The Secret of Success

It's amazing how Panathinaikos has transformed its game to be exciting and forward looking in the past few games. We've watched performances we haven't seen in over a decade, and the game against PAOK was arguably one of the most dominating and good-looking games I ever remember against a strong opponent.

Barring some flashes of brilliance here and there in previous years, I don't remember such a good streak of games from PAO.

A reporter asked Ferreira as he was heading to the locker room after the game with Ergotelis "what's the secret of this success". Ferreira laughed and said "there are no secrets. Only hard work". The directness and honesty of his answer is probably one of the secrets that has transformed the team for the better.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realize that there is a "secret" that no one has really touched upon in the mainstream (such it is) sports media. I started by thinking not what extra we have this year, but what's really missing that could make the team better.

For the past decade (I could actually go back 15 years to the Rocha team) we've had stable ownership. That's not present now and the team plays like a modern European club. Could this be the reason?

Many "organized fans" would jump from joy here yelling "I knew it was all Tzigger's fault", mainly because that's the "party line" and because it probably vindicates the venom spewed at the previous owner.

I would agree in part (sans the hatred for the previous owners).

I think the secret of Panathinaikos' success so far is that there is no one to mingle in the team's business in the locker room, the training ground, or the pitch.

This is really the first team since Kyrasta's team where the coach is the boss. No General Manager, no Football Manager, just the coach and the players.

We should be giving credit to the front office turmoil and to Gontikas for letting the coach and the players work the way they want.

I think this is the big secret so far.

We've had better players before (last year) and tanked, we've had good coaches before (I refuse to think all 20 coaches in the last ten years were duds), we've had plenty of Football Managers before, but we never had a team like we've seen in the last few games.

I hope whoever buys the club reads this blog, or at least has the sense to realize this themselves so they don't try to "improve" the team by installing "football managers", "assistant coaches" and the such.

Now that it looks that there might be a new ownership status, I hope they stick to paying the bills and leave the coach and players alone to work and plan for the future.