The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-05-25

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] 33 Championships for the Reds Olympiacos Crowned Champion

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Owing to a goal by magical Rivaldo, Olympiacos scored a "golden" victory in Kaftatzoglio, which kept the team at the top of the rankings after the final round. Having won the Greek Cup in football on Saturday, the team from Piraeus scored its 11th double, the first since 1999. At the same time, Panathinaikos scored a victory in Crete, finishing in second place overall and booking a ticket for the Champions League. In the other European event, the UEFA Cup, Greece will be represented by AEK, which defeated Apollo Kalamaria by 3-0, PAOK, which was crushed by Egaleo in Toumba with a score of 4-2, Xanthi, which tied against Ionikos in Neapoli (1-1) and Aris, as it was the runner-up in the Greek Cup, although it was defeated by Kallithea with a score of 3-1. Finally, Aris, Ergotelis and Kerkyra got relegated to Division two.

Thrilling Championship

This could probably be described as the best championship of the last few years. Three teams gave their own battle up until the final round, not just for the first place, but also for the second, which also leads to Champions League.

Just this fact alone demonstrates that this years championship was the most thrilling we have ever had the chance to watch.

Despite the fact that we did watch teams battle it out until the end in previous seasons, there were always two contenders and not three.

As a reference we mention the following:

During the 1959-60 season, Panathinaikos won the championship, after playing an elimination final against AEK, with which it was tied up until the last round.

Three years later, during the 1962-63 season, the fans experienced a d&#233;j&#224; vu, as Panathinaikos and AEK played another elimination final, but this time it was AEK that won.

In 1966, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos were advancing hand-in-hand until the second last round. On that day, PAO lost to Panionios and Olympiacos conquered the top. After defeating Panserraikos by 2-1 in the final round, where the winning goal was scored in the 90, it was crowned champion.

In 1973, PAOK lost the championship in the second last round, when it lost to Panachaiki by 3-5 in its impregnable home pitch. At the same time, Olympiacos tied with Kavala and surprisingly it won the championship.

In 1979, during the last round, Olympiacos played against OFI in Iraklio, having a one-point lead over AEK, which was playing on its home pitch against Giannena. AEK scored a whopping 7-2 victory, while the Olympiacos match ended in a 3-3 draw, so both teams were tied at the top of the rankings. However, as Olympiacos did not turn up to the elimination final, AEK was crowned champion.

In 1980, the first year of the professional championship, Aris and Olympiacos were once again forced to battle it out during an elimination final, with the latter winning by 2-0, after a very exciting game.

Another elimination final was played in 1982, when Panathinaikos lost to Olympiacos by 2-1.

Finally, in 2002, the championship came down to the last round and the derby between AEK and Olympiacos, when the Reds won the game (4-3) and subsequently the title.

This Year's Championship

If anyone had said in the beginning of this seasons championship that we were going to be in for some thrilling football moments until the end, he would have been considered a fool.

Panathinaikos started off the season as reigning Cup winner and champion. By definition, it was considered the favourite for the title this year. But its plans changed three times during the season, which is also the amount of times it changed coaches.

Schum, who helped win the double last year, gave his place to Scazny, who subsequently was replaced by Malezani. These changes signalled a change of mentality as well, triggering ups and downs in their performance and costing the team many points.

Olympiacos, on the other hand, after having won seven consecutive championships two years before, started the season with the dream of returning to the top.

Dusan Bajevic was hired as coach for a second time, while one of the biggest starts of international football and world champions with Brazil, Rivaldo, signed with the team.

Things were looking great, but this feeling did not last long, for various reasons, which we do have the time to analyse.

It seemed this years championship would be either green or red.

However, a big surprise was in store. Fernando Santos AEK, which had been stricken by bad luck and had no aspirations for this season, started an amazing trip to the top, leading the team to put in a claim for the championship right in the last round.

AEKs sole purpose was to stay in Division one, as many of its capped players (Kapsis, Zagorakis, Tsartas, Lakis) started leaving one after the other following the victory in the European Championship, while Katsouranis and Lymberopoulos were left to carry the burden on their shoulders. But, from playing second fiddle, it became the star, ruining the plans of the red-green alliance.

The progress of all three teams this season was mainly marked by the loss of so-called easy points, which everyone counted on.

But this is what we call the magic of football, the magic of this years Division one championship. The unexpected, the unforeseen and the element of surprise that no one could have predicted.

However, lets review the rounds that helped write this surprise script, this amazing thriller right to the end.

