OFI has been one of the most interesting projects of Greek football in recent years. A team made up of football connoisseurs whose aim is to play good football, improve players and fight for entry into the Play Offs. Last season they did not succeed, finishing in eighth place, but they have high hopes  that this year they will go one step further, operating with the same principles.

The season did not start well due to the fact that the team suffered several injuries to key players in pre-season, while most of the incoming transfer activity took place in the last days of the window. The result is that after four games OFI are 12th in the table with three points after picking up one win over Volos and losing to Panetolikos, Panathinaikos, and Atromitos.

Putting their trust in Nioplias

OFI will continue with Nikos Nioplias in the dugout this season as well. The experienced technician is convinced that he can ideally serve the philosophy of the Cretan team and carry out the team’s masterplan. Last season he succeeded to a large extent and now he and his team want to make the next leap and get a European ticket.

Total Recall

The Cretans’ summer was a particularly active one. Initially, a group of players who had essentially closed their cycle in Heraklion left the club, with players such as Weiss, De Guzman, Korovesis, Waterman, and Davis Epasi moving on.

Sonny Stephens has come in to fill the gap between the posts, the defense has been strengthened with the experienced and quality of Larsson, Thoraninsson and Yohou, Diousse from St Etienne brings energy to central midfield, while at the top of the attack they have acquired Nouha Dicko, player with significant experiences from Turkey, England and Holland and a player with an appetite for goals.

A lot of the movements took place in the last week of the transfer window, with Nioplias having a tough task to bring in new players and get them integrated into the team’s rotation so that OFI can find their feet and start to pick up points.

Squad for the game with PAOK

Nioplias continues to struggle with a host of injury problems and will be without Toral, Giannoulis, Bouzoukis, Tsilianidis, Marinakis and Neira, with new signings Guerrero, Perea, Bifouma and Zerkane coming into the squad for the first time, with Mellado, Larson and Durmisaj returning too.

In full, the players that the Cretan coach will have at his disposal are the following:

Stevens, Mandas, Larson, Thorarinson, Balogiannis, Yohou, Diamantis, Vouros, Pasalidis, Diousse, Perea, Mellado, Staikos, Apostolakis, Theodosoulakis, Zerkane, Bifouma, Kamau, Guerrero, Dicko, Durmisaj.