Greeks, Goals, and Guns: A Misfortune in the Mediterranean

As of yesterday, the Greek Super League has been suspended indefinitely. This decision comes after the PAOK FC owner ran onto the field, after a decision did not go his team’s way, toting a gun. Greece’s prime minister stated that the league will not restart if “there is not a new, clear framework agreed to by all so we can move forward with conditions and regulations.” In a World Cup year, this means a lot for players who play in the GSL whose national teams will be playing in Russia in a few months time.

Whilst Greece failed to make the World Cup, the GSL has many players who will be hoping to make their national teams’ roster. Many people do not think of Greece when thinking of great leagues, however they have some fantastic teams such as Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and the aforementioned PAOK, all of whom have featured in the Champions League or Europa League with various levels of success. In turn, these teams often attract quality players from all around the world. Numerous Iranian players feature in the GSL, as do some Moroccan stars. The league being dismantled does not affect these players too highly, as they are often their nation’s finest, and provided they stay fit and healthy, should make their team’s rosters with ease. Nevertheless, these players domestic careers, for the time being, are in tatters, as they cannot improve their game to attract new clubs, and are also unable to get the necessary practice in, in order to prepare for the World Cup itself. This is one of a host of issues that the GSL now has on its hands.

The major problem comes for players whose spot is not secure in their national team. One example of a player in this predicament is Kevin Mirallas. Belgium have a host of stars, and as he fell out of favor at Everton, the winger took his skills to Greece in an attempt to show Coach Roberto Martinez that he should be in his plans for Russia. Now that Mirallas will not be getting regular game time, this showcase can not occur, putting his spot on the plane to Russia in jeopardy. There are many players in this boat, including Argentine defender Emanuel Insua, former Chelsea player Marko Marin from Germany, Mirallas’ Belgium counterparts Silvio Proto and Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, as well as league top scorer Aleksandar Prijović who recently switched allegiance to Serbia, and is fighting with some very talented strikers for a spot in the team. 

Very few people even realize what is at stake, and how one action from one man could affect so many players from all four corners of the world. Moreover, as many Greek internationals play domestically, this national team may also be hurt for the future, as stars cannot fine tune their skills ready for Euro 2020 qualification. PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis must have had no idea on how his actions, which he thought were justified, would put his team, his players, his league, and his country in jeopardy. Hopefully for the players, this conflict will be resolved soon, otherwise we will be missing out on some quality talent at the World Cup.

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