It smelled like Christmas at Lakeside Stadium. South Melbourne held a celebratory event that was attended by the board, coaches, athletes, journalists, fans, and important figures of Australian football.
Nicholas Maikousis, the president of the club, stole the show with his speech to the attendees.
The only member of management to take the stage was the strongman from South Melbourne.
“We are celebrating together and are very happy that we have all gathered here. We desired to arrange a casual evening for our fans and sponsors, who have greatly supported us over the years.
“Therefore, we wish a Merry Christmas to everyone! Australian football is entering a new era, and we are pleased and proud to contribute to this change.
“We have eagerly awaited news about the establishment of the second tier for nearly twenty years, and we are thrilled that it has finally arrived” noted Mr Maikousis and continued.
“I wish for our teams to be at the top in the new year. Our players know the responsibility that comes with wearing the team shirt, and I am confident they will fulfill it.”
The president seemed to have saved the best for last.
“Can you believe the outrageous news that came this week from Football Victoria? Apparently, they chose someone for a role after discussing with 140 people, but how can we trust the process when the outcome was predetermined?
”Thank God that by 2025, the second national division will be in full swing, and we can finally bid farewell to the backwards ways of Football Victoria.”
Mr Maikousis delivered a caustic speech, which prompted nearly everyone present to applaud loudly, expressing their opposition to Football Victoria’s decision to appoint Christos Pehlivanis as the new CEO of the federation.
Max Mikkola, the star of the team, expressed his wishes for the new season to the team’s fans through Neos Kosmos.
“I want to wish our fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope that this year they will be by our side, as they have been for all these years. They give us strength to fight in every match.”
The South Melbourne attacking midfielder was blunt when asked to give his thoughts on the team’s new roster.
“The team hadn’t won anything for years, so in the last two seasons we had to focus on learning how to win. In our minds, there was only victory at any cost.
“With the arrival of new players and the experience we older ones now have, I believe that this year’s team will have something more. What the fans of the team want from us is more attractive football.”
He was clear when we asked him to give us his view on coach Quintas‘ contract renewal
“Esteban’s stay has brought great happiness to us. With him, the team has established strong foundations and he alone understands what needs to take place for the team to regain their top position.
“We are aware that he rejected lucrative offers from other countries to remain in South Melbourne and we are extremely grateful for that.”
We also extracted a statement from the Argentine coach before the evening ended.
“We are currently working very hard to present something great for the new season.
“Our team has the necessary roster to play quality football. We plan to keep possession of the ball and create dangerous opportunities for our opponents through vertical passes and changing positions.
”We will also be adding a couple more footballers to our team, further improving the quality. Our goal is to return to the top and play beautiful football this year. This is what our fans are asking for and what we aim to deliver.”