ROUND 3

Olympiacos was defeated by Xanthi with 2-1. At the same time, Panathinaikos beat Kalamaria by 1-0 and AEK scored a win over Panionios with 2-0. So, the Reds dropped from the top of the rankings and PAO moved up.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 9, AEK and Egaleo 7, Olympiacos 6 (along with another four teams)

ROUND 4

Surprise in Leoforos Stadium, where Panathinaikos tied with Egaleo at nil all, Olympiacos defeated Ergotelis by 2-0 and AEK emerged victorious from its match against Iraklis in Kaftatzoglio Stadium with 2-1. Therefore, AEK and PAO tied at the top.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos and AEK 10, Olympiacos and Chalkidona 9.

ROUND 5

A second consecutive slip-up by Panathinaikos, which lost to Kerkyra by 2-0. At the same time, the Olympiacos vs Chalkidona ended in a 1-1 draw, while AEK spent a very relaxing afternoon in OAKA, where it defeated Kallithea by 4-1 and conquered the top.

RANKINGS: AEK 13, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Chalkidona and Xanthi 10.

ROUND 6

AEK drew against Aris with 1-1 in Charilaou and the gap started to close.

RANKINGS: มลส 14, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos 13.

ROUND 7

Panathinaikos swept through Kaftatzoglio, defeating Iraklis by 4-0, while it cashed in on the 0-0 draw between AEK and Olympiacos, returning to the top.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 16, มลส 15, Olympiacos and Xanthi 14.

ROUND 9

Panathinaikos stumbled in Charilaou, tying against Aris with 1-1. AEK defeated Chalkidona by 1-0 and Olympiacos scored a win over Ionikos in Neapoli with 4-0.

RANKINGS: มลส 21, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos 20.

ROUND 10

Two derbies took place, while the top of the rankings changed once again. Olympiacos defeated Panathinaikos in Karaiskakis Stadium by 1-0, while AEK tied against PAOK in Toumba with 1-1. Olympiacos returned to the top of the rankings, having a three-point lead over Panathinaikos and a one-point lead over AEK

RANKINGS: Olympiacos 23, มลส 22, Panathinaikos 20.

ROUND 12

Although the leader, Olympiacos, led by 2-0 over Egaleo, the latter eventually tied the score at 2-2, giving Panathinaikos a chance to catch up, after defeating Chalkidona by 2-0. On the other hand, the AEK vs OFI match in OAKA ended in a 1-1 draw.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos 27, Panathinaikos 26, มลส 24.

ROUND 14

Violent incidents erupted before kick-off in the match between Panionios and Olympiacos in Nea Smyrni, so the game was cancelled. As a result both teams received nil points for the match, while another three points are deducted from each one temporarily. On the other hand, AEK defeated Panathinaikos by 1-0 and conquered the top once again.

RANKINGS: มลส 30, Panathianikos 29, Olympiacos 27 (-3).

ROUND 15

AEK was defeated for the first time this season by Kalamaria with a score of 2-1. Panathinaikos crushed OFI by 5-1 and Olympiacos scored a 1-0 victory over Iraklis.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 32, มลส and Olymopiacos 30.

ROUND 16

Panathinaikos tied against Ionikos with 0-0, as did Olympiacos against Kallithea with 1-1, while AEK defeated Egaleo by 1-0.

RANKINGS: มลส and Panathinaikos 33, Olympiacos 31.

ROUND 17

Olympiacos climbed to the top, cashing in on AEKs draw against Kerkyra (2-2) and Panathinaikos loss against Xanthi (3-1).

RANKINGS: Olympiacos 37, มลส 34, Panathinaikos 33. EPAEs second instance committee heard Olympiacos and Panionios appeal, ruled in favour and gave them back the three points that had been subtracted, while it further decided that the postponed game would be played. Olympiacos subsequently won the match by 2-0 and reached 40 points, having a six and seven-point advantage over the other two teams.

ROUND 18

Olympiacos started its slip-ups. The Reds tied against Xanthi with 0-0 in Karaiskakis Stadium, while Panathinaikos crushed Kalamaria by 5-1 and the AEK-Panionios match ended in a 1-1 draw.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos 41, Panathinaikos 36, มลส 35.

ROUND 19

Yet another slip-up for Olympiacos at is lost to Ergotelis by 2-1. At the same time, Panathinaikos defeated Egaleo by 1-0 and AEK scored a 2-1 win over Iraklis in OAKA. RANKINGS: Olympiacos 41, Panathinaikos 39, มลส 38.

ROUND 21

Olympiacos lead dwindled away, since it drew against PAOK in Toumba (1-1), while Panathinaikos defeated Panionios by 1-0 and AEK won the match against Aris with 1-0.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos 45, มลส 44.

