OFI’s first season back in the big time last year was a wild rollercoaster ride which lasted til the end. For most of the campaign, The Cretans seemed doomed, but they managed to turn the situation around and secured their top flight status after two very tough matches against Platanias in the promotion/relegation play-offs. This year, the team is a completely different proposition, playing good football which has been yielding positive results.

The club ha been counting on familiar faces again. President Michalis Bousis, and Giannis and Georgios Samaras, and Elias Poursanidis. The latter three are responsible for the football side and the former is providing the financial health to run the project. And it’s a project that was won the admiration of all involved in Greek football this year.

The summer was not a period of calm by any means. The most intense episode concerning the club’s administration was the saga of Vera and Isis. The coaching duo who managed to keep the team in the division did not get the necessary permits, and so the team’s coaching leadership was, well, coachless.

The appointments that followed sprang quite a surprise. Giorgos Simos was appointed head coach. Simos had previously served at Panathinaikos’ academies and AEK’s Under-19 side, but he was given his first head coach role of a Super League team by OFI technical director, Giannis Samaras.

The spine of last season’s team was kept together and strengthened by plenty of quality players such as Semedo, Figueiredo, Tsilianidis and Koutroubis. Combined with Neira, Nabi, Sasi, Mellardo, Korovesis and Giannoulis, the current squad is one that has been playing attractive, open football, combining spectacle with results in the early part of the season.

The Cretans are currently in fourth place in the standings, and the challenge now is to stay there. The dream for everyone at the club is to bring back European football back to Crete.