Alexandros Tziolis - Al Fayha - Saudi Arabia

[Amorgos]

The Captain of the Ethniki played a full 90 mins for his Arab club and they lost 2-0 at home, they are 3rd last...

[Don Giovanni]

He's returning to Greece, with both Lamia and Panetolikos keen for his signature. It makes sense, but I sincerely hope a return to Greek club football doesn't open the door for a return to the NT.

There was a time when he was a very good player, someone who could have complimented the Greek midfield. This was during his Racing Santander days, when he had finally come into his own, but as was true then as it is now, he's too timid and reserved to properly command a midfield, but more than that he was technically unspectacular. After his knee injury, his game was in physical decline and he never returned to that level of play he had shown in Spain.

I really felt he handicapped Greece in 2018 qualification and he finally undid us against Croatia, along with Tzavellas who had no business at LCB. Those two only made things worse in the Nations League, costing us promotion to league B and a Euro 2020 play-off spot in the process.

The fact he choose to play in Saudi Arabia further highlighted his lack of commitment to playing at a high enough competitive standard to meet Greece requirements. On that basis alone he should have been cut from the national team. Alas, Skibbe needed him to keep the team playing according to his instructions.

The only reason he is liked among Greek media types is because, as cynics among us know, he must either be paying them and/or he's friends with them. I'm inclined to believe it's both. For him, Tzavellas, and Bakasetas to receive the adulation they have in the Greek press borders on the absurd. I think all three should be retired for good from the Greek NT and I hope to never see their names again on the back of a Greece jersey.

[Reaper]

He's returning to Greece, with both Lamia and Panetolikos keen for his signature. It makes sense, but I sincerely hope a return to Greek club football doesn't open the door for a return to the NT.

There was a time when he was a very good player, someone who could have complimented the Greek midfield. This was during his Racing Santander days, when he had finally come into his own, but as was true then as it is now, he's too timid and reserved to properly command a midfield, but more than that he was technically unspectacular. After his knee injury, his game was in physical decline and he never returned to that level of play he had shown in Spain.

I really felt he handicapped Greece in 2018 qualification and he finally undid us against Croatia, along with Tzavellas who had no business at LCB. Those two only made things worse in the Nations League, costing us promotion to league B and a Euro 2020 play-off spot in the process.

The fact he choose to play in Saudi Arabia further highlighted his lack of commitment to playing at a high enough competitive standard to meet Greece requirements. On that basis alone he should have been cut from the national team. Alas, Skibbe needed him to keep the team playing according to his instructions.

The only reason he is liked among Greek media types is because, as cynics among us know, he must either be paying them and/or he's friends with them. I'm inclined to believe it's both. For him, Tzavellas, and Bakasetas to receive the adulation they have in the Greek press borders on the absurd. I think all three should be retired for good from the Greek NT and I hope to never see their names again on the back of a Greece jersey.

I found out recently the same thing happens in Portugal. A crappy player or manager is championed by the media artificially and scrapes a career from that support.

[Dean97]

I don’t think he will come back to the national team. I read somewhere once that the EPO and Anastasiadis are planning to remove all players over the age of 30 slowly. Next in line is Torosidis I believe and has started already. Sokratis could retire after this campaign if things don’t work out also.

As for Tziolis I never really rated him nor do i think anyone else did. I thought he had some sort of promise at Panathinaikos where he played well. After 2010 he declined rapidly and became more of a problem than a solution.

[Amorgos]

Never a fan, I thought he was gona be something special for about a month in his Panathinaikos long hair days but that’s as good as it got. He used to have a real wicked shot on him, I’ll give him that