ROUND 22

The Panathinaikos vs Iraklis match ended in 0-0 tie, so PAO missed its chance to take advantage of the 1-1 tie in the Olympiacos vs AEK derby.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos 46, มลส 45.

ROUND 23

Olympiacos led by 1-0 in Iraklio, but OFI eventually tied the score. Panathinaikos defeated Kallithea by 2-0 and AEK scored a victory over Ergotelis by 3-0.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 49, มลส 48, Olympiacos 47.

ROUND 24

Olympiacos, which defeated Ionikos by 2-1, returned to the top, as both Panathinaikos (vs Aris 0-0) and AEK (vs Chalkidona 1-1) tied in their respective matches.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos 50, มลส 49.

ROUND 25

Panathinaikos was the winner of the derby with Olympiacos in Leoforos Stadium (1-0), while AEK defeated PAOK by 2-0.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 53, มลส 52, Olympiacos 50.

ROUND 28

Olympiacos edged a bit closer to the top, as AEK lost against Ionikos by 0-1 in OAKA, which was the big surprise of the round. On the other hand, Panathinaikos drew against PAOK in Toumba (1-1) and Olympiacos defeated Kerkyra by 3-1, ranking in second place, just one point behind Panathinaikos.

RANKINGS: Panathinaikos 60, Olympiacos 59, มลส 58.

ROUND 29

In the match of the season, Panathinaikos and AEK stayed at nil all, which did not assist either one of them, while a party took place in Karaiskakis Stadium, as Olympiacos, which defeated Panionios by 3-0, returned to the top, just one round before the end of the season.

RANKINGS: Olympiacos 62, Panathinaikos, 61, มลส 59.

ROUND 30

Nothing changed at the top, since Olympiacos defeated Iraklis, Panathinaikos defeated OFI and AEK defeated Kalamaria.

FINAL RANKINGS: Olympiacos 65, Panathinaikos 64, มลส 62.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[02] To the Historical Leader of the Left Final Farewell

By Tina Valaoura

In an atmosphere of intense emotions, crowds of people bid their final farewells to the historical leader of the Left, Charilaos Florakis. Thousands of people, friends, comrades, the entirety of political leaders headed by the President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, as well as representatives of Communist Parties from abroad, were all there, in Perissos, to attend the political funeral of "Captain Giotis," the person who made history with his action. KKE Secretary General Aleka Papariga, who delivered the funeral oration, preferred to use Nazim Hikmets phrase for the final farewell: "Bells are not tolling, because the one who passed is not a song that ended." Mrs Papariga also referred to Charilaos Florakis contribution to peoples fights, the hardships he encountered, but mainly to the consistency of his words and works, which he showed until the very end. Charilaos Florakis will be buried on Thursday at Paliozoglopi in Agrafa.

Consistent Until the Very End

"We don't want to turn the page, because it would be like saying that your contribution was in vain. However, we will write new pages without your physical presence, just like the communists and fighters will do when we will have passed away," stressed KKE General Secretary.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis was also present and said that Charilaos Florakis was a unique person who sealed KKE's course and made a difference to the political life of this place. "I wish to underline that he was a genius and realist political leader, who personally and decisively contributed to the overcoming of the problems of the past, to the consolidation of democracy and stability in Greece and for this contribution he gained everybody's respect," said the PM and went on to add: "Charilaos Florakis had a unique way to communicate, he could express in his own genuine way the expectations of society and always be consistent to his ideas and beliefs."

PASOK President George Papandreou stressed after the funeral that the deceased was a man of rare ethos and personality, whose fights will always be remembered, and for this reason he had gained the respect and love of political friends and ideological opponents. "A simple man, with kindness and nobility, he set an example of ethos in the politics of consistency, loyalty and self-sacrifice for the values in which he believed" said PASOK President and voiced his certainty that the new generation which he loved so much will see him as a politician with principles and values.

"With your presence you honoured the Communist and Left Movement. Even if we failed you sometimes, we will never forget you," wrote SYN President Alekos Alavanos in the book of condolences.

Dimitris Christofias, AKEL Central Committee general secretary, also attended the funeral and stressed that when great figures pass away in such critical and hard times, then the pain is deep. "Charilaos Florakis will always be remembered. KKE will continue on his tracks, the fight will continue until victory is claimed," said Mr Christofias.

