Winning results lure big crowds

Last week’s clean sweep by Greek clubs in UEFA Cup inspires sturdy turnout in domestic games

Larissa, a 2-0 winner at home over Blackburn in UEFA Cup play last Thursday, drew nearly 6,000 fans for its weekend Super League game, a 1-1 draw against Veria.

Y. KOUKOULAS

Success – as was the case last week with all five Greek soccer clubs vying for UEFA Cup group spots winning their first-leg qualifiers – is the only way to draw strong crowds. Last weekend’s second round of Super League play, staged hot on the heels of the midweek UEFA Cup clean sweep accomplished by Greek clubs, drew over 80,000 fans, an exceptional figure for local standards, to eight stadiums around the country. Contrary to the usual pattern, the turnout was widespread. Olympiakos, one of the country’s two most popular clubs, drew some 25,000 fans for its 6-2 home thrashing of OFI, and over 11,000 fans attended PAOK’s 3-0 win over Thessaloniki crosstown rival Iraklis. Fans turned up in numbers at all the games.

The round also offered exciting games and high-quality goals. Fans can only hope the pattern will be sustained.

The weekend’s encouraging turnout may be just the beginning of an upward trend in attendance figures. Panathinaikos’s first win of the season, a 3-0 away victory against Cretan club Ergotelis, has warmed up club fans and will no doubt lure a capacity crowd to the Athens club’s home clash against PAOK Saturday. Considering its impressive display last Sunday, Olympiakos can count on packing Karaiskaki Stadium for its next home game, two rounds away, especially if the Piraeus team manages to defeat Aris in Thessaloniki this weekend. Tickets for this encounter, with former Olympiakos coach Dusan Bajevic now at Aris’s helm, are expected to sell out.