Organized PAOK: “We are on the road to total obsolescence – We are seeing a mess again”

After a year which ended in the worst possible way (the total collapse in the play offs and the unprecedented embarrassment in the Volos final) the football team left (3/7) for the Netherlands for the main stage of the preparation. It left without any additions of quality footballers as a mixed U21 but also without its most valuable player in stoppers who sold to a team competing in the highly advanced Danish league, a dream destination for every footballer in the world. As active fans of PAOK, we are anxiously looking for somewhere to get caught, but unfortunately the data – which of course did not arise overnight – does not leave us much room for optimism.

As we have written several times in the past, it is now clear to anyone who is willing to see and think, that after the year of the double the team is gradually but steadily weakening. A club of PAOK’s caliber needs a plan, clear goals, appetite and the necessary investments from the major shareholder to be the star. Instead we see opportunistic statements, bluster and a constant divestment that we honestly don’t know why it’s happening, as we are neither geopolitically savvy nor will we become like various internet analysts. We are sure, however, that as long as this pattern continues, it can only keep us in mediocrity. While the domestic competition is tough, we ended up having to sell another key piece of our already short roster to be able to acquire some players. The continuous reduction in the quality of a football team, however, has never in history brought competitive success.

For 4 years now, for players who are released or sold, either there is no replacement at all, or the replacement is quite or much inferior to the value of the previous one. For 4 years now, with a complete absence of a plan, incomprehensible moves have been made with sales or decommissioning of key players at the worst possible moment. For the past 4 years, footballers have been missing “because they have an offer and want to leave” as if PAOK is a hotel (let’s say it elegantly) and doesn’t pay people to take care of these situations. These attitudes now tend to be taken for granted, with no one trying to change anything but mathematically marching towards total obsolescence.

With PAOK no longer a competitive threat to the establishment, management and controlled journalists – those who for so many years have served the fairy tale that PAOK is building a core and the core changes every 6 months – sometimes try to convince us and make the black and white by underestimating the intelligence of PAOKtsis Recently it was the turn of the failed statesman and lifelong member of the administration, Telemachus, to reassure the people with words. We do not know what he is basing his words on, however we would like to remind him that he must be careful with his predictions as two years ago when in a private meeting with the management we demanded additions of players of known value and we told him that with Taylor it is not possible work, he had answered us with too much style that he was signing us to win the championship. Along with Telemacho’s reassuring statements, it also started a deja vu series of publications about Giovinco-style transfer targets – which of course are being missed one by one – but also early targeted blame-shifting so that people would erupt (in the event of another failed year) in the coach’s faces. , the technical director and the players. However, it is clear to the people of PAOK that those responsible are none other than those who consciously discredit the team in practice.

Today, when instead of seeing a clear transfer plan to strengthen the team with the cooperation of the management, the coach and the technical director, we see a mess again, our position as Associations is clear. After all, this is how it has been brought up many times in meetings with the “responsibles” here and also with the major shareholder. PAOK can no longer afford to lose other key players “because they want to leave”, instead they need a significant number of young players with personality who will immediately help the club. He needs a transfer plan. It needs serious management, it needs a major shareholder present who is involved with the team. Without them there will be no progress and since we see no mood to change course, honest answers and brave decisions are immediately sought. Is the team going for the championship again this year? Or is there a constant effort to reduce the budget and players only come after sales, on the basis we explained before? Will we sell others in this transfer window? Will there be 2-for-1 offers to prospective buyers? Is the word self-sufficiency (which is catchy and likes the managers and the media they maintain) consistent with the presence of a powerful major shareholder or not? Let them start answering these questions that have been tormenting the world of PAOK for a long time now and stop sponsoring hay because no one is buying anymore.

Despite all the blackness that the football department emits, there are also efforts that teach in practice that having passion, planning and love for the Association you can bring progress and we want to focus on them at the end. Both AS PAOK, whose divisions are the protagonists, and Basketball, which was saved from destruction and is gradually paying off its old sins, ask for the support of our PEOPLE. We invite all the PAOK community to help in practice with the permanent purchase and their physical presence in all sections of the Association. As Associations we will respond to this call, internally and externally, as we have been doing continuously for decades now.

Sincerely,