Hundreds of citizens, friends, artists, ideological opponents with tears in their eyes and flowers in their hands paid their last respects to a rare political figure that will always be remembered.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

Related News:

Bidding Farewell

[03] Due to a Power Cut Moscow Comes to a Halt

By Annita Paschalinou

Chaos prevailed in transport services, telecommunications and the Stock Exchange following a long-lasting power cut in Moscow. The government ruled out the possibility of a terrorist act and attributed the power cut to an explosion recorded in an electric power sub-station. Approximately 20,000 people were trapped in the metro for over an hour, in extremely harsh conditions, due to the high temperatures (30&#186; C). The MICEX Stock Exchange stopped trading for many hours, while problems with the water supply were recorded in various areas. Traffic jams were created in the streets, as trolley buses, trams and the traffic lights stopped operating. An explosion was also recorded in a phenol-producing factory in Tula due to the power cut, however, it has not been clarified yet how the power failure triggered the explosion.

Explosion in Factory

As per Interfax, a gas leak occurred and a toxic cloud covered the sky of Tula, immediately after the explosion.

The factorys administration denied the leakage of toxic gas, but admitted that a nitrogen leak was recorded inside the factory.

However, a representative of the factory reassured everyone that the citizens were not in danger.

On Alert Following the Power Failure

The State was in total readiness right from the start, while President Putin asked the PM to call an emergency meeting in order to handle the crisis.

Apart from Moscow, the power failure affected another twenty cities south of the Russian capital.

From early on, the government kept denying the possibility of a terrorist act and reassured the citizens that the power cut did not affect any of the nuclear plants.

According to the authorities, the problem was prompted by an explosion in the Chagino electric power station, southeast of Moscow, which had been built in 1963.

On the other hand, the power failure may also be due to an overload in the network from the extensive use of air-conditioners, due to the heat wave that has been affecting the Russian capital over the last few days.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

Related News:

Power Cut in Moscow

[04] End to Dumps by 2006

By Tina Valaoura

During the meeting he had this morning with local government general secretaries, the Minister for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works gave a deadline to municipalities and communities to have dealt with the 2,031 out of the 2,626 dumps around Greece by the end of the year. Mr Souflias underlined Greeces commitment to the European Commission that by the end of 2008 a solution will have been given to the problem of Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites (UWDS) with their abolition and restoration and in case there are problems, EU will impose sanctions that local governments will be called to pay.

Over 2,000 Dumps Have to Close

It should be noted that the regulation of the long lasting problem of dumps requires the close cooperation of local governments and prefectures, as well as technical and partially financial support from the Environment Ministry. Local Governments are responsible for the planning and construction of waste management works including landfills while the abolition and restoration of Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites is a local government responsibility.

As per the report of the ministry's competent committee, there are 1,173 inactive UWDS and 1,453 active ones and their restoration will require more than 400 million euros. In particular, the abolition and restoration of the inactive sites can be immediate, a rule which can apply for 194 active ones. What is more, each local government that does not have landfills could temporarily use a single Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Site, while the rest have to close down.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[05] Former Judiciary Detained Stathis in Koridallos Jail

By Athina Saloustrou

After his defense to the Appellate Interrogator Giannis Sideris, former First Instance Judge Leonidas Stathis was taken into custody. The former judiciary was accused of legalizing income from illegal activities and bribery concerning a large amount of money from 11 lawyers, in order to rule favorable decisions on their cases between December 2004 and January 2005. Mr Sideris and Prosecutor Kiriakos Karoutsos who also attended the three-hour defense of Stathis, judged that the accused should be taken to jail as a possible fugitive suspect and as dangerous over committing new offenses. In the same case, which is the first that the Supreme Court takes up over extra-judicial groups, lawyers that submitted money in Stathis accounts are also accused. During the coming days, more indictments against other Judges who were located by the investigation of the Supreme Court having illegal activities are expected to be made.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[06] Four Turkish Security Forces Men Killed Attack by Kurdish Rebels

By Anna Kourti

Four members of the Turkish Security Forces were killed during a Kurdish rebels ambush, in the province of Batman, in eastern Turkey. According to the Governor of the province, Haluk Imga, the culprits of the attack are rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Up to this moment, is has not been clarified if the soldiers car was attacked by rebels or drove over a landmine. In the beginning of the month, the army had warned that PKK (which has been renamed to Kongra Gel) will escalate its attacks in Turkey, since a large number has been located smuggling illegal explosives from northern Iraq, where PKK is based.

