Last year’s model was deemed a success, as it offered more competition and more games. In the same way, therefore, the Super League continues for the 2023-24 season in this age category. Two phases, a final at the end of Phase 1, play offs at the end of Phase 2, and then the Final Four in May to determine the champion.

Initially, four groups have been established. PAOK is in Group D along with Aris, Panserraikos, and PAS Ioannina. Fixtures get underway today with the premiere against Aris, then PAOK travel to Ioannina, before welcoming Panserraikos and finally comes a trip to Serres.

AEK, Ionikos, Panionios and OFI have been drawn in Group A. In Group B: Olympiacos, Atromitos, Kifisia, Panaitolikos, Asteras Tripoli, and in Group C are: Panathinaikos, NFC Volos, Lamia, Levadeakos and AEL.

Each team will play two home and two away games. In the groups with four teams, however, the 4th matchday will essentially be a repeat of the 3rd. Of course, there will be a change of venue.

Phase A will conclude at the end of October, when the first groups will face each other in knockout semi-finals. The winner of the final will be the one to secure a ticket to the Final Four.

Immediately after, Phase II will begin with two groups now, traditionally the northern and southern groups. There will be eight teams from the north: PAOK, Aris, AEL, Volos, Panaitolikos, PAS Ioannina, Panserraikos, Lamia. Ten teams will compete in the southern group: AEK, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, Atromitos, Ionikos, Asteras Tripoli, Kifisia, OFI, Panionios, Levadiakos.

After the completion of the 2nd Phase, the first of the two groups advance directly to the Final Four, where the team that already had the ticket from the final of the 1st Phase awaits them. So there is still one place left, which the 2nd and 4th of the South group will claim in knockout matches. As for the team that has secured participation in the final four since October, it is obviously excluded as the place it will occupy in Phase B does not count. So it is certain that one more team will participate in the play offs.

Under-17 profile

The Under-17s this season is made up of players born in 2007, plus some younger ones (2008), according to the PAOK Academy’s constant tactic of «promoting» younger children to older age groups. It is a team that has been training for a number of years under the instructions of Dimitris Orfanou and Stelios Bikas, finalists in the Under-15 final and unofficial champions last year in the MCFA league as Under-16s.

Goalkeepers: Efstathios Beleris, Michael Pourliotopoulos, Georgios Panagiotidis

Defenders: Georgios Kosidis, Konstantinos Vyrsokinos, Pavlos Tsiotas, Traianos Mokris, Dimitrios Bataoulas, Nikolaos Dimopoulos, Evangelos Gioka, Ioannis Karagiannidis, Dimitrios Sellas

Midfielders: Vasilios Eleftheriadis, Bedri Dunga, Fotios Vassili, Athanasios Papanikopoulos, Konstantinos Toursounidis, Grigorios Minasidis, Efthimios Dimou, Antonios Theodosiadis

Forwards: Nikolaos Theophilou, Haris Kosmopoulos, Dimitrios Berdos, Ioannis Tsifoutis, Antonios Tsitsilas, Paschalis Stylos, Daniel Kosteas, Anestis Mythou

The technical staff

Coach: Dimitris Orfanos

Assistant coach: Stylianos Bikas

Fitness coach: Vassilis Leftheroudis

Goalkeeper coach: Dimitris Kyriakidis

Doctor: Iraklis Giannaros

Physiotherapist: Stavros Charalambidis

Caretaker: Yiannis Klagas

Team manager: Alexandros Theodoridis