Greece is the word for Spanish Players part 2

La Primera Division is the best league in the world, but many players and coaches from Spain find shelter in Greece. A few comments on the Super League before we get into the Spanish players and coaches who plied their trade in Greece this past season.

Two weeks ago, the bubble burst or rather a bomb exploded with a match fixing scandal erupted which involved presidents of teams! The dirty secrets were now out in the open, now the case will go to the courts.

Now, lets speak about football. Olympiakos won the championship, and AEK the Greek Cup, both teams were helmed by a Spanish coach, Ernesto Valverde (ex Espanyol, Villarreal and Athletic coach) and Manolo Jimenez (ex Sevilla coach), respectively.

Olympiakos is the most successful team in Greece and have in their ranks five players from Spain. David Fuster was one of the stars or MVPs. He scored 12 goals in 29 appearances and helped the team to win many matches! Albert Riera who has played at Mallorca, Espanyol and Liverpool, scored 6 goals, but his performance was below expectations. He wasn’t the dominated winger he was in Espanyol. It would be wrong to criticize Moises Hurtado, he was unlucky with injuries and played only 18 matches. Next season, two more Spanish players will play for Olympiakos. Javito who didn’t get playing time at Deportivo this season, and Ivan Marcano (on loan from Villarreal). Olympiakos coach Ernesto Valverde easily won the League, as he did two years prior. He is a great coach for the Greek league and I am positive he will return to La Primera in the near future.

Two Spanish players played this season at Panathinaikos - Josu Sarriegi and Luis Garcia. The first, who played in the Greek championship since 2007, is an average player who has a good work rate. The best days of Luis Garcia are past him. You might recall he won the Champions League with Liverpool. Garcia played only 14 matches this season. He will play next season at Puebla in Mexico.

The coach of AEK is Manolo Jimenez. The former Sevilla coach managed to win the Greek Cup, with a team that had many economic problems. In the middle of the season, AEK took on loan Michel from Birmingham City. He played 15 matches and was generally pretty good. Next season in the team is bringing Jose Carlos and Cala from Sevilla on loan to replenish the squad.

Victor Vitolo plays for PAOK. Maybe the level of the 26year old footballer isn’t up to par for La Primera Division, but fits in well for the Greek league. Last season he played 25 matches and scored two times.

Aris has three Spanish players in their roster, but none of them were any good last year. Oriol Lozano, who spent six years in Racing Santander, wasn’t the first choice for the center back position. He was pretty mediocre. He played ten matches.
Toni Calvo was even worse. He started the season with Aris, but he was shipped off to Parma (loan). The Greek team wants to sell him now. Cristian Portilla came in during the winter transfer market. He played nine matchesand scored one goal. His initial performances with his new team were positive.


Written by Konstantinos Efthimiadis

Summer Exodus Abroad?

The Spanish Player's Union (AFE) recently announced that there were 300 unpaid players, the majority in Second division and that if nothing is going to change, a strike would be eminent the first week of the 2011-12 season.

The Spanish economy is not getting any better. Unemployment is at an all time high at 20%. The Euro continues to lose buying power. Spanish club indebtedness is at an all time high. Meanwhile, a potential labor strike is looming once again because teams are not paying their players timely, or at all.

Rumors continue to persist that a mass exodus of Spanish players abroad will occur this summer. Spaniards are quite versatile and very adaptable on the pitch as well as to other cultures. Players from all levels, from the stars to journeymen to canteranos and veterans are playing in England (Jose Enrique), Greece (David Fuster), Ukraine, Romania, Hong Kong, Turkey (Guiza) and the Middle East (Yeste). More are expected in Germany (Jurado), France (Azpilicueta), Italy (Victor Ruiz), Portugal (Javi Garcia), Holland, and Russia. Hey, even Sergio Koke, Malaga canterano, fresh from Aris in Greece, and still only 27, is playing in the MLS at Houston Dynamo!

But Spain are the World Champions, with the two biggest and best club teams in the world! Spain has arguably the best youth and coaching development in Europe. How could this happen?

Well, both players and coaches want a guaranteed paycheck and are attracted to the quality of life abroad. Many countries or cultures respect the privacy of players and coaches much more than in Spain, where the daily paper is big business. Some argue that cheaper South Americans and African players are squeezing out the journeymen. Whereas big name foreigners are also squeezing out the marquee players from the top teams in Spain. This is especially the case when only Real Madrid and Barcelona can afford you - see David Silva. More Spanish and ex La Liga coaches are moving abroad and making it easier to move. Ernesto Valverde and Manolo Jimenez are working in Greece, while Juande Ramos is plying his trade in the Ukraine. Bottom line with such a short sporting life, it makes career and family sense.