The news agency Anatolia broadcast that the Turkish authorities arrested ten people on the suspicion that they are members of the outlaw Islamic organization Hizb-ut Tahrir, which in Arabic means "Freedom Party." Last weekend, the arrested were shouting illegal slogans at a rally in Ankara, protesting the suppressive measures of the Uzbek government against the protestors in the city of Andijan, on May 13. The Uzbek government accused the organization, which is located in London, over last years suicide attacks targeted at the U.S. and Israeli embassies.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[07] Two People Dead Shipwreck with Illegal Immigrants

By Anna Kourti

A ship carrying illegal immigrants sank at the Sicily Strait. The Italian news agency Ansa broadcast that two people lost their lives and 11 were rescued. The ship sank around 60 miles from Libyas shores and around 150 miles south of the Italian island Lampedusa. According to Ansa, which quoted fishermen of the area, two illegal immigrants were found dead and eleven were rescued. Also, up to this moment the number of people aboard the ship or their nationality has not been made known.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[08] With 59 Votes For and 3 Against Austria Ratifies EU Constitution

By Anna Kourti

With 59 votes for and 3 against, the Bundesrat, the Upper House of the Austrian Parliament ratified the European Constitution, two weeks after its ratification by the Nationalrat, the Lower House. Austria is the eight out of the 25 countries of the European Union that ratifies the Constitutional Treaty, which now has to be signed by the President of the country Heinz Fischer. Three representatives of the extreme right wing voted against the document.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[09] Victory and Disappointment

By Stathis Petropoulos

OFI were all but passive in the match against Panathinaikos in Crete, however the final 2-1 score in favour of the guests was a natural result, since the Greens wanted victory more in the hope that Olympiacos would lose in Thessaloniki. But even if the first kept their part of the deal, the latter won and victory over OFI was followed by bad mood. However, the three points have their own special importance, since Panathinaikos could have lost their place in the Champions League. And to cut a long story short, there was gain after all! Gekas opened the score, Machlas tied the match in the beginning of the rerun, but Konstantinou had the last word. Still, OFI were good and even made some attempts worth mentioning of.

Gekas Opened the Score

OFI had the first say in scoring attempts when in the 4' Machlas sent the ball slightly over Galinovic's bar with a header. From the 10' onwards, Panathinaikos gained control of the match and in the 15' Sifakis was forced to save Papadopoulos' header, while three minutes later Arvanitis sent the ball away shortly before the line. Panathinaikos' pressure paid off in the 25' with Gekas. The forward took advantage of Konstantinou's race and turn and opened the score in favour of the guests. The Greens got what they wanted and slowed down their pace, thus giving OFI the chance to reinstate balance in the match. In fact, the Cretans came close to drawing in the 37', when Machlas' straight shot hit Galinovic's bar.

OFI Tied But Finally Lost

Things changed with the start of the second half, as the home team leveled the match. Stavrakakis centered from the left and with a difficult header Machlas sent the ball straight into Galinovic's nets. Panathinaikos reacted immediately and finally regained the lead in the 61'. Michalis Konstantinou was the one to claim the ball outside the box, he overcame two defenders and prevailed over Sifakis with a kick. However, celebrations on the stands lasted for a short while, since seconds later Olympiacos was opening the score in Thessaloniki versus Iraklis. The guests controlled the pace until the very end without taking any chances, but their victory in Crete could only give them second place and send them in the third preliminary round of the Champions League.

Referee: Tapantzas (Thrace)

Yellow Cards: Pitsos Maric

OFI: Sifakis, Stavrakakis, Arvanitis (89' Tzanis), Tomas, Dentsas, Kounenakis, Pitsos (84' Ploussis), Davidson, Koutsoures, Machlas, Kazantzis (69' Dejanov)

PANATHINAIKOS: Galinovic, Morris, Goumas (85' Henriksen), Kotsios, Munch, Charalambidis (85' Vintra), Maric, Andric, Papadopoulos (74' Konstantinidis), Konstantinou, Gekas.

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[10] Aลส in the UEFA Cup

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

AEK occupied third place in this season's A National Football Championship after prevailing over Apollo Kalamaria today with 3-0 on home grounds. The gifts AEK's fans were expecting from Crete and Thessaloniki never came and now Fernando Santos' Union will participate in the first round of the UEFA Cup next season. Despite all, this year was more than successful for the Union, considering that it started with many financial problems and the best-case scenario was to play in the UEFA Cup. AEK could have gone even higher, but their defeat from Ionikos deprived them of the Championship dream.

