Orfanos: “PAOK has Panathinaikos – If they had people they would have no luck”

Convinced that PAOK can win the derby against Panathinaikos, Kostas Orfanos declared. The veteran ace of Dikefalus of the North and the former vice-president of PAE expressed the opinion that the Thessalonians have him as their opponent while he also commented on the absence of fans from the stadium, stressing that if Toumba had people then the greens had no luck.

Read in detail what he said on the air of Metropolis:

Regarding the delay in the transfers of the “black and white” club:

“There are some special circumstances in PAOK PAOK and we all know why. Some things should have been cleared up. But since the team is in a good moon, with the exception of the game with Mars, there will probably be a delay in making decisions so that no mistakes are made. I say this hypothetically, but I have not spoken to the relevant people. When the team is doing well, there is a complacency. I don’t know if this currently exists in PAEK PAOK, but in any case there may be a financial issue. Let’s say there was no transfer, of Maksimović, because probably the financial facts were such that they prevented it. There are always some other parameters, for example a proposal has been made and in the financial aspect he is not satisfied and they expect a reaction from the other side. In any case, some decisions that have been made should have already been implemented. I think every team, regardless of their course, always needs a reinforcement based on the data that exists”.

On whether he considers that PAOK PAOK rushed to give Lyratzis, while he has “shortcomings” in this particular position:

“I can answer, but I will play devil’s advocate… Because when the coach has come out and said that Vierinia is the best that exists in Greece, it means that he counts him. As well as Sastre who has been playing well in recent games and scoring goals. All this gives a postponement and a relaxation in the decision to bring in a right back.

I’m not in the mood to see what others are doing so I can do it myself. Let’s say for Maksimović an amount was proposed that his team did not agree to give the player and he wanted more money.

PAE cannot every now and then say that it is moving through transfer. Because we don’t know exactly why there was this delay.

Possibly the team does not have a particular need for someone to come and play immediately when this gap is covered, maybe that’s why there was a delay in making someone’s decisions. But it can also have to do with the opposite side, i.e. a player hesitating with a proposal. These are all contingencies. The bottom line is to be vindicated with the final choices the team will make, i.e. players to come in the two positions requested by the coach”.

For the upcoming derby between Panathinaikos and PAOK and if the Thessalonians can win:

“If there were people I would say so with confidence. I have two question marks, the first has to do with the people I mentioned and the second has to do with all these moves that are being made with the Turks at Panathinaikos. We have them playing and I believe that if the game was played with people, they would not have any luck”.

Regarding the “best” team at the moment in the Greek league:

“PAOK has clearly been the best for a long time, AEK has signs that show quality and Panathinaikos, because of the Turks, is going to be reborn and have many ambitions for the future. There may also be a political issue in the whole case. Not only me but also the world in general who sees that some things are also happening behind the scenes”

For the new training center of PAOK, at the consecration of which he also attended:

“It seems that the goal is very high in terms of construction and what this training center will be.

When Anastasiades says that it will be the best in the Balkans and there will be no other like it, the bar is set very high. I also liked that there was a great response to the consecration, because there was no formal invitation. And I was happy to see people from all levels of PAOK, I hadn’t felt this gathering for a long time, as I felt it at the consecration. Let’s hope that it will be a start for this to exist as a feeling for the whole world, that PAOK is a big group.

From what I heard it will be ready in the summer of 2025, I only have one reservation about the construction part. The courts will be ready, but some areas may need to operate with some containers until the project is implemented. But I hope it is fully completed. Let’s say the hotel sounds overly optimistic to me that it will be ready in 2025, but I think the stadiums will all be ready”.

Finally, on whether new talent will emerge from this new training center:



“Because I had the luck and the opportunity to go to Athens and talk to the people of the other big academies, PAOK in terms of ear is at a top level and the team is working at a top level. Nothing can shake the security they have given to the world of POAK, that new footballers will keep coming out. Only Olympiacos can be at a similar level, and then Panathinaikos.”