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You may remember me (almost certainly not, though) from such career threads as 'The Seagulls are trying to nick my chips again' and 'Dave Duncan's tour of obscurity' Welcome... After a two-and-a-half year hiatus, I have contracted the FM bug once again. Having skipped FM18 and most of FM19, I have dipped my toe into the vast waters of football management again. As much as I loved the Weston-super-Mare journey, I am far too promiscuous to try that again - the journeyman style suits me perfectly! My previous journeyman on here took me to Iceland, China, England, Belgium and Germany - I definitely get around... Setup... I will be starting unemployed, as always, with Sunday League reputation and a National C Licence (as I hold that badge in real life - talk about a humble brag!). We have loaded a large database with the lowest playable league in the following nations: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Wales. That gives us a player count of 72,000 - surely we can find a few decent ones?! Plans... There are no grand plans for this save - I'll be learning on the job with FM19 as it looks like there's plenty of new features to get to grips with. I cannot wait to truly experience the wonders of VAR! I'll be introducing my first club in the next post and hopefully you'll join me on another crazy ride! The story so far... The trophy cabinet...

After a bit if a break away from the site, I am back with a new story which I will look to keep going for as long as I can possible Ive been doing a bit of thinking and an idea for a save was somewhere that i havent played before and this was Greece So I am going to start a new career mode on Football Manager 2019 and see where it will take me. I might become a managerial casualty but then I could be a winner we shall see Updates will appear as often as i can so i hope you all enjoy the thread and my career progression.

AO Panthiraikos Greek National C Division Group 7 Here we go!

FM18 All-European (Less England) Small Club to Big Club Challenge Introduction Welcome to a new chapter in the history of the ‘Euro Nation’ Challenge, born out of the recent history of the highly successful Gundo’s Challenge and the Big Euro Nation Challenge that spawned out of it. Originally set up as an alternative to the hugely successful Dafuges Challenge for FM06, Gundos Challenge offered an alternative for people who wanted to play in another European country. The Big Euro Nation Challenge followed for FM08 and, like Gundo’s Challenge, has had some fantastic stories over the years. These threads have always been hugely popular and successful thanks to those who played, and who still take part, in the challenges. Some of the stories are legendary, and hopefully more of these will be born in this, and future, versions of the game. The premise of the challenge is the same, and simple, to start with a previously unplayable club and taking them all the way to a National Title and then on to winning the European Champions League. With a variety of leagues, styles of play, different rules, and many different locations for your clubs there can be a lot of variety throughout the thread, providing a great atmosphere and stories for our users to become immersed in. General Challenge Info Possible Countries Austria Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Finland France - June 20th Germany Greece Holland * Hungary Iceland Ireland * Israel Italy - July 30th N. Ireland - 25th June Norway - January 13th Poland Portugal Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain - July 10th Sweden - December 15th Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales * Holiday for two seasons not one. League Reset Dates Austria - 13th June Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Holland * Hungary Iceland Ireland * Israel Italy N. Ireland Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales The Rules A) Game Set-up 1) Load One Nation Only (All Available Divisions within your nation) 2) Your choice of Database Size (Large Recommended) 3) NO Edited Databases of any kind 4) Customising Database You can add players to the database up to a limit of 100,000 in total in order to add more depth to your save and also add more difficulty down the line. Suggested Adds Players from Top Clubs/Top Divisions (Europe or All Continents) - This increases the challenge at Continental Level Players Based in your Nation - This can add up to 50% more players to your game Players Based in your Region (Central Europe/East Europe/UK & Ireland) - This can add extra players likely to join your club There will be a file correcting the club/competition names, I will advise use of this. NO other additional customising is allowed. 5) Attribute Masking should be Enabled 6) Disable Ingame Editor (Please do this) 7) Optional Ticks Add Key Staff (This will give you a Scout, Physio & Ass Man by generating them if your club is without) Add Players in Playable Nations (This will ensure all clubs have a minimum number of players, generating them if needed) The extra levels of detail that you can change while in the game are up to you, as they shouldn't make a difference. B) Steps in the Game 1) Add an unemployed manager; you will not use this man to manage your club. I like "Unemployed Man or Holiday Man" 2) Go on holiday until the reset date of your chosen nation (Should take about an hour) TIP - Changing Detail Level to None will make it go faster. (Remember to change it back afterwards) TIP - Saving on the day before this date may give you a better choice of teams by reloading the game then going on holiday for one day, I would strongly recommend trying this. 3) Add a new manager - Use yourself, or a created character to help build a story line a) Personal Details - Your Choice b) Tracksuit vs. Trainer - Your Choice c) Past Experience lowest Possible (Generally Sunday League) d) Coaching Licenses lowest Possible (None) e) Other options are up to you TIP - If you add the language of your country of choice it will make it easier at the beginning TIP - Training now includes you at some level depending on your abilities. 