Apotheosis by the Fans

From the very first minutes of the match it was obvious that the home team was thinking more of what was happening in Crete and Thessaloniki rather than focusing on their eleven opponents. Despite having total control of the match, AEK managed to create two scoring opportunities all and all in the first half, but Vladan Ivic in the 3' and Julio Cesar in the 43' missed from a very good spot. The clock was ticking and the fact that the title and second place were still an open case made the home team more nervous than what they should have been at a time when Kalamaria were forced to make two replacements (Parmaxidis and Wellington got injured) before the first half hour.

AEK had the same moderate appearance at the beginning of the second half. However, an outbreak set the record straight. Julio Cesar in the 60' and Soares in the 63' missed out on two amazing opportunities (the ball went wide) until the 71' when Cesar managed to open the score with a double attempt. A goal that was scored ten minutes after Olympiacos and Panathinaikos had scored as well, and AEK's dream was slowly starting to fade away. A while later in the 81', the home team sealed their victory when Simos Krassas sent the ball into the nets from a close range. Nikos Lymperopoulos formed the final 3-0 score in the 84' with an amazing goal.

Despite the bitterness of the Championship loss and second place that leads to the Champions League preliminary round, after the end of the match AEK's fans went mad for the players for a year that was completed in a much better way than what was expected last summer.

Referee: Koukoulakis (Irakleio)

Yellow Cards: Petkov, N. A. Papadopoulos

Lineups

มลส: Chiotis, Malbasa, Morras, Bruno Alves (87' Kostenoglou), Petkov (77' Krassas), Kontis (46' Bourbos), Ivic, Assuncao, Lymperopoulos, Soares, Julio Cesar.

KALAMARIA: Zafeiropoulos, Nikos C. Papadopoulos, Nikos A. Papadopoulos, Fytanidis, Petkakis (63' Britto), Parmaxidis (10' Koussas), Karamanlis, Hadji, Spyropoulos, Clayton, Wellington (27' Karaliopoulos).

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[11] Season Ended Victoriously for Chalkidona

By Dimitris Alexopoulos

Although the season was tough on Chalkidona, it ended with a victory. Giorgos Paraschos' team that faced many problems due to many and heavy injuries, prevailed easily in the away match over Kerkyra in the last round of the Championship with 1-3. On the other hand, Kerkyra failed one more time to reach a positive result and will return to B National clearly more experienced. We can only hope that they will turn experience into knowledge that will help them return to A National soon.

Having Both Control and Goals

The guests took the lead from the very first minutes and opened the score in the 4' with Zacharopoulos.

Lakis Papaioannou's players did not have the mental strength to answer back since they had already been relegated before the last round and consequently Chalkidona became the absolute master of the match.

In the 18' Zacharopoulos was awarded a penalty kick which he easily converted into a goal (0-2), while in the 25' Moyo scored the third goal for Chalkidona and until the end of the first half, 0-3 did not change.

In the rerun, Kerkyra reduced the difference to 1-3 in the 47' with Fofonka's header, in what was the best of a very few attempts.

Referee: Mazarakos

Lineups

KERKYRA: Mitrogiannis, Braga (46' Papagiannis), Syros, Kantas, Antoniou, Bughanem, Gitas, Da Silva (46' Gibro), Garozis, Fofonka, Ioannou

CHALKIDONA: Andriolas, Geladaris, Koutsis (75' Dimos), Korbos (25 Al Jaher), Pappas, Katemis, Sotirchos, Zacharopoulos (83' Macado), Simos, Korakakis, Moyo

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[12] Equal in all Respects

By Stathis Petropoulos

Todays match between Xanthi and Ionikos did not prove very interesting, as expected. Xanthi had secured the fourth place, which guaranteed them a spot in the UEFA Cup for the second time in the history of the club. Ionikos, on the other hand, was not facing relegation, so it was playing stress-free. The most memorable moment was when Xanthis administration paid homage to the late Nikos Kanellakis, since before the beginning of the match it presented his sons with a plaque, commemorating their father and former president of Ionikos FC. The home team welcomed Uruguayan Alex Kasseres to their bench as interim coach, following the surprise departure of Vangelis Vlachos. Furthermore, only three of its main players were included in the initial line-up. Despite all that, Ionikos had a strong start and took control of the game in the first half.

It even took the lead in the 24, when Melabianakis centered the ball to Makor, who beat Anastasopoulos at the nets. On the other hand, the visitors coach was not on the bench, as he is overseas, so his assistant Marinos Ouzounidis was responsible for the team. In the second half, they turned the match around and moved to the offence, aiming for an equaliser. Although they did not have many opportunities for goal, they eventually managed to score. Karabas, who had come in as a substitution, found the mark in the 84, giving Xanthi a point for the tie, since the team did not want to end the season with a loss.

