Former Greek midfielder Akis Zikos has joined protothema.gr's daily sports broadcast The Football Show By Stoiximan as a permanent analyst starting Friday, September 4.
Zikos initially appeared on the program as a guest following AEK Athens' qualification for the UEFA Champions League league phase. His appearance led to a permanent role on the show alongside regular hosts Michalis Tsochos, Grigoris Papavasileiou, and Giannikos Douskas.
Broadcast live from Monday to Friday between 13:00 and 15:00, the show covers domestic and international football news. Zikos remains the only Greek footballer to have played in a UEFA Champions League final, having featured for French club AS Monaco in the 2004 final match against Porto in Gelsenkirchen.
Show Format and Coverage Scope
The Football Show By Stoiximan offers tactical analyses, exclusive reporting, interviews, behind the scenes updates, and statistical reviews. The program brings match action and goal highlights from both the Stoiximan Super League, the top tier of Greek football, and the Greek Cup.
Coverage extends beyond domestic football to include basketball updates and live connections with major hubs including Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, and Nyon, the administrative headquarters of European football governing body UEFA. Reporter dispatches follow Greek clubs competing in the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, and basketball's EuroLeague.
The show features prominent studio guests from sports and entertainment. Guests include defender Babis Lykogiannis, who gave his first interview as an AEK Athens player on the program, as well as singer Panos Kiamos and television presenter Christos Ferentinos.
Dedicated Beat Reporting Team
A team of specialized journalists provides daily beat coverage for individual Greek clubs and national sports teams. Kostas Ketsetzoglou reports on AEK Athens, Giannis Seretis covers Panathinaikos, Vasilis Konstantopoulos tracks Olympiacos, Stavros Sountoulidis covers PAOK, and Fotis Pliakos reports on Aris.
Basketball coverage is provided by Giorgos Petridis for Panathinaikos, Michalis Stefanou for Olympiacos, and Kostas Sotiriou for the Greek national basketball team. The broadcast team also features Maria Giota Mastoreli, who presents a dedicated social media section.
Major Transfer Market Developments
The broadcast highlighted significant player movements across major Greek clubs ahead of European roster deadlines. Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi completed his return to Panathinaikos, signing a four-year contract following a 14 million euro transfer agreement with Spanish La Liga club Girona. Panathinaikos confirmed the deal with a promotional video announcing that magic had returned.
Olympiacos completed the signing of winger Leon Bailey from English Premier League side Aston Villa, securing the player on a long term contract running through 2030. Olympiacos also added defender Montero, who arrived in Athens to complete his registration.
AEK Athens officially announced the return of Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario through a promotional video release. Meanwhile, Olympiacos finalized the acquisition of winger Nous, who will remain on loan with OFI Crete until January. Following AEK's recent fixture, manager Marko Nikolic stated that domestic competitions remained the team's primary target while emphasizing that the club never closes the door to late transfer opportunities.
European Roster Submissions and Squad Changes
Greek clubs finalized their official squad lists submitted to UEFA for autumn European competition. AEK Athens included new additions Babis Lykogiannis, Joao Mario, and Vitalis on their Europa League roster, while defender Georgiev was left off the list.
Olympiacos submitted its European squad list for the Europa League, leaving six players out of the registered group. OFI Crete registered Nous on their European roster to remain eligible for Europa League matches through January.
In player departures, Brazilian defender Rodinei published a farewell message to Olympiacos supporters, stating that he could not stop crying as he departed the club.
Domestic Cup Results and International Updates
Domestic action in the Superbet Greek Cup saw Olympiacos earn a 4-0 victory against AEL in Larissa. Elsewhere in the competition, PAOK and OFI played to a 0-0 draw at Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, while Atromitos secured a 1-0 away victory over Panserraikos in Serres courtesy of a goal from Tsiloulis.
In international sports developments, Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Harris 3-1 in sets to advance to the third round of the US Open. Also at the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka expressed anger toward a reporter during a press conference following questions about her performance.
In volleyball, Greek women's national team player Angelopoulou returned to the squad hotel following an injury, with a complete medical evaluation scheduled in Athens. Additionally, reports surfaced regarding an alleged prison plot using mobile phones to attempt a kidnapping targeting Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.