The perfect case in point is Schalke in the Bundesliga where you have the star veteran, Raul, journeyman, Jurado, and canterano from a smaller club who had little chance of 1st team Primera football, Sergio Escudero. I totally expect to see more and more transfers abroad this summer. But it just doesn't sit right with me. Frankly I am torn. Global experience is good for the game, coaches and players. But what ever happened to the best league in the world? Shouldn't the best league retain and promote their own players?

What do you think? Will this happen? Is this good or bad for Spanish football? I want to hear from you.

Greece is the Word for Spanish Players & Coaches

Greece is an amazing place to visit and live. It has nice beaches, good food, and a passionate soccer culture. This is something that the Spanish footballers and coaches seem to know. In the last few years, many Spaniards have come to Greece to play soccer in the Football League (the first category in the Greek championship).

Let’s see who have come to play and who are making a difference in their teams and who have failed to live up the big expectations.


Olympiakos

In the summer, Riera left Liverpool for Olympiakos. Albert began his career in Mallorca. He then played two years in Bordeaux and ended up at Espanyol. There, with Ernesto Valverde as a coach, he was the star of the team. The good performances opened the door for the national team and Liverpool. In Anfield he started well, but eventually clashed with Rafa Benitez. He became a back up with little playing time, and chose to move to Olympiakos to play with his old coach Ernesto Valverde. At this team he could be the star, and live with his brother, Sito Riera, who plays in another Greek team, Panionios. The beginning of the new adventure wasn’t easy. His performances were not so good initially and questions arose from the supporters « is this the player we signed for 4 million (plus another potential €2 million in bonuses)»? Riera eventually started slowly to adapt, and gave some flashes of his talent. In 12 matches he has scored four goals now, and for sure, he has still much to show.

The former Liverpool player isn’t the only Spanish player at Olympiakos.
David Fuster came from Villarreal to the Greek side. He also played with Ernesto Valverde during his short stint and the Castellon club. Valverde seems to know how to use Fuster. The 28-year-old player has played 13 matches and scored four goals, a good number for an attacking midfielder.

Valverde also brought Moises Hurtado from Espanyol. (Another former player of Valverde's) Hurtado was the rock of midfield for his previous team, but some injuries haven’t allowed him to show his true abilities. Moises is an experienced player and has the level to be an excellent player for the Greek League. The team expects him to be a key player in 2011.

Raul Bravo has played at Olympiakos from 2007. The former Real Madrid player is a shadow of his former self and his performances have been poor.


Panathinaikos

Olympiakos isn’t the only side that has Spanish players. Panathinaikos is one of the best teams in Football League. Ex Porto and Málaga coach Jesualdo Ferreira is at the helm. There are two players from Spain are playing in that side, Josu Sariegi and Luis Garcia. Josu has been in Greece since 2007. He is a good defender, but a bit slow, and this is a problem when he plays against a quick player. Luis Garcia came to the club this summer. He gas played in big teams, like Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, but faded recently in the Spanish league. In nine matches at Panathinaikos he has scored once, but he lack fitness. But, I feel confident once he hits form, with his quality, he can do special things.


AEK Athens

AEK F.C. has Spanish coach, Manolo Jimenez, who took one very difficult job. AEK is the 3rd biggest team in Greece but has many economic problems. The former Sevilla coach isn’t a magician. It is expected that he will bring some players on loan from Spain and Seviila B.


PAOK

Victor Vitolo plays for PAOK. The defensive midfielder is one of the best footballers in his position in the League. He is an undisputed starter and has played 21 games so far in all competitions.


Aris FC

Aris F.C. looks like a Spanish team with 6 Spanish players and Ex Mallorca, Real Betis and Valencia coach, Hector Cuper at the helm. The team captain is Sergio Koke. He is a second striker who has played in Greece since 2006. He had played 121 times and scored 26 goals. This year he hasn’t played so well in the Football League, but he has played great in Europa League especially against Atlético Madrid. Oriol Lozano played six years at Racing Santander. In June 2010, the 29 year old did not see his contract renewed and moved to Greece. He is a rotation player so far with seven appearances in the League. Javito is a winger and he has played in Aris since 2006. He has 120 appearances and has scored 11 goals. He is a hard working player and very fit. He has great endurance. Juanma Barrero is the back up goalkeeper that has played three times this season. Alvaro Portilla is a winger with three appearances, but he will leave Aris, because his performances aren’t good enough. Another Spaniard, Cristian Portilla, will take his place. Cristian was a back up player at Sporting Gijon and he will try his luck at Aris.


Iraklis

In Iraklis they have found a very good defender, in Josemi. The former Mallorca and Liverpool player has played 14 times and is the rock in the defence of the Greek side.

The Football League isn’t in the top five of the best Leagues, but it is a league with a lot of potential, great rivalries, passionate fans and a terrific atmosphere at the games. With the influx of Spanish coaches and players, the league will continue to improve. I hope you enjoyed my trip around Greece.


Article by Konstantinos Efthimiadis for Forza Futbol