Referee: Vasiliou

Yellow Cards: Da Costa, Poulopoulos, Issa Prittas, Kordounouris, Kazakis

IONIKOS: Kantimiris, Poulopoulos, Maggos, Makor, Zivkovic (74 Lettieri), Vourexakis, Melabianakis, Diamantis, Kalamaras (65 Loizidis), Issa, Da Costa (62 Triantafyllakis).

XANTHI: Anastasopoulos, Zapropoulos, Torosidis, Maghradze (46 Karabas), Paviot, Kordounouris, Prittas, Baykara, Vozabal (72 Cleber), Nikasio (61 Dimitriadis), Kazakis.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[13] PAOK Defeated with Four Goals

By Stathis Petropoulos

This season had a dreamy finale for Egaleo, as they prevailed over PAOK in empty Toumba with the wide and humiliating score of 2-4. The final result is surely not indicative of the two teams' difference, but it is surely indicative of PAOK's indifference and their belief that the original 1-0 was enough to make them win. To cut a long story short, it seems that in the 20' Miecel found his way to the nets for good and opened the score with an excellent long kick. However, a quarter later Egaleo saw their efforts paying off an in the 35' Nikolopoulos surpassed Undeze and tied the match to 1-1. Nine minutes later, Barkoglou made a strong attempt, the ball hit on Fernandez' right post and landed inside (1-2). Shortly after the beginning of the second half, Nikolopoulos raised the stakes even higher as in the 49' he scored his second goal (1-3) and following Manousakis' centre-kick he scored a hat-trick in the 82 thus increasing the difference to 1-4. The only thing PAOK managed to do in the end was to score their second goal in the 85' with Salpiggidis (2-4).

Referee: Dabosis (Pieria)

PAOK: Fernandez, Undeze, Karypidis, Egomitis, Koutsopoulos, Fuccini, Vangelis, Andralas, Megahead, Salpiggidis, Miecel

EGALEO: Sidibe, Alexopoulos, Psomas, Edusei, Papoutis, Barkoglou, Fotakis, Tsatsos, Manousakis, Agritis, Nikolopoulos

Translated by Sofia Soulioti

[14] Bitter Farewell for Aris

Sources: ANA

Kallithea bade farewell to the Division one championship with a victory, as it defeated Aris by 3-1 in the last match of the season. During their first game without Takis Lemonis on the bench, the home team achieved great performances at times, a fact that stems from the very good work that the experienced Greek coach put in throughout the season. On the other hand, the historic team of Aris was left with a sour taste in its mouth, while it will probably be starting off the new season with a new coach, as per the latest rumours.

Strong Start, Boring Finish

The home team took the lead just in the 7 with Vokolos, who cashed in on a corner kick by Kyriakos and opened the score with a header. Three minutes later, Koulakiotis knocked over Chrysafis and was shown a red card, leaving his team with 10 players.

Later on, Aris which was relegated to Division two following yesterdays decision by the HFF brought the game on even terms and managed to tie the score in the 25. Kyriakos knocked over Inogue inside the penalty box and the referee awarded Aris a penalty, which Chrysafis converted into a goal.

In the second half, the handful of fans present watched a boring match, with very few opportunities for goals.

In one of those moments, and specifically in the 68, Koutsospyros beat Pourliotopoulos at the nets with a header, scoring the second goal for Kallithea.

Three minutes before the final whistle, Alexandris scored yet another goal for Kallithea, making the score 3-1.

Referee: Kouklakis

Red Card: Koulakiotis

Starting Lineups:

KALLITHEA: Bartzokas (19 Drabalis), Karatzas, Koulakiotis, Vokolos, Georgiev, Telkinski, Savvidis, Tzorbatzakis, Kyriakos, Tsigas, Koutsospyros.

ARIS: Pourliotopoulos, Naidos, Koltsidas, Gogolos, Kallimanis, Nebegleras, Murawski, Passalis, Makromichalis, Inogue, Kuemaha.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[15] Victory Behind Closed Doors

Sources: ANA

Panionios ended this years season, which was burdened with problems, victorious. The team from Nea Smyrni defeated the already relegated Ergotelis behind closed doors, finishing in 11th place in the rankings. The home team played much better throughout the game and had no trouble taking the three points for the victory against the Cretan team, which will be playing in Division two next season. Panionios took the lead in the 20, when Breska kicked to Mantzios, who sent the ball to Ximerakis nets.

The beginning of the second half was ideal for the home team, as they managed to double their score right in the 47, with the help of their opponents, since Charalambakis, in an effort to clear away the ball, sent it to the nets.

