I’m a long term lurker on these forums, and there’s some absolutely incredible threads so for a while now I’ve wanted to put my input into this community, but never managed to find a save I was completely invested in until now. I’m both a lover of football and storytelling, and so without wasting any more time, I’d like to introduce you to:
Christos Pythagoras
Part 1: An introduction to the gaffer
Believed to be a direct descendant of the great Greek philosopher with whom he shares his last name, Christos Pythagoras knows all about the history of Greece, he knows how great his country once was, and he wants to restore it to its past glory. Born in the Kallithea region of Athens, he’s no stranger to Greek football. He watched the Ethniki Ellados win gold on the biggest stage of all in 2004- the European Championships. He’s been surrounded by decorated teams, such as AEK, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, all his life. But Athens Kallithea is his passion project, he is desperate to take them from a fairly okay Super League 2 club to the strongest team in not only Greece, but Europe. He’s determined to do this through his tactical ingenuity and extensive knowledge of numbers, all whilst developing young Greek talent at the club in hopes of eventually helping to create a Greek national team capable of winning not only the Euros, but the World Cup too. And he wants to be the man at the helm for that aswell. Join Christos Pythagoras on his own odyssey to establish Greece as a pivotal nation once again.
Starting with no previous job experience and only a National C coaching licence on his CV, his appointment at Athens Kallithea FC was a shock one, which means that he will have to earn the fans trust.
The first thing Christos Pythagoras notices about his squad is the age. He knows that experience and mental attributes matter- after all, he is a descendant of the great mathematician Pyhtagoras- but he plans to be here for a while, and he knows that a starting XI consisting of a 39 year old, 35 year old, 34 year old and a 32 year old just isn't sustainable for the long term. He is determined to find the right balance between youthful exuberance and wise experience. With the 3rd oldest squad in the league, he can allow himself to rely on older figures, but slowly bringing down the average age is important to build value, as on their road to conquer Greece and Europe, Athens Kallithea will need to embrace being a selling club. You only need to take one look at the club's finances to recognise they're not blessed with money. But over time, with his meticulous eye for detail and a data recruitment strategy with a reliance on numbers that his ancestors would be proud of, Christos Pythagoras is confident of building value among players and send the club on an upwards tragectory.
In his first season in charge of Athens Kallithea FC, and also his first season as a manager of a professional football team, the club's board do not expect too much of their new gaffer, the target for the season is to secure a top half finish in Greek Super League 2, and maintain it in the few years after that. In one what will likely be a transition phase for this football team, Christos welcomes the lack of pressure on him, and encourages his team to embrace it.