4) Choose to take over any club which has been promoted to the bottom playable league of your nation. TIP - Easiest way in FM17 to see this is on the "Season Review" screen, showing the "Promoted Clubs" TIP - You can confirm your club by checking the Domestic History's page for not being at this level since start of game 5) Retire your unemployed manager. 6) Manage your club to National Title & European Champions League Victory 7) Completing the Challenge. C) Signing of Players 1) You must be able to scout them TIP - You don't actually have to scout them, just be able to TIP - You can check your scouting range on the Scouting page 2) Alternatively (If you can't scout them), you must bring them on a trial first 3) You are able to sign anyone sent to you via Agent Offer TIP - Make sure you screenshot the Agent offer 4) In later versions you can get your DoF to find players, he will bring in players not in Scouting Range, these are also allowed. TIP - Grab a screenshot of your DoF signing them D) Posting 1) Player naming is allowed. (This is a warning for those of you who do not wish to see this) 2) Discussion of tactics is allowed. (This is another warning for those of you who do not wish to see this) Expected Updates We have minimum expectations when it comes to a first up post and also in the end of season updates. The Bold pages are necessary for everyone; the others are some suggestions that will get others interested in your posts and following your club. All other screenshots are welcome and encouraged, but we please ask that the majority are posted as links, because lots of pictures can make the page very slow to load. First Post: Domestic Leagues History (Club) Profile (Manager) Overview (Club) Squad (Club) End of Season Updates: Transfers (Club) - This is so we can see the ins & outs League Table (Competition) Squad (Club) Information (Manager) Profile (Manager) Information (Club) Profile (Players) Progress of your club should be documented using this thread; we want to hear the story of your club all the way through. Please keep us updated, even if you are doing badly. If you title your end of season report in bold this makes it easier to identify. Everyone will be supportive, and really get into your game if you give more detail. E) Other 1. If you are Sacked 1. You can Restart from the beginning or; 2. Continue your game and pick a new club (Under Same Rules) at the end of the next season or; 3. Add another Euro League/Remove Current League, holiday a whole season and continue 1. You can still only have one nation running at a time 2. Once the league becomes active you MUST holiday a full season 3. The club must be one of those unplayable from the beginning 2. No Restrictions on Parent or Feeder Clubs 3. International Management allowed from FM14 forwards (But you cannot start as an International Manager) The use of any external utilities and editors (Such as Genie Scout or FMM) are prohibited. As of FM14 there are also unlockables, these are also prohibited, please don't use them. It would be appreciated if you also ticked the box at the start which prevents the use of the ingame editor. How to Post a Screenshot 1) While in FM, press the 'Prt Sc' button (usually next to F12 on your keyboard). 2) Open an image editing program such as Paint and paste the image 3) Save the file as a JPEG or PNG 4) Upload the image to an image hosting website such as Photobucket or Imageshack 5) Post the direct URL to the image here. Alternatively using ALT + F9 in game saves a screenshot to your user data folder. (You can also edit this in the shortcuts options) The Euro Nation Motivational I would like to thank all of you who choose to participate in this thread this year, and to wish everyone taking on this challenge the best of luck on a long and hard journey to managerial success! I have personally had a number of hugely enjoyable saves over the years, first in Gundos challenge and then latterly in the Big Euro Nation Challenge. The atmosphere and support these threads have historically offered is key in making the thread, and your saves more enjoyable as I can testify to. I and some of the other regulars of these threads are here to help for the new challengers and hope everybody that participates contributes considerably to the thread. There is nothing better than getting immersed not only in your own game but providing the encouragement to other people's attempts too. Remember we are all fighting the same battle - to defeat the AI (and uncover fabulous newgens!) - Therefore it goes without saying that any form of cheating will be severely chastised. Don't do it! I know that it is painful to lose a European Final or to lose the title on the final day (I have been there myself on more than one occasion) but eventual success down the line is all the sweeter for those defeats. Good luck to all the participants – Here’s to a successful (and enjoyable) version!!

