Rollercoaster 2018 ends on a high for Panathinaikos

It is safe to say that the calendar year of 2018 is the most turbulent in the illustrious history of Panathinaikos. Doom and gloom was the theme at the back end of last season, but that has since evaporated and made way for fresh optimism following a brilliant first half to the 2018-19 Greek Super League season.

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Poor results, no financial investment and the threat of relegation (which stayed around for a long time) due to failing to obtain a licence made for grim viewing. However, a change at the managerial hot seat paid dividends as Marinos Ouzounidis departed for his former teammate Giorgos Donis to take charge. Results have improved, an identity has been created, and several gems have been unearthed but the long-term future of the cub still remains uncertain after the news that the Pan Asia takeover is looking increasingly unlikely.

POSITIVES

Payments

It may sound stupid, but this is a huge positive for the Greens. For any football club to function normally players and coaching staff need to be paid. The beleaguered Giannis Alafouzos stopped investing in the club in late 2017 and this led to chaos as current players went months without getting paid and former players such as Jens Wemmer took the club to court chasing money they were owed.

It reached the point where the Trifylli was docked points on two occasions due to this. A third would have resulted in automatic relegation.

Fast forward to the summer of 2018, and Alafouzos changed his tune and began putting his hand in his pocket again. He is still the owner, players are now getting paid, creditors do not have to chase the club for debts and the threat of relegation has finally disappeared.

After Donis took charge, Alafouzos has kept all his promises to the coach and also technical director Nikos Dabizas, who has been supported (albeit in a small manner due to the overhanging penalties) in the transfer market. The situation is not perfect on this front but it is manageable.

Results

This is ultimately what all teams are judged on. The fact that this goes down as a positive for Panathinaikos speaks volumes to the type of 2018 the club has endured. By May 2018, results had never been so poor and miserable for the fallen giants. A shocking 30 goals were scored in as many matches, as only home form saved it from being a total embarrassment.

Things could usually not become any worse but a 6 point deduction to start the new season, coupled with a move away from the club’s spiritual home of Leoforos and new penalties imposed on the club in the transfer market led to Panathinaikos being deemed as a relegation contender for the first time in its history.

The exact opposite has transpired as Donis has found the balance en route to shocking the Greek football world. From Matchday 1 of the 2018-19 season, it has been nothing but success for the Greens on the pitch. Shocking perennial bogey side Xanthi away laid the platform for a strong start as the -6 was swiftly erased. The first half of the season has seen the club climb to 5th with big wins against Lamia, Larissa, Apollon Smyrni, Levadiakos and Atromitos to name a few.

On top of this, the manner in which the results are coming in has been even more encouraging. Gone are the days of grinding out results. Donis has the team playing on the front foot, looking to attack at every opportunity. His tactical awareness and flexibility as a manager have also seen the Trifylli pick up points due to a tweak in formations or a substitution. The team is now defensively solid for the most part and free-scoring. Furthermore, young guns such as Tasos Chatzigiovannis, Giannis Bouzoukis, Dimitris Emmanouilidis, Argiris Kampetsis, Ilias Chatzitheodoridis and Theofanis Mavromatis have announced themselves.

Fans Return in Numbers

As a former player of the club, Donis was aware of how vital the fans would be. His first mission was to get them back onside after a tumultuous season. A move away from Leoforos to OAKA made it difficult but the fans have well and truly returned. On top of this, the bon between the fans and the club and players has not been this strong in years. The impressive away turnout against Asteras Tripolis paid tribute to this, With home derbies against Olympiakos and PAOK in early 2019, big crowds are expected.

One must also keep in mind that 30000 showed up against AEK in the only home derby of the season to date after the team’s first loss (away at PAOK).

This ‘connection’ was achieved by setting up the team to play on front foot as a free-scoring attacking unit. Fans are entertained and have players to genuinely support moving forward as they give their heart and soul for the shirt.

Return to Greek Roots

The greatest moments in Panathinaikos’ history have come when a strong Greek core was present. It is almost as if the club has gone back to what brought it success, but history is slowly repeating itself. Naturally, a Greek player will have a better understanding of what it means to wear the Trifylli. The circumstances surrounding the club (the transfer penalties imposed) have also played a role, but Donis has already fielded a starting 11 featuring 11 Greeks.

