Law and Order in Limani

By: Peter Katsiris | November 21st, 2008

During a time crucial to the club’s success, it seems internal issues are plaguing Piraeus giants Olympiacos. With an important trip north to Thessaloniki to face Iraklis on the weekend, and a match with even greater importance on the following Thursday against Benfica, the Greek Champions find themselves with several problems stirred up by their reserves. Although being a reserve is not the role these players would like to hold within the club, but the likes of Raul Bravo and Kostas Mitroglou are doing little to position themselves for a chance to return to the first team.

The club, aware of the crucial point in the season, is take a stiff stance on the issues at hand and released a public statement to prove they are doing so. “Olympiacos C.F.P. footballers Raul Bravo and Kostas Mitroglou have been asked by the club’s management to produce a written plea within 48 hours. Bravo was asked to plea for his continuous anti-professional stance during training sessions and Mitroglou for his repeated curfew violations.”

After joining Olympiacos from Spanish Primera champions Real Madrid, Raul Bravo experienced a good start to the 2007-2008 season. All positives quickly turned into negatives when Bravo’s former side visited the Giorgos Karaisakis Stadium for a UEFA Champions League encounter. An injury to the Spaniard sidelined him for much of the remainder of the season, limiting Bravo to a few appearances in the Greek Cup. With a change in management and full health, much didn’t change for Bravo as manager Ernesto Valverde looked past Bravo for his roster selections.

The fury building in the former ‘Galactico’ came out this week, as Bravo and Valverde clashed in a verbal argument at the Renti training grounds. For his ‘anti-professional stance’ the club ordered Raul Bravo to produce Olympiacos’ management with a written plea within the next 48 hours. The plea appears the final hope for a Spaniard who was billed to do big things in Greece.

On the other hand, Kostas Mitrgolou appears to be an angel by day but a devil by night. The U-21 Greece international has violated the club’s curfew law on several occasions. His playing time with the club has been very limited this year, especially with the likes of Diogo and Darko Kovacevic performing superbly thus far. It seems the club is not yet ready to entrust Mitroglou with the keys to the Olympiacos attack, leaving MItroglou little time to prove his worth. Like many reserves, the Greek Cup looks to be Mitroglou’s haven, but even then the club has called upon the likes of Diogo and Kovacevic to propel the Greek Champions into the next round. A lone UEFA Cup start against FC Nordsjaelland resulted in a goal for the youngster, but it seems that will be the high point in Mitroglou’s season – at least that is what the near future holds.