By Timo for FMSLife Sujet Original The Super League Greece (Greek: Ελληνική Σούπερ Λίγκα) or Souroti Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each. As of August 2017, Superleague Greece is ranked 14th in the UEFA ranking of leagues, based on performances in European competitions over the last five years DIVISIONS Super League (Division 1) Football League (Division 2) Gamma Ethnikí (Division 3 - 8 groupes) Real promotions at the end of the season (2 groups of 4) CUPS Kýpello Elládas (Coupe nationale) How to add Greece (D3) on FM19 Extract the contents of the .zip archive.Move the .fmf files to: documents/sports interactive/football manager 2019/editor dataCreate the last folder if it doesn't exist.Open FM19 and start a new career save. In the top right of the screen, under "Database", make sure each one of the database is selected.

I want to create a super cup for Greece. My country for some reason doesn't have one but I want to give the chance to the Champion to play with the Cup holder. There was a competition many years ago which had gone extinct, until 2007, and then it got extinct again. I tried enabling it but nothing happened. Then, I tried creating one, but still nothing happened. Any help please? Thanks

I was always keen on finding and promoting young players, but this now is much better than any time! I now have simultaneously 5 wonderkids at Panionios (the most historic Greek club) and i would have 6 if Atletico Madrid hadn't taken one from my team, by bidding the minimum fee release clause. Did anyone remember having more (not by using editor or something like that)? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. At least he generated some income for the club!

Hello from Greece. This tactic was created when I got a proposition from Southampton, after my 2,5 years trip with (full of depts.) Panathinaikos. The main shape is 3-2-2-1-2. The Team instructions As you can see both WB's and MCR are in automatic role. This is because it helps very much when I make changes to the tactic, during the game. Example. If during the game you win 1-0 and you just want to secure it, set mentality to Counter or defensive, low tempo, Team Shape Structured, defense line deeper, More direct passing and turn on Pass into space. Automatically both WB's and MCR are on defense duties. That's it the game is over. Opposite, if you are back to the score, set defense line Slightly Higher, turn on Offiside Trap, Higher tempo and Attacking Team Instructions. Link: http://www.mediafire.com/file/5xlxhnjjr6nwj2x/Southampton_3-5-2.fmf Waiting for feedback.

Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Ομιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών In 1922, most refugees from Constantinople opted to set up their new homes in the centre of Thessaloniki- being bourgeois, they preferred to secure the basic comforts they enjoyed previously. They formed compact societies and went on to set up a club. The “Union of Thessaloniki Constantinopolitans” was founded in May 1924 and is thought of as the threshold for the creation of various sports clubs carrying on the torch from their Constantinople’ predecessors. As provided in the Article 27 of the association, “if a sports section is created within the social club, then the former can become independent yet keep the same name, according to Olympic Committee regulations”. In June 1925, the sports section of the “Union of Thessaloniki Constantinopolitans” was inaugurated. Fanourios Vyzantios was appointed president, with Nikos Petropoulos and Aristidis Misios as members of the administration. After a few months of activity in all sports, the footballers of the club along with members of the Union expressed their wish for secession from the central social club in December 1925. The creation of AEK Thessaloniki aroused strong feelings. The procedures were cancelled, as the transfer of sporting activities should have been confirmed by the General Assembly and not the Board of Directors. Two prevailing trends appeared. The initiative was dubbed “rebellion” via an official announcement of the “Union of Thessaloniki Constantinopolitans”. All those opposed to the division rallied around then president of the Sports Executive Committee Nikos Petropoulos. The “battle” between the two sides lasted quite a long time and the joint General Assembly took place on 7 March 1926 to settle a dispute that emerged in December 1925. Nikos Petropoulos took 92 votes, level with Aristidis Misios who was on his side, and became president. The footballers, who had played a leading part in the secession, didn’t accept the development and sent an official announcement to the newspapers, inveighing against the new administration. “We hereby declare that we belonged and will obey the rulings of the first legal Board of Directors. We do not accept you as administration, even if you are legalized”. The new administration of AEK Thessaloniki chose to expel the players who had signed the announcement and refer them to the Union of Football Clubs of Makedonia and Thrace. The reaction of the other part was to be expected. At first, they held an unofficial encounter against Panathinaikos on 28 March 1926 and lost 5-0. On March 1926, Τr. Triantafyllidis, Κ. Koemtzopoulos, Κ. Kritikos, Μ. Theodosiadis, I. Ioakimopoulos, Αr. Dimitriadis, Α. Angelopoulos and Μ. Tsoulkas gathered in the Constantinopolitans’ Club and signed the establishment protocol of the new sports club. On 5 April, the General Assembly took place with the participation of the footballers. On 20 April 1926, PAOK’s first memorandum of association was approved on an order by the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822). The first emblem of PAOK (1926) depicted a four-leaf clover and a horseshoe. The leaves were green and above them were the initials of the word PAOK. The unforgettable Kostas Koemtzopoulos came up with this idea, inspired by his brand of cigarettes. The first Board of Directors of PAOK (1926-27) consisted of: President: T. Triantafyllidis First vice-president: P. Kalpaktsoglou Second vice-president: A. Athanasiadis General secretary: K. Kritikos Special secretary: M. Tsoulkas Treasurer: Th. Ioakimopoulos Director of football: A. Angelopoulos Consultants: M. Konstantinidis and S. Triantafyllidis The separation of 1926 created a deep discord and the new club would face many problems because of it. Their members wanted to change the status quo and called all Thessaloniki clubs in an assembly on 28 July 1926 in order to propose the creation of a new Union of Football Clubs consisting only of the Thessaloniki outfits and leaving central administration to the Makedonia-Thrace Union. PAOK were accused of mutiny because of the “false assembly” (as dubbed by EPSMTH) and were handed a three-month ban with a six-month suspension. The team’s administration wanted to prove that they were a living part of Thessaloniki’ sports scene and registered 50 players to the Union for the upcoming season, scheduled to kick off in fall 1926. In 1926-27, PAOK took part in the B’ Thessaloniki League, where AEK Thessaloniki were also participating. They played their first official encounter on 12 December 1926, prevailing 3-1 over Nea Genea. According to EPSMTH’s proclamation, the Union would ratify PAOK’s promotion only