Ninis

[Reaper]

What he's doing wasting his time in Israel, I'll never know.

I dont think he is all there..

[Dean97]

I think with Xolebas, the Greek media didn't like that he was only half Greek. Tzavellas kicks someone - he has passion - Xolebas does the same - he is a kolopedo..

With Ninis and Fetfa - think they were both too effeminate for the Greek media's tastes. Salpi had a face that looked like it had been through a garlic crusher and he didn't care what anyone thought about him. Greek media backed off him, even when he had poor games. They respected him. Fetfa and Ninis both looked more innocent and clearly cared what others thought. The Greek media smelled blood, that was it.

Why is the Greek media so influential?
Why did the media have it out for both Ninis and Fetfatzidis? The reason I’m saying this is because shouldn’t a player be judged by their performances and not how innocent they look ..

What kind of mentality is that?

Djribril Cissé has even said that he is the most talented player he has ever seen. He also played with legends like Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. That speaks volumes. He is currently now sitting on the bench for a 2nd division club in Israel. Something isn’t right for sure...

[Don Giovanni]

I wouldn't blame the Greek media for Ninis' failings. I would blame them for elevating someone like Tziolis to a status he didn't deserve.

[Dean97]

Ninis is as talented, and arguably more gifted, than Fortounis; however, Ninis is too frail. You can build around a player like Fortounis, but with Ninis that's no possible due to the frequency of his injuries. Other than Noplias and Munoz, few coaches placed much faith in him.

Omonia came calling, but he turned them down. He could very well have been called up to the NT had he joined, much like Kolovos and Mavrias. As alternative to Fortounis, we probably have no better player than Ninis. I think the only hope he has left in his career is a return to Panathinaikos.

What he's doing wasting his time in Israel, I'll never know.

I just saw something very interesting on his instagram story regarding him joining Panathinaikos. He might end up there for next season, who knows...

[Don Giovanni]

Let's hope so.

Ninis had this to say a year and half ago about his time since leaving Panathinaikos in 2012:

Για το τι πήγε στραβά μετά την αποχώρησή του από τον Παναθηναϊκό: «Πέρασα από διάφορους συλλόγους. Δεν ήταν θέμα ταλέντου. Κάποιες φορές έπαιξα αρκετά καλά. Στην Ιταλία το στυλ ποδοσφαίρου ήταν διαφορετικό. Σαν νέος ήθελα να βελτιώνομαι, αλλά κανείς δεν φανταζόταν ότι η Πάρμα θα κατέρρεε. Μετά γύρισα στον ΠΑΟΚ, όπου ήταν μια περίεργη κατάσταση, όπως με την Μακάμπι Χάιφα τώρα. Συνεπώς πήγα πίσω στον Παναθηναϊκό, έπαιξα καλά εκείνη τη σεζόν, αλλά μετά ήρθε ένας νέος προπονητής που άλλαξε όλη την ομάδα. Πήγα στο Βέλγιο, ήμουν καλά, αλλά υπήρχαν προβλήματα με το συμβόλαιο και χρειάστηκε να υπογράψω στη Μαλίν. Δεν μου επέτρεψαν να παίξω μετά την επέμβαση και ήθελα απλά να πάω κάπου που θα έπαιρνα σίγουρα λεπτά συμμετοχής και να επιστρέψω στο ανώτατο επίπεδο. Εδώ μου υποσχέθηκαν ότι θα έπαιζα αρκετά, αλλά η συμπεριφορά τους ήταν εντελώς διαφορετική».

Για την επόμενη μέρα: «Θέλω να γυρίσω στην Ευρώπη, να βελτιωθώ. Έχω όνειρα. Θέλω να επιστρέψω στην Εθνική Ομάδα μια μέρα».

Why did his career go astray since leaving from Panathinaikos: I past through various clubs. [My issue] was not a matter of talent. There were times where I played very well. In Italy the style of football was different. As young player I wanted to improve myself, but no one could imagine that Parma would collapse (they declared bankruptcy one season after Ninis was let go). I returned (to Greece) to PAOK, where the situation was strange, similar to my experience with Maccabi Petah Tikva now. After I went back to Panathinaikos, and played well that season, but then a new coach came and he changed the whole team. I went to Belgium, I was good, but there were problems that arose with my club and I was forced to sign with Malin. They didn't let me play after my surgery and I wanted simply to go somewhere I could play a lot of minutes and to try reach the most of my potential. Here (in Israel) I was promised that I could play a lot, but they conducted themselves entirely different.

For what lies ahead: I want to return to Europe, to improve. I have dreams. I want to get back into the National Team one day.

[Reaper]

The talent was there. The mental strength was not.

[Dean97]

I want to know what problems he had at Belgium? and why the new coach at PAO at the time didn’t rate him? He is not very clear with his answers. Also when he said his time at PAOK was stranger, what does that mean? There’s clearly something underneath all this.

