Olympiacos v Villa Pre-match Thread

[Holte L2]

It’s been mixed. Warsaw was the most regimented with buses from centre to an isolated area of the ground, transport was provided for AZ and Zrinjski, I messed up for Ajax away and Lille was freedom of do what you want. 

For Warsaw, AVFC82EC and I gave the main square a miss and we found a delightful road of bars. From there we just caught an Uber to the ground.

[tomd2103]

Because there is nothing to contest.

UEFA Secretary with direct links to Olympiacos

Hmmm..... https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2016/03/02/matt-scott-uefa-s-oversight-on-olympiacos-has-opened-dangerous-ground/

"But when I tweeted my reminder to FIFA voters, even I could not have anticipated what would happen during Olympiacos’s Europa League match against Anderlecht in Piraeus that very night.

Over the 90 minutes of that match there were so many questionable refereeing decisions that went in Olympiacos’s favour that the Belgian match commentator for RTL Sport felt obliged to question the integrity of the match officials. Having spoken out during the match commentary, and having slept on it, he was asked the following day if he thought the refereeing had been deliberately dodgy. “At the beginning, no, honestly at the start, no. The first few decisions were tough to take but you think it’s possible for him to have got them wrong,” said Delire.

“But then, when they all went the same way and they were just so flagrant, you had a doubt. And that became a suspicion. A suspicion that became, ‘OK, now there’s something that’s not right.’ And let’s not forget that there is precedent involving Olympiacos, precedents that have been proven, phenomena of corruption, [with allegations that] they have bought four Greek-league titles… this referee was very, very doubtful.”

That sounds faintly familiar.

[Dogtanian]

Article in The Athletic on the match;

https://theathletic.com/5476608/2024/05/08/aston-villa-unai-emery-leaders-olympiacos/

"Players and management are undimmed in their confidence that they can overturn a two-goal deficit in Greece."

"...he has learned his lesson of not asking Emery, on behalf of the players, for days off, knowing the brick-wall response he will be given."

"We have to go there full of energy and fight until the end. I know Villa will do this."

Come on, lads, do us proud, 

[Monty]

Article in The Athletic on the match;

https://theathletic.com/5476608/2024/05/08/aston-villa-unai-emery-leaders-olympiacos/

"Players and management are undimmed in their confidence that they can overturn a two-goal deficit in Greece."

"...he has learned his lesson of not asking Emery, on behalf of the players, for days off, knowing the brick-wall response he will be given."

"We have to go there full of energy and fight until the end. I know Villa will do this."

Come on, lads, do us proud, 

Bit of a fucking contrast with someone else we've heard about this week.

[Drummond]

"We have the mentality of winners & I want to get to the final. I believe in my team. We will win there, for sure. We have to go there full of energy, fight until the end. I know Villa will do this -- we have to show them Aston Villa are the best." Moussa Diaby

[Demitri_C]

"We have the mentality of winners & I want to get to the final. I believe in my team. We will win there, for sure. We have to go there full of energy, fight until the end. I know Villa will do this -- we have to show them Aston Villa are the best." Moussa Diaby

Just words moussa show us on the pitch please starting tomorrow !

[Lsvilla]

It’s been mixed. Warsaw was the most regimented with buses from centre to an isolated area of the ground, transport was provided for AZ and Zrinjski, I messed up for Ajax away and Lille was freedom of do what you want. 

For Warsaw, AVFC82EC and I gave the main square a miss and we found a delightful road of bars. From there we just caught an Uber to the ground.

My missus and I did the same. Accepting that it is always different traveling as a couple rather than a group of lads, we walked to the ground after a decent boozy lunch and had a beer in one of the pubs round the corner from the ground all hassle free. That said, I think we'll take the coaches tomorrow.

[Ads]

The Moose BANG up for hearing his song against Liverpool and Palace.

You can't get in the ground without coming on the coach.

[Lsvilla]

The Moose BANG up for hearing his song against Liverpool and Palace.

You can't get in the ground without coming on the coach.

Yeah. I know.

[Ads]

Alright fair enough.

[Ads]

Anyhoo. They've drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 6 meetings with the Anglais at their ground. Bunch of 2nd rate bottlers perhaps? Score first and listen for the sound of 28k ring pieces twitching.

[Brazilian Villain]

Because there is nothing to contest.

UEFA Secretary with direct links to Olympiacos

Corrupt referee appointed

You don't see this reeks of a set up?

We seem fairly nonplussed about it, and we can usually tell pretty quickly when something doesn't smell right.

[Dogtanian]

It doesn't bother me really. If they wanted a dodgy ref they could have bought one with a spotless record, rather than one who has probably been under scrutiny now for most of his career.

I don't know the ins and outs of it, but from what I've read it seems like he was a young and inexperienced lad who was given cash to not kick up a fuss, and later realised the implications of it.

How many of us haven't had a situation at work as a youngster where you've gone along with or not argued with something that you felt wasn't right, but all the senior and more experienced people just cracked on with?

[Malandro]

It doesn't bother me really. If they wanted a dodgy ref they could have bought one with a spotless record, rather than one who has probably been under scrutiny now for most of his career.

I don't know the ins and outs of it, but from what I've read it seems like he was a young and inexperienced lad who was given cash to not kick up a fuss, and later realised the implications of it.

How many of us haven't had a situation at work as a youngster where you've gone along with or not argued with something that you felt wasn't right, but all the senior and more experienced people just cracked on with?

He’s a bent referee. He shouldn’t be anywhere near professional football.

[VillaTim]

"We have the mentality of winners & I want to get to the final. I believe in my team. We will win there, for sure. We have to go there full of energy, fight until the end. I know Villa will do this -- we have to show them Aston Villa are the best." Moussa Diaby

Actions speak louder than words .