if they defeated all teams of A’ Thessaloniki League. They did so in style –after claiming the B’ Thessaloniki League title, they defeated all teams of the A’ League (Thermaikos, Aris and Atlantas) and gave their last match of the season at Iraklis, prevailing 1-0 over them courtesy of a Tsolakidis’ goal. In 1927-28, PAOK took part in the A’ Thessaloniki League for the first time. In 1930-31 they qualified for their maiden participation in the Greek League. They made their debut on 1 February 1931 in Piraeus, losing 3-1 to Olympiacos. In 1928, they engaged in yet another dispute with AEK Thessaloniki, regarding the acquisition of land to build a stadium. AEK eventually got their way, as the land was not big enough for a football field. In March 1929, the six-month effort to merge the twinned clubs finally bore fruit. AEK Thessaloniki had dissolved their football section since 1927 and preserved just the athletics’ sections. These sections were essentially absorbed, as there was no decision to merge nor were AEK Thessaloniki legally dissolved. PAOK changed their emblem, adopted the Double-Headed Eagle, took over the installations of AEK Thessaloniki (among them, the area in the Syntrivani region, where the Theological School stands today). In 1929, both clubs tried to expand the area in order to build a home ground for PAOK. After dealing with the underground river by channeling the water through pipes, PAOK managed to lay the foundation stone on 12 December 1930, as a pre-election promise one week before municipal elections. Construction work finished relatively soon and, on 5 June 1932, the Syntrivani Stadium was inaugurated with PAOK’s 3-2 victory over Iraklis. The first distinctions PAOK won their first Thessaloniki League in 1937. In the following year, Nikos Sotiriadis became the first player of the Double-Headed Eagle to earn a cap with the Greece national team. On 28 May 1939 PAOK played their first Greek Cup final, losing 2-1 to AEK in Leoforos Alexandra. On their way to the final, the Thessaloniki outfit had eliminated Ellas Florina (6-1), Iraklis (3-2) and Ethnikos (4-0). In the final showdown, PAOK took the lead through Aristidis Ioannidis-Apostolou (39’), but AEK turned the tie around with goals by Chatzistavridis and Manetas to lift the trophy. PAOK’s starting line-up that day: Sotiriadis, Koukoulas, Kontopoulos, Kalogiannis, Vatikis, Panidis, Glaros, Bostantzoglou, Arvanitidis, Ioannidis-Apostolou, Kritas. After World War II, PAOK regrouped and in 1951 they made it once more to the Greek Cup final, held again at Leoforos Alexandra. Their rivals on that occasion were Olympiacos, who went on to win 4-0. The starting eleven of PAOK that day: Lykaris, Patakas, Golemis, Arvanitis, Gogos, Psomas, Vassiliadis, Mouratidis, Tzinopoulos, Papadakis, Emmanouilidis. The chicos of Willy and the Golden Era Wilhelm (Willi) Sefzik, the Austrian coach who also played for the club back in 1931-32, made a breakthrough move in 1952 that would change PAOK’s status. He created the Academy of the Double-Headed Eagle, the renowned “chicos of Willi”, in order to trace and push forward talented players by working with them from a very young age. The experiment proved successful as the youth section produced big players who made history for PAOK, such as Leandros, Symeonidis, Giannelos, Margaritis, Giorgos Chavanidis etc. The creation of the Academy, along with the signings of PAOK in the early ‘50s upgraded the team and marked the dawn of their first golden era. In the summer of 1953, the club signed Kouiroukidis, Petridis, Progios, Geroudis, Kemanidis, Chourvouliadis, Chasiotis and Angelidis. PAOK became an almighty force and were proclaimed Thessaloniki champions for three years in a row, boosted by the legendary trio Gentzis, Kouiroukidis and Papadakis. PAOK were Thessaloniki’s main representative in the Greek football stage and the senior team of the club reached their third Greek Cup final in 1955. The match was played in the home ground of their rival, Panathinaikos, in Leoforos Alexandras Stadium! Making their home advantage count, the Greens prevailed 2-0. The starting eleven of PAOK that day: Progios, Kermanidis, Geroudis, Kalogiannis, Chasiotis, Doukakis, Tsintoglou, Karafoulidis, Gentzis, Papadakis, Kiourtzis. The construction of Toumba Stadium The team was progressing rapidly, creating the need for the club to have their own bigger and better home ground, where they could stage their ambitions. Searching out for the best location, PAOK’s administration chose an area at Toumba that belonged to the Ministry of National Defence. The specific area was picked for two reasons. Firstly, that neighborhood of Thessaloniki had an indissoluble bond with the refugees