His time in Belgium was good. He played well. Even his second stint with PAO he showed glimpses of brilliance. Why would you go to Israel just to get minutes? As if a mid table team in Greece is not good enough? Asteras, Atromitos, Aris and even Panathinaikos would of been better.

To me his move move to Israel means that he must’ve declined a lot, especially in his abilities and no one sees value or consistency in him. Also he makes stupid decisions as he clearly doesn’t seem to be the brightest. Your not going to get anywhere in Israel. Especially the 2nd division. Unless he lobbies for a move back in Belgium or Greece where he can show that he has still got what he was hyped up to be.

He clearly has ambitions and has been wanting to return to the national team for a while. He should be making the correct steps for that to happen and playing in Israel or levels similar isn’t going to help you improve. I believe Reaper is right about that Ninis is mentally weak because if your so ambitious you would play for a club in a decent league in Europe and fight for your spot and prove what your about. Instead he goes somewhere where no one even knows if they have a league just to get game time where the level will not improve you instead do the opposite. You need competition to help you improve. You need earn your spot with your performances and most of all keep it.

I also find it hard to believe that any team in Europe doesn’t want him. I mean that shows me it has more to do with the player himself. As if a team like say Portugal or Netherlands wouldn’t use him. With the talent he has. I believe he has declined in his performances and I think it’s because he isn’t mentally strong.

[Don Giovanni]

The are different reasons, ranging from a lack of application on his part or to problems purely of a political/bad management point of view, but the biggest reason for his struggles comes down to the fact that Ninis is a player with insurmountable physical limitations. He's a very good tackler from a technical standpoint and he's an excellent reader of the game, but from a physical standpoint he's too easily beaten. He's slow, weak, and small. These features curse him, but at the same time it's very much the source of his talent and genius.

To have him on the pitch basically means a team is defending with a man less. For Ninis to justify a place in the eleven, he has to be scoring goals or creating them. He has not put up the kind of numbers to justify that.

It was never for a lack of quality. He's an excellent player. Technically, the best in Greece and I would say better than Fortounis, but Fortounis justifies his place at OSFP because he puts the numbers up.

So what's the problem? Ninis is very prone to injury. It takes time to develop into a player who can produce those kinds of numbers. Fortounis spent years developing into the player he is today, but was never as prone to injury as Ninis. So it requires patience and it requires catering to the development of the player, something OSFP did for Fortounis, but not for Fetfatzidis for example.

In Ninis case, injuries have hurt his prospects of playing more consistently and thus developing his talent and allowing him to gain proper form. Teams as a result are unwilling to build around him. You can't build around a player who is injured as frequently as Ninis. And he's the sort of player who can only play if a team builds around him.

I think for Ninis to salvage his career, but he has to return to PAO. Somehow, someway he has to stay fit and hope the team can be built around his talents. The last time he was at PAO, the team played a heavy running game. Ninis could only compete for about 70 minutes playing that style. After that he slowed down significantly and his contributions to the game were nonexistent. The team didn't play possession based football, something Ninis excels at. This is in stark contrast to OSFP who do play possession-based football and Fortounis, despite struggling just as badly to compete for the full 90 minutes, doesn't run as much and so he tends to fare better over 90 minutes. For Greece, it's a different story because the team struggles to keep possession and there is a greater emphasis on running, covering ground.

For me these are the two best Greek players you can get and it's clear they're the kind of players title winning teams are built around:

Fortounis' great performance against AEK this past season:

Ninis' coming of age against AEK in 2007 (12 years ago!):

[Amorgos]

Is now a free agent... seems to be enjoying life on SM so dunno where to from here

[Amorgos]

Ninis rejected offers from Kalamata & PAS Giannena as he would rather play abroad... see what comes of this

[Reaper]

I think it would be better for our collective mental health if he just retired.

[Don Giovanni]

From Sportime:

Γενικά ο Νίνης δεν θέλει να μείνει εδώ. Έχει κλείσει αρκετές πόρτες και σε όποιον μάνατζερ τον πλησιάζει λέει το ίδιο, ότι θέλει να συνεχίσει στο εξωτερικό. Πού θα βρει; Άγνωστο… Υπάρχουν, πάντως, ακόμη αγορές που είναι ανοιχτές.

Altogether Ninis doesn't want to stay here [in Greece]. He has closed several doors and whichever manager reaches out to him he says the same thing: that he wants to continue abroad. Where will he go? It's unknown... There are, anyways, still markets open [to sign him].

[Don Giovanni]

My guess is he's planning to stay in Israel. Their transfer window closes next week today.

[Dean97]

I think it would be better for our collective mental health if he just retired.

I think your right.

[Amorgos]

I think it would be better for our collective mental health if he just retired.