The club’s first season in the Super League went almost unnoticed. They preserved their top flight stauts with ease, played some good football, and introduced us all to some new players. In the second season, things were clearly better. Playing some excellent football, producing some big results, and ending the season in seventh place. Now, this yeat, Volos are looking to prove that there are no limits to what the club can achieve. And judging by what they have achieved in the first five games, they seem to be on the right track.

The Magnesia club are the pleasant surprise of this year’s championship and are top of the table along with PAOK before the two teams were due to meet. Without any changes in philosophy over the summer, Volos made some targeted and sought-after moves in the transfer market, while putting their trust in a young Spanish coach once more. They also brought in players who may not have made an impression as names on paper, but who have proved to be excellent on the pitch. After working hard in pre-season, their start to the season suggests they are destined for big things.

Guillermo Abascal  was the management’s choice for head coach. At just 32 years old, with … a badge from La Masia and experience in Switzerland and Italy, he is the youngest coach in this year’s Super League and has managed to put himself in the spotlight right from the off, and not only because of his age.

His football philosophy has perfectly matched the club’s wishes, the players enjoy what they do on the pitch, and the results are coming as a reward. Spectacle and substance, with the demand now being able to last for the duration in what will be a demanding season.

In addition to the change in technical leadership over the summer, the close season also brought radical changes to the squad. Many key players left, with the most important departures being those of Perea, Colombo, Mitoglou, Martinez, Dentakis, Garavelis and Kiakou, and of course the club’s leading scorer last term, Tassos Douvikas.

The arrivals, however, seemed to have raised the level of the team once more with players such as Tom van Weert, who already has four goals, the experienced Kotnik, who has proven his value to Greek football over the years with excellent seasons behind him, Nikolas Oroz, who has raised the level of the team in midfield, but also the likes of Regattin, Soares, Wojtkowski, Rhyner, Purita, Rosero and Gulen, who provide a plethora of options to Abascal to play the football that he wants.

So far, Volos have beaten Lamia, Panetolikos, Asteras Tripolis and Atromitos, while it has lost only to Panathinaikos in Athens. The Magnesia club face PAOK and AEK in successive matches are are keen to measure their strength, and prove that it is not by chance that they are at the top.