Olympic’s PAOK partnership, Joeys call for goalkeeping offspring, Blue Eagles’ Italian striker hopes, Red Devils’ FFA Cup ticket sales
An SA club hopes ties with a Greek giant can help it host a global youth tournament, while a goalkeeping prodigy follows in his dad’s national team footsteps and an Italian striker is sorely missed, all in 90 Minutes.
Adelaide Olympic hopes a coach and player development partnership with Greek champion PAOK can help it host a youth tournament featuring clubs from across the globe.
The National Premer Leagues SA outfit finalised its co-operation with the Super League giant last week, following 12 months of negotiations between it and the Thessaloniki-based side.
It would enable Olympic to send coaches to PAOK to hone their craft and field underage teams in competitions throughout Europe that its sister club was involved in.
President Stavros Parissos said the ultimate goal was to hold a youth tournament in Adelaide made up of professional teams from the continent.
“We’re more appealing and see a greater benefit in partnering up with reputable clubs overseas than with A-League clubs,” Parissos.
“What we’re doing is reinvesting in our greatest asset which is our junior players.
“That way we develop within rather having to outsource or look elsewhere.
“We want to become that leading club that does things in best practice.
“Within five years what we’d like to do is have a tournament hosted here in Adelaide.”
The partnership came about due to Olympic’s ties with Pavli Vangjeli, an ex-PAOK player and the brother of Olympic defender and 35-cap Albanian international Krist Vangjeli.
Parissos said a group of coaches from the FFA Cup SA holder would spend time in Greece in the middle of next year, learning from the day-to-day practices of the Black and Whites.
Olympic would also stage a series of seminars featuring staff from PAOK, open to all mentors across the state.
An under-12 or under-14 side from the Ferryden Park club would participate in a European youth tournament by 2022.
“The bottom line was it’s easier to educate a handful of coaches than educate 150 to 200 kids at one time,” Parissos said.
“If we can educate a coach, we’re rewarding them for their commitment to our club and their drive and ambition as coaches.
“But we’re happy to share the seminars with every other coach because we see it as benefiting South Australian football and effectively raising the bar around South Australia.”
Olympic, which sat fourth in the NPL SA, won its first major trophy when it defeated former NSL powerhouse Adelaide City in the state cup final last month.
It would made its debut in the national phase of the knockout competition in a round-of-32 clash with WA side Floreat Athena at the Parks next Wednesday.
“Things are definitely heading in the right direction,” Parissos said.
“It’s a culmination of years of hard work by so many people at our club.
“I’m glad that so many people are so proud of the work that the current board is doing.”
Keeping it in the family
It has been a case of like father like son for an SA goalkeeping family of late.
Croydon shot-stopper Sebastian Matosevic was last week called up for the Australian under-17 camp in Canberra, as the Joeys ramped up their preparations for the World Cup.
His selection came 24 years after his father, Robbie Matosevic, was a national team goalkeeper in the same age group’s global showpiece event.
Sebastian had impressed with his mature displays between the sticks for the Kings’ NPL SA reserves and under-18 sides this campaign.
The teenage talent, who would remain in camp at the AIS until Friday, would hope to have done enough to gain a spot in the final squad for the October tournament in Brazil.
Former Modbury Jets and Raiders custodian Robbie meanwhile, would continue his work as Croydon’s goalkeeper coach.
Italian hopes
Adelaide Blue Eagles has not given up hope of luring gun Italian striker Emanuele Testardi back to the club for a second season.
The former Sampdoria and Pescara forward scored a goal-a-game in his 10 NPL SA appearances for the Marden side on its return to the top flight this campaign.
But Testardi sustained a knee injury in a loss to Para Hills late last month and returned to his homeland for treatment.
Blue Eagles secretary Paul Giordano said the setback, which was a meniscus-related problem, would sideline the hitman for six weeks, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
But he said the club was open to him returning next year.
“By scoring as he did for us, that’s been seen back home (in Italy) so he’s already had offers tabled,” Giordano said.
“But you never know. He’s a unique character.”
Cup ticket push
Campbelltown City is taking steps to alleviate delays for the bumper crowd expected to attend its FFA Cup round-of-32 meeting with A-League side Melbourne City.
The Red Devils were granted permission to host the match at their Steve Woodcock Sports Centre home last month, as the national governing body approved its floodlights and facilities.
They received a further boost when Fox Sports selected the clash as its live televised game for July 31.
Now City is selling tickets for the match from its website in a bid to avoid long queues of spectators paying for entry on the night.
The 5000-capcity venue was expected to be close to full for the David versus Goliath clash, which will complete the opening round of the knockout competition.
It attracted about 1800 fans for Campbelltown’s National Premier Leagues final victory over Brisbane’s Lions FC last year.
Tickets can be purchased from www.campbelltowncsc.org.au