from Asia Minor. Secondly, the huge stretch on offer permitted PAOK to create a big arena. After the essential negotiations, the club purchased the 7.5-acre area and construction began. There was also a lottery authorized to help finance the works. Toumba Stadium opened its gates for the first time on 6 September 1959 to welcome PAOK and their supporters. It was inaugurated by the Minister of National Defence, G. Themelis. Before kick-off of the friendly encounter against AEK, the ball was thrown from a military aircraft overflying the premises. The inauguration of Toumba coincided with the inaugural season of the A’ Ethniki Katigoria, therefore permitting PAOK to kick off their engagements in the league in their own brand new home. The following years went by without any noteworthy success for the club. PAOK made their maiden appearance in European competition in 1965-66, when they faced Wiener SK for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The great team of the ‘70s PAOK laid down the foundations for one of the best teams ever to grace Greek football fields. Thanks to their methodical acquisition of young talented players who went on to consolidate themselves in football’s Hall of Fame, the Double-Headed Eagle built a squad that managed to combine free-flowing attractive football with titles. Led by Giorgos Koudas and a horde of great players like Stavros Sarafis, Achilleas Terzanidis, Dimitris Paridis, Kostas Iosifidis, Giannis Gounaris and Christos Terzanidis among others, PAOK became a title contender and reached milestones that still stand to this day. That team gave PAOK their first titles. From 1970 until 1974, the Double-Headed Eagle competed in five consecutive Greek Cup finals, winning the trophy twice. The first trophy was won in 1972, when PAOK prevailed 2-1 over Panathinaikos in Karaiskakis Stadium, Koudas netting a brace in an encounter attended by 34.831 spectators. PAOK’s line-up was the following: Chatzioannou, Gounaris, Papadopoulos, Iosifidis, Fountoukidis, Terzanidis, Bellis, Sarafis (68’ Lazos), Apostolidis, Koudas, Aslanidis (76’ Mantzourakis). Two years later, Les Shannon troops went on to defeat Olympiacos and reclaim the trophy. The score after regulation time and extra time was 2-2 and the Double-Headed Eagle won 4-3 in the penalty shootout. PAOK’s starting line-up was: Stefas, Gounaris, Tsiligiridis, Iosifidis, Pellios, Terzanidis (113’ Fountoukidis), Paridis, Sarafis, Apostolidis, Koudas, Aslanidis (95’ Anastasiadis). Those two Greek Cups proved the appetizers before the main course, served in 1976. By then PAOK had managed to cope with pressure and won their maiden Greek league title. Apart from their success, as they were also finalists of the Greek Cup editions of 1977 and 1978, the team’s playing style earned them many friends and admirers across Greece. The emergence of PAOK FC and the second league title In the late ‘70s football became professional in Greece and PAOK entered a new era. On 18 July 1979, a limited liability football company (Ltd) was founded by the name “Pan-Thessalonikan Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans” (Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinopoliton), entitled “PAOK FC”. The starting share-capital amounted to 37.100.000 drachmas and the unforgettable Giorgos Pantelakis became the first president. PAOK’ high flights would continue during the ‘80s, with just a few seasons to forget. The team reached the Greek Cup final three more times, but didn’t win the trophy again before 2001. In 1981, they lost 3-1 to Olympiacos in Nea Filadelfia Stadium, in 1983 they were defeated 2-0 by AEK in the Olympic Stadium of Athens and, in 1985, in the same venue, they lost 4-1 to Larissa. A major year in the history of PAOK would be 1985. The Double-Headed Eagle won their second league title (first professional one), led by Austrian head coach Walter Skocik. The team included players such as Iosifidis, Alavantas, Alexandridis, Vasilakos, Jurišić, Damanakis, Dimopoulos, Kostikos, Pantelis, Paprica, Skartados, Tsourelas etc. The main characteristic of the ‘80s was the unconditional love and the fanaticism of the fans, a phenomenon breaking all records and transcending Greek borders. The decade’s highlights were the two encounters against FC Bayern München, with PAOK managing to hold the Bavarians both in Toumba and in Munich, but succumbed in the penalty shootout. Their elimination however didn’t eclipse the Double-Headed Eagle’s magnificent effort against one of Europe’s powerhouses. The… sterile ‘90s The league triumph of 1985 completed a cycle of success and the dawn of the ‘90s found PAOK in sporting recess. Another participation in the Greek Cup final in 1991-1992 