"The Football Show", a new sports programme from protothema.gr, made its debut on Sunday, breaking down the opening matchday of Greece's Stoiximan Super League along with transfer news in football and basketball and the latest performances by Greek players in Europe's top leagues.
The first episode was hosted by Michalis Tsochos, Grigoris Papavasileiou and Giannikos Douskas. Their guests were Babis Lykogiannis, the newly signed AEK Athens defender, and Christos Ferentinos.
Aris's win and two defining images
The hosts highlighted two images from the opening weekend of matches. One showed Olympiacos midfielder Carmo pointing towards striker Ayoub El Kaabi after El Kaabi missed a penalty. The other captured PAOK's Pelkas embracing coach Alessio Lisi, who had given him the chance to play in the match.
The programme stressed the importance of Aris's win and the need for the Thessaloniki club to start the season with victories in order to win back its supporters.
Olympiacos: Mendilibar's substitutions and transfer targets
The show examined how Olympiacos coach Jose Luis Mendilibar set up his side and the team's performance. Analyst Vasilis Konstantopoulos said Mendilibar used the depth of his squad to unlock the match before nervousness set in over the lack of a goal.
On the transfer front, the programme reported that Olympiacos have set their sights on West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez and Sevilla winger Ruben Vargas.
PAOK searches for answers after Konstantelias exit
PAOK's opening match was also analysed, along with the solutions the club needs to find following the departure of Giannis Konstantelias. The hosts said Lisi is working to find answers to carry the team forward, and that PAOK's overall performance showed the side managed to get useful contributions from a number of players.
Greek players abroad
The commentary also covered Greek players competing in Europe's top leagues, from the impressive displays of Konstantinos Karetsas and Konstantelias at Borussia Dortmund to the decisive performances of Kostas Tzolis and Vasilis Tzolakis in the Premier League.
Panathinaikos deal with a difficult summer
Panathinaikos have had a difficult summer in terms of injuries, which the programme suggested may explain why the club requested a postponement of its opening Super League fixture. Panathinaikos are waiting to complete the signing of a midfielder and could pursue higher-quality additions depending on further player sales, even if that means missing out on other targets. For the second leg against Hradec Kralove, coach Rasmus Nistrup's side are expected to line up with a back three.
Aris and AEK look ahead
At Aris, the hosts said new signings need to be integrated into the squad without delay, while the win over Kalamata was said to have lacked cohesion in the first half.
AEK Athens, meanwhile, are already operating on a Champions League schedule. The club faces Levski Sofia on Wednesday in what Kostas Ketsetzoglou called a historic match for qualification to the League Phase.
Basketball: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos prepare
On the basketball side, Michalis Stefanou said Olympiacos' handling of the Thomas Walkup case shows the club is defending the interests of every EuroLeague team, adding that the case is not expected to be resolved soon.
At Panathinaikos, the countdown to the new season continues with Zeljko Obradovic and Batiste on the bench. Guard Kendrick Nunn is injured but is not expected to miss many official games, with a return targeted for early October. The club is not expected to look for a replacement at his position.