The only non-Greeks in the squad seeing playing time are Emanuel Insua, Ousmane Coulibaly, Mattias Johansson, Ergys Kace and Federico Macheda. If not for injury, Anthony Mounier would have been a regular but even then the team would feature 7-8 Greeks starting. An impressive feat in today’s modern football world.

The most pleasing aspect is that the vast majority of these Greeks are young, meaning that the future can be built around them.

Valuable Players

The team is clearly punching above its weight, going toe to toe with other teams worth much, much more. Donis deserves a huge amount of respect for getting the team to believe and work as a unit. This has led to many enjoying breakout seasons

Captain Dimitris Kourbelis was already held in high regard but his stocks have risen to new levels. He is the pillar of strength which has kept the club upright in 2018. Sokratis Dioudis has enjoyed an incredible renaissance, turning into a fans’ favourite with many eye-catching displays between the sticks. The same can be said for Federico Macheda who has taken to the club in an amazing fashion. He is the team’s leading goal scorer and the one teammates turn to when in need of a spark. As the only foreign signing the club was allowed to make, it is safe to say he has been a major success. The Italian always had the talent but his career was at a crossroads. The move to Athens, playing in the current environment under Donis has resurrected his career.

Additionally, many youngsters have burst into the youth teams of the Ethniki, as has Dimitris Kolovetsios in the men’s team.

Staff

Donis and Dabizas aside, a football club also requires backroom staff (whose work often goes unseen). Following the dire financial circumstances Panathinaikos found itself in during late 2017, the club was significantly weakened in this department. Many are still working tirelessly to turn things around and the situation on this front has improved in late 2018. Kostas Konstantos came in as the new head of the Academy and he brought with him a considerable amount of experience as a director and psychologist. The environment at Koropi has improved since he arrived.

NEGATIVES

Away Form

Strong teams always boast solid away results, but this has not been the case in 2018 for Panathinaikos. Of course, this is mostly due to last season where the team almost went an entire season without winning an away game under Ouzounidis. Two late season wins at Larissa and Panionios saved the team from a huge embarrassment.

The situation on this front has slightly improved under Donis by winning at Xanthi and Larissa in the first half but it is still far from perfect. The team lost at Toumba against PAOK, drew at Kleanthis Vikelidis against Aris, drew to Olympiacos at Georgios Karaiskakis, drew to Asteras Tripolis at Theodoros Kolokotronis and lost to OFI at Theodoros Vardinogiannis.

Injuries

Successful teams also enjoy fit and healthy squads for the bulk of the season. Panathinaikos has not had this luxury in 2018. Luck has been against the Greens as the team has missed a host of influential players for large spells. The horror ACL injury suffered by Omri Altman in last season’s second derby against Olympiacos set the tone. The unlucky Israeli has missed all of season 2018-19 to date.

On top of this, key winger Mounier has re-injured himself on multiple occasions. His trickery, creativity and experience have been a big miss. Coulibaly, Kourbelis, Kace and Dioudis have all spent time on the sidelines at some point.

Investor

This is undoubtedly the major negative surrounding Panathinaikos in the calendar year of 2018. Alafouzos has begun contributing funds again but this is no viable long-term solution. In essence, the team’s outstanding results have papered over this situation. Pairoj Piempongsant and Pan Asia entered the takeover conversation in April, yet fast forward 8 months and the deal is all but off. To think it was only in October that the Thai businessman sat in a suite at OAKA to watch the team in a league fixture and contributed a small amount of funds.

He had been in contact with Alafouzos for many months and everything indicated to a deal being close (he even began assembling key off field staff such as Avram Grant) but as time has passed, the more unlikely it appears.

Under the current setup the debt will never be wiped away in its entirety and the club will certainly be prevented from making notable signings in the future and growing on the whole. Additionally, it will not be easy keeping the array of talented youngsters who have given long-suffering fans a reason to believe again.

by Nick Tsambouniaris

Image Source: to10.gr

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