Nothing changed until the end and Panionios took the three points in the last match of the season, which the fans and the team will be hoping to forget real soon.

Referee: Tsahilidis

PANIONIOS: Strakosha, Vlcek, Galanopoulos, Domoraud, Kiassos (77 Stamos), Makos, Tsiolis (46 Goundoulakis), Zimonjic, Mantzios, Breska (65 Patsiavouras).

ERGOTELIS: Ximerakis, Charalambakis, Argyrakis, Dimitris, Filekovic (46 Falemi), Soutzis, Voskaridis, Parvu (75 Girtsa), Mazibucco, Tzanetis, Ogunsoto (60 Eleftheriadis).

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

[16] Return to the Top

By Stathis Petropoulos

Two titles in the span of three days is not bad at all for any team, including Olympiacos, which managed to win the dreamy double, after going through thick and thin. Todays championship final in Kaftatzoglio Stadium was just as adventurous, but the 1-0 score was enough for Olympiacos to receive the three points, which kept it at the top of the rankings. With 65 points overall, it finished the season a point ahead of Panathinaikos, which won in Iraklio, but did not have luck by its side. Tonights final match in Thessaloniki started off under harsh conditions, which did not allow either of the teams to play well. After the first half, though, the pitch was cleared and so Olympiacos overcame its stress and fatigue. With Rivaldo performing his magic once again and scoring the winning goal in the 61, the team won the "sweetest out of the 33 championships", as was printed on the T-shirts the players wore after the end of the match.

Rotten Pitch, Dismal Spectacle

The swamp in Kaftatzoglio Stadium, because of the pouring rain, was not an ideal place for a championship decider to be played. So for the first 45 minutes, the two teams battled it out both against each other, as well as against the elements of nature. The quality of the spectacle during the first half was dismal, since the ball kept getting stuck in the mud. Although Olympiacos appeared willing to charge ahead, it literally got stuck, consuming its efforts to remain standing and avoid any problems, rather than trying to play offensively.

In the defence, the game was mainly concentrated in Abaris box, but the ball kept being kicked away for counterattacks. Actually, these were the only times that Iraklis was able to threaten its opponent, since Olympiacos left defensive side was the driest part of the pitch, and Epalle managed to centre the ball a couple of times. In the added time of the first half, one of the kicks hit Kostoulas chest, a fact that prompted some mild protests for a penalty. On the other hand, Olympiacos was cursing its bad luck, not just because of the rain, but because they also hit the post twice. In the 28, Okkas header stopped at the posts, while the same thing happened with Georgatos kick a little while later. Another noteworthy incident of the first half was Nikopolidis injury, after he collided with Anatolakis, and for a moment it looked like he was going to be substituted. Finally, the capped goalkeeper recovered and continued playing.

Dry at Last!

It should be mentioned, though, that Abaris played very well, since his nets were kept goalless not just because of the two posts by Olympiacos, but also due to his great saves. This continued in the second half, since in the 47, he cleared away a kick by Okkas. After the 50-minute mark, the match became fast-paced and subsequently much more interesting. Naturally, this was also due to the fact that the stadium employees managed to literally mop up the pitch during half time. The fast pace led to a few excellent moments in a span of five minutes. In the 57, Papapostolou missed his sole chance to score, while in the counterattack, Okkas kicked for goal, but Abaris was once again well-prepared.

Mission Accomplished

In the 61, and following a string of attacks by Olympiacos, Djordevic kicked to Rivaldo, who worked his magic and scored an excellent goal, assisted by Okkas. From that points onwards, although Olympiacos appeared stress-free, its players seemed tired, so it did not really threaten its opponent. However, Iraklis tried for a comeback in the 79, when Keita received the ball, but could not carry the effort through. Finally, just before the final whistle, a few harsh words were exchanged between the players of the two squads, but the incident did not escalate further.

Referee: Terovitsas

Yellow Cards: Epale, Stefanis, Taralidis, Djordjevic, Giovanni, Pantos

IRAKLIS: Abaris, Stefanis, Seghiri, Katsabis (69 Papazacharias), Snaucner, Ioannou (65 P. Kapetanos), Keita, Epalle, Lagos, Fortuzi (76 Bakircioglu), Papapostolou.

OLYMPIACOS: Nikopolidis, Pantos, Georgatos (80 Mavrogenidis), Kostoulas, Anatolakis, Stoltidis, Taralidis, Rivaldo (93 Kafes), Okkas (Castillo), Giovanni, Djordjevic.

Translated by Vicky Ghionis

The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article