ended with the “Double-Headed Eagle” on the losing side, in a two-legged tie with Olympiacos (1-1 at Toumba, 0-2 at Karaiskakis Stadium). PAOK were banned from European competition following crowd incidents in the home encounter against Paris St-Germain. The fans’ clash with president Thomas Voulinos led to a change of ownership in 1996. The majority of the club’s shares was acquired by Giorgos Batatoudis in 1996. The Greek businessman from Evros, who based his companies in Athens, started his tenure impressively. The acquisition of Zisis Vryzas from Skoda Xanthi in the summer of 1996 and the signings of Kostas Fratzeskos from OFI Crete and Spyros Marangos from Panathinaikos in January 1997 lifted the competitive profile of the team. The squad already boasted the presence of great players like Thodoros Zagorakis, Giorgos Toursounidis and Nikos Michopoulos. With Angelos Anastasiadis at the helm, PAOK had two excellent seasons (1996-97, 1997-98) and qualified easily for the UEFA Cup. Back to their winning ways The squad was reinforced with great players (Georgiadis, P. Konstantinidis. V. Borbokis, Venetidis, Okkas, Egomitis, Frousos, Nalitzis etc.) and in January 2000 the coaching reins were handed to Bosnian Dušan Bajević. Under his tutelage, the Double-Headed Eagle played excellent football. In May 2001, PAOK emphatically prevailed 4-2 over Olympiacos in the Greek Cup final, held at Nea Filadelfia, and celebrated their first trophy in 16 years. The return of the team in Thessaloniki was spectacular. Fans had packed the city streets to applaud the triumphant squad that greeted the fans from the top of the White Tower. Two years later, PAOK won the Greek Cup once again. They defeated Aris 1-0 in Toumba Stadium, thanks to a goal by Giorgos Georgiadis. Angelos Anastasiadis was the coach on that occasion (his third spell at the coaching job at PAOK). He is the only one who has celebrated titles with the Double-Headed Eagle both as player and as coach. The Zagorakis era In the summer of 2005, Thodoros Zagorakis returned to PAOK, seven years after leaving (1998) to continue his career at the ranks of Leicester, AEK and Bologna. The skipper of the Greek team that triumphed in Euro 2004 retired in 2007, but he didn’t leave Toumba. In a financially and administratively challenging period, Zagorakis assumed PAOK FC’s presidency in an effort to lead them back to greatness. He was joined –among other personalities- by another veteran player of the club, Zisis Vryzas. PAOK fans rallied around the new effort and, by becoming the main financial supporters of the club, they helped the Double-Headed Eagle back on its feet. The roster was boosted with the arrival of renowned players, like Pablo García, Pablo Contreras, Zlatan Muslimović, André Vieirinha, Vladan Ivić, Kostas Chalkias, Lino, and Fernando Santos took the reins of the squad. PAOK managed to put together a very strong squad and record impressive results in Europe. In 2009-10, they finished second in the Super League and earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers –they were eliminated by AFC Ajax after two draws on the away goal rule. The first important challenge for the administration, however, was to construct a new athletic centre. They found the space in 2008 at Nea Mesimvria, in the outskirts of Thessaloniki. The first phase of construction was completed in 2011 and PAOK started using their new sports facilities. Mr. Ivan Savvidis’ investment One year later, PAOK stepped into a new chapter of their history, as Mr. Ivan Savvidis acquired the majority of the shares. He first became interested in the purchase of PAOK FC in 2006. Six years later, he reiterated his wish to invest in the Double-Headed Eagle. Negotiations lasted for five months and in August 2012 a deal was struck, making him the majority shareholder of the club. Panagiotis Katsouris’ memory is still alive… The death of Panagiotis Katsouris is a black page in PAOK’s history books. A young, lad, who put on the black-and-white jersey for 18 months, met an untimely death at the age of 22 in a car accident, a few minutes after playing a 5×5 match with his friends. Panagiotis was passionate about football and cars –the latter betrayed him on 9 February 1998. Born on 28 October 1976, Katsouris joined PAOK from Naoussa in the summer of 1996. He was arguably the best left-full back of his generation, already an U21 international –that proved the quickest way to the initial line-up of the “Double-Headed Eagle”. In 8 September 1996, in the league opener against OFI that PAOK won 3-1, Swede tactician Gunder Bengtsson gave Panagiotis his first start. His circle at PAOK would sadly stop abruptly against the same opponent: vs OFI at Toumba Stadium. On 25 January 1998, a few days before the accident, he featured for 12 minutes in the encounter against the Cretan outfit. He netted 3 goals in a total of 29 games for the “Double-Headed Eagle”: 24 matches for the league, four in the Greek Cup and one UEFA Cup encounter against Club Atlético de Madrid. A memorial service is held every year on the spot where Katsouris lost control of his car and lost his life. Everybody attends it: the administration of PAOK FC, the family and friends of the player and PAOK fans. Since 2009, the club hold the annual Youth Tournament “Panagiotis Katsouris” in his memory –a renowned tournament and among the best in the Balkans. 