Success clearly requires consistency and stability, and obviously the ability to adapt to new situations. PAOK’s Under-19 side for the 2021-22 season is a new team that is being prepared by Stelios Malezas, Apostolos Papavassiliou, Vassilis Mittas, and a very capable backup staff. It is a new crop of players with a low average age, made up of kids belonging to four age generations (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2005). It starts the new season with a stack of dreams and goals, which concern both the Super League championship and the UEFA Youth League, which – coronavirus situation pending – will go ahead as normal this season. The first match of the season is on Sunday (29.08 at 09.55) in Tripoli against Asteras.

The Under-19 Super League championship will be held over 26 games, and contested between Apollon Smyrnis, Aris, Asteras Tripolis, Atromitos, Volos, Ionikos, Lamia, Olympiacos, OFI Crete, Panathinaikos, Panetolikos, PAOK, and PAS Giannina. AEK will not participate at its own request.

Given the creation of PAOK B, it is self-evident that to some extent, the second team, together with the Under-19 side under Stelios Malezas, will function as interdependent, in terms of the permissible age limits obviously. Of those born in 2002, the majority of whom belong to PAOK B, three players have the right to participate in an Under-19 match, while the squad can include five. Many of those born in 2003 also train with PAOK B, so the burden falls on the generation of 2004 (a few of them are already champions with the Under-19s), but also on several «little ones» born in 2005.

It should be noted that the Under-19 side have brought in three players. They are Theodoros Melenikiotis and Athanasios Garnetas from Xanthi, and Hermes Selimai from Panerithraikos.

Under-19s profile:

Coach: Stelios Malezas

Assistant coach: Apostolos Papavassiliou

Assistant coach: Vassilios Mittas

Gymnast: Evangelos Alexopoulos

Goalkeeping coach: Michail Psomiadis

Doctor: Argyrios Karavelis

Video analysis: Konstantinos Kavakis

Physiotherapist: Elias Moutaftsis

Caregiver: Stavros Sachinidis

General leader: George Theodoridis

Goalkeepers: Dimitrios Monastirlis, Alexandros Tsiopsis, Vassilios Nikolakoulis, Alexandros Lipiridis, Spyridon Angelidis, Alexandros Tsioptsis

Defenders: Vassilios Kitsakis, Eleftherios Tassiouras, Marios Sinanai, Georgios Tsiakoumis, Dimitrios Kottas, Konstantinos Kastidis, Nikolaos Deligiannis, Angelos Zilos, Hermes Selimai, Theodoros Melenikiotis

Midfielders: Georgios Koulouris, Zisis Tsikos, Argyrios Darelas, Viktor Rumiantsev, Stylianos Katsambis, Theodoros Kalogiros, Konstantinos Goumas, Athanasios Garnetas

Forwards: Lambros Smyrlis, Nikolaos Spyrakos, Theodoros Spyridopoulos, Alexandros Kedikoglou, Marios Bambouras, Loukas Martos, Gustavo Varela, Christos Iordanidis