The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Olympiakos

  • Everton appoints Silva as manager

    Everton have appointed Portuguese Marco Silva as their manager on a three year-contract, the English Premier League club said on Thursday.

    The 40-year-old former Watford and Hull City manager replaced Sam Allardyce, who was sacked after six months in charge at Goodison Park.

    Everton finished eighth in the English Premier League under Allardyce, but the supporters were unhappy with the quality of football on display.

    Now Silva has a huge task to revive the fortunes of the nine-times English champions who last won the title in 1987.

    “I’m really proud to be the new Everton manager,” Silva told Everton’s club website www.evertonfc.com.

    “I know the huge history of Everton as a club and what the fans expect. I’m sure with everybody working together I will be ready for this challenge.

    “We have a lot of work to do in this next month and it is important to prepare everything in the right way. But there will be even more important work to do from the start of pre-season into the first Premier League match of next season.”

    Silva led Olympiakos to a record 43rd Greek league title in 2016, a year after winning the Portuguese Cup with Sporting.

    He was unable to secure top-flight survival at Hull.

    But six home wins in 18 matches under his guidance kept them alive in the relegation battle until the penultimate game of the 2016-17 season.

    Silva was dismissed by Watford in January, with the club blaming Everton for their “unwarranted approach” for him last November.

  • Olympiakos reject N2.3b bid for Ideye

    Olympiakos reject N2.3b bid for Ideye

    Nigeria international, Wilfred Ndidi has bid farewell to his teammates at Belgian side Genk ahead of his impending transfer to English Premier League side Leicester City.

    The 20 year old has already agreed a five year deal with the Premier League champions, and few weeks had and passed a routine medical with the club ahead of his £16m transfer.

    We gathered he said goodbye to his teammates and cleared his locker in the changing room, as he could probably not return to the team after the Christman break.

    His move will become official on the 1st of January, and despite Genk’s push for him to delay his transfer to till the summer, Ndidi is reportedly keen to move this winter, when the transfer window opens.

    So far he has made 18 appearances this season, after missing the last game against Zulte Waregem through suspension, and he could bid farewell to the fans of the team after their cup game against Gent on the 27th of December. Their last game before they go on a mid season break.

     

  • Ideye eager to make Olympiakos debut

    Ideye eager to make Olympiakos debut

    Super Eagles striker, Brown Ideye, has issued his first statement since completing his move to Olympiakos from West Bromwich Albion.

    Though the financial terms and duration of the deal have not been officially disclosed by both clubs, it is believed that he will remain with the Super League champions until June 30, 2018 and WBA will get a minimum of six million euros.

    “So happy to be in one of the big clubs in Europe. I can’t wait to get started, allnigeriasoccer.com quoted Ideye as saying on his Twitter handle.

    The Eagles striker joined WBA last summer from Dynamo Kiev for £10million.

     

     

  • Olaitan: I try to keep myself awake

    Nigeria’s Michael Olaitan is always awake whenever he finds himself on the football pitch.

    The 20-year-old scored a brace for Olympiakos’ against his old club Veria, despite playing as a sub from the hour mark. He set up the game’s opening goal seconds after being brought on the pitch and later added match’s third and fifth in 70th and 90th minute, respectively.

    “It was really a great feeling as we played well and we won here, as well because I came here in Veria and was greeted with much warmth. I still feel very comfortable here in town and on the field, as if it is the second home for me.

    “I know that I have made a big step coming to Olympiakos. To return and score goals playing against my old team was something nice.

    “I try to keep myself awake! Sometimes I see the game from the bench and I say to myself: If the coach to invites you to enter the game, you have to give it your best and change the flow of the match!,” the former Flying Eagles player told the club’s website moments after the game.

    Meanwhile, Olympiakos manager, Spanish legend Michel also highlighted the Nigerian’s performance.

    “He is a basic and important player for Olympiakos. He was called to fill the gap of Mitroglou and succeeds in the best possible way. I wish I had the other players like Olaitan!”

     

  • Olaitan living the dream at Olympiakos

    Olaitan living the dream at Olympiakos

    On June 30, 2013, a Nigerian youngster, Michael Olaitan sealed a move to 40-time Greek champions, Olympiakos CFP from the Football League in Greece on a free transfer.

    Olaitan had first come under the spotlight with several heart-warming displays for Nigeria’s Under-20 team, the Flying Eagles at the 2013 Toulon Youth Festival and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.

    The 20-year-old took some time to assert himself at the Thrylos but is now a fan favourite at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskáki. He hit his second league goal of the season on December 7 in Olympiakos’ 2-0 win over Asteras Tripolis.

    The midfielder had bagged his first league goal of the season six days earlier against Ergotelis to underline his status as a man in a rich vein of form.

    He did not score on Tuesday but put in a commanding display for the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, as he helped Olympiakos beat Anderlecht 3-1 to seal their place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

    He thus became the second Nigerian – after John Obi Mikel of Chelsea – assured of participation in the knockout stage of the most glamorous club competition in the world.

    Olaitan is fast maturing in his game as a midfielder and weighs in with his fair share of goals. He has scored four times this season in all competitions with two recorded in the Cup against Fokikos on September 25 and against the same club in the reverse fixture on October 30.

    John Obuh coached the youngster at under-20 level and believes the former Veria man can only improve in the coming days.

    “The young man is a very disciplined footballer. That is one of the first things I noticed about him when we worked together. He is always willing to learn,” Obuh told supersport.com.

    Olympiakos could draw sides like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid in the next round of the Champions League and Olaitan who has now nailed down a regular first-team spot in Jose “Michel” Campo’s squad will continue his development at the highest level of the game at pace.