis to prove his worth in vitally important battles.
Transfermarkt values Almpanis at 600,000 euros. Apollon Smyrnis sold him to AEK for 400,000 two years ago.