04.10.1999 | Time doesn’t go by, it stops… Six names stand the test of time, as nobody at PAOK has forgotten them… Charalampos, Dimitris, Christina, Anastasios, Giorgos, Kyriakos… Your love for PAOK brought you here, left you here and went beyond. Your love has become a beacon of devotion and loyalty to the four-letter ideal for those who sit by your seats, remember your outings and shed tears recollecting that fateful evening of October 1999. Your beloved habit, your addiction to the “Double-Headed Eagle’s” worship led you to the double-decker bus that drove you to the Olympic Stadium of Athens on 3 October. You were there, you chanted for PAOK, you celebrated Nagbe’s equalizer and then boarded the bus again for the trip back home. By dawn, you were tired, as every time that you would travel hundreds of kilometers in one day in order to stand by the team, show your devotion, teach every newcomer what determination is. The change of driver proved fatal… A clumsy overtake, two kilometers away from the Tempi tolls, loss of control and the Kordelios Fan Club bus drove off the road to plunge down… Thousands of “why” questions have been asked, thousands of pages filled with the survivors’ memories have been written about that dreadful accident at Tempi. Strong memory is the essential ingredient for the maintenance of PAOK’s character and values that unite so many souls to sing the same chants, to applaud the same emblem, to sacrifice so much, to sacrifice themselves… Since then, guys, another chant has been added to the lot. You would sing it too, were it not about you: “Brothers, you are alive and guiding us…” Indescribable shiver… You should feel proud that everybody sings as one… We all begged that the clock would turn back. We prayed so hard, but it wasn’t to be. We didn’t resign however. We swore we would not let time pass you by. We would not remember you just on the anniversary of that day. We remember and get inspired by you always. Time stopped on 04.10.1999… On that day, PAOK mourned. Since that day, PAOK are “maimed”. Whatever we achieve and dedicate to you, we will always pray that you could be here with us…

Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone has or knows of where I can find a database or league update that includes the Greek amateur leagues. I really want to play as Kos as I went on holiday there not long ago and loved the place. Thanks in advance

Football Manager 2017 has an advantage over all the other editions. For you guys that spent years playing Sparta Rotterdam, Sparta Praga, Spartak Moscow and the mighty Blyth Spartans, always with the reference for the ancient Greek city, now you can actually play with a football club from modern day Sparta – now Sparti. In the second tier of Greece football, there’s AE Spartis. I’m one of you, trust me. I even won the Champions League with Sparta Rotterdam in FM 14 , but never had the balls to try the English Conference. AE Spartis is different. They’re newly promoted to Greek Division B, after two consecutive promotions. Hell, they’re heirs of Leonidas. Modern day Sparta is a tiny city in the Peloponnese region of Greece. Its population doesn’t go over 20.000 souls. Though its potential tourism, it has very few ancient sites - actually, it was built over the ruins of ancient Sparta. It’s not in the plans of the many tourists that visit Greece. It's a rather simple city, keeping tabs with Spartan reputation. Those guys liked to fight, didn't even care for money. So, we will fight now. Can AE Spartis reach the helms of Greek football? Can this small city again defy Athens? Let’s see. Leonidas Dienekes is the guy chosen to take over Spartis. The first name is obvious; the surname references a famous soldier, one of the 300 deceased at Thermopylae, that famous battle against Persia. It’s attributed to him one of the greatest punchlines of military history. When an Trachis soldier told the Spartans that Xerxes‘ army was so big that their arrows would block the sun, Dienekes replied: - Then we will fight in the shade. So do we.