The new-look Under-17s are an enticing proposition
Dominant in international tournaments, champions at Under-15 level, champions at Under-17 level – all the while being one year younger than their opponents, and determined to continue at the same pace. Season 2020-21 kicks off on Sunday (20.09, 10:00) for the refreshed Under-17 side against Panetolikos in Souroti.
The Super League championship will consist of 3 rounds, with a total of 21 matches for each team, with the teams split into two groups. PAOK is in Group B and will play against: Aris, Panetolikos, PAS Giannina, Larissa, Volos, Xathi, and Lamia. In Group A, the team are: Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK, OFI, Atromitos, Asteras Tripolis, Panionios, and Apollon Smyrnis. The champions will be decided by the Final Four tournament.
This season’s Under-17 side is made up of players born in 2004 (champions with the Under-17’s of last season, champions with the Under-15s from season 2018-19) – some of which also have already trained with the Under-19s as well as the first team (Giorgos Koutsias) – just like a lot of the players who were born in 2005, who more or less belong to this season’s Under-16 team, however, they will also take part in the Super League.
Just like every new season, there have been some departures and new arrivals. The PAOK Academy welcomes Alexandros Lipiridis from AMS Nikopolis, Konstantinos Thomaidis, who returns to PAOK after a break at Bebides, Stylianos Katsambis from Agrotikos Asteras, Christos Iordanidis from Doxa Dramas, Giorgos Chourdakis from Olympiakos (it should be noted that he was born in 2005), and Loukas Marto from Keravnos Oreokastro.
Under-17s profile
Goalkeepers: Dimitris Monastirlis, Evangelos Trigatzis, Alexandros Lipiridis
Defenders: Marios Sinanai, Eleftherios Tassiouras, Angelos Zilos, Ioannis Tsaloukidis, Georgios Chourdakis
Midfielders: Zisis Tsikos, Georgios Koulouris, Viktor Rumiantsev, Petros Hatzialexiadis, Theodoros Kalogiros, Konstantinos Thomaidis, Stylianos Katsambis
Forwards: Lambros Smyrlis, Marios Bambouras, Alexandros Kedikoglou, Nikolaos Spyrakos, Georgios Koutsias, Theodoros Spyridopoulos, Christos Iordanidis, Loukas Martos
The technical team
Coach: Apostolos Papavassiliou
Assistant coach: Dimitrios Taxidis
Fitness coach: Evangelos Alexopoulos
Goalkeeping coach: Michail Psomiadis
Video analyst: Alexandros Theodoridis
Doctor: Argyrios Karavelis
Physiotherapist: Konstantinos Michailidis
Minder: Efstratios Arizanis
General manager: Stavros Sarafis
