From the relegation playoffs to challenging for a place in Europe. That’s how far OFI have come. Seven months have passed since OFI was fighting to save its top flight status in what was dubbed the Battle of Crete against Platania. And things now look completely different at the Yedi Kule.

In just one summer, the team has managed to climb from the gutter up into the upper echelons of the table and is a prime contender for a place in the Play Offs.

This OFI shaped by Bousis, Giannis and Giorgos Samaras, and Ilias Poursanidis is undoubtedly one of the most pleasant surprises of the current season, and indeed one of the most interesting projects.

An important factor is also coach Giorgos Simos. When he was appointed in the summer, it came as a big surprise. Up until that point, he had worked only with the youth setups at Panathinaikos and AEK. However, he has so far proven to be an excellent coach and has led OFI to fifth place in the standings, as well as into the last 16 of the Greek Cup.

There are many top protagonists in the team’s fortunes. Sotiriou has been impressive between the posrs, Kostas Giannoulis seems to have found himself in Heraklion, while Neira, Nabi, and Mellardo make up an excellent midfield with quality and dynamism. And then in attack, the likes of Semedo, Figueiredo and Tsilianidis are a threat for any defence.

OFI ended in 2019 and started 2020 with two defeats, against Panetolikos and Volos, resulting in the Cretans dropping down from the fourth place they had occupied for much of the first half of the season. Now the question for the Cretans is if they can sustain the impressive early-season form which has earned them the plaudits and admiration of the Greek footballing public.