PSAP hands out year-end Hardware

By: Peter Katsiris | December 1st, 2008

The Greek Union of Professional Football Players (PSAP) handed out its most recent set of year-end awards, rewarding three players for their efforts in 2008. With former German football player Gerd Muller on hand at the ceremony, the legendary Bayern Munich scorer received an award of his own: a plaque presented by PSAP president Antonis Antoniadis.

The honour of Greek footballer of the year was awarded to Panathinaikos’ Dimitrios Salpigidis, with the former PAOK player playing a large part in Panathinaikos’ centenary year success. Salpigidis beat out two Olympiacos players: Paraskevas Antzas and Avraam Papadopoulos; the latter was nominated for his rime with Aris FC. Also up for nomination was Panionios’ Lambros Choutos.

The award of foreign player of the year was not awarded to a particular individual, but a duo of scorers who made their Super League debut last year. AEK’s and the Super League’s leading scorer from a year ago, Ismael Blanco, while Olympiacos was represented by close runner-up, Darko Kovacevic, were awarded the foreign player of the year award.

Football is not all about scoring goals, and the honour of goalkeeper of the year was presented to Olympiacos’ Antonis Nikopolidis. The former Greece international was present with the honour for the third consecutive time; beating out Asteras Tripolis’ Giorgos Abaris, and Panathinaikos’ Alexandros Tzorvas.

With Greece’s national team shifting in an era from old to new, the ever prestigious award of best young Greek footballer was hotly contested by three of Greece’s rising stars. Sokratis Papasathopoulos was awarded the honour for his production with AEK Athens. After a summer move from the Greek capital to Italy’s Genoa, Papasathopoulos has been tipped to be the cornerstone of the Greek national team for years to come. Papastahthopoulos beat out AEK’s – but formerly with Skoda Xanthi – Antonis Rikka, and Iraklis’ Dimitris Giantsis.

From the managerial post, Dusan Bajevic was awarded manager of the year but the newly hired AEK manager was rewarded for his time at Aris FC and not the capital club. Panionios’ Takis Lemonis was nominated for guiding Olympiacos to a deep run in the UEFA Champions League, as well as setting the stage for another double – triple if you count the Greek Super Cup triumph – title finish to the year before he was replaced by his assistant Jose Segoura in February. The final nominee was Bajevic’s predecessor to the AEK job, Giorgos Donis. The player turned manager experienced a successful stint last year with Larissa, but fortunes changed with his new job in Athens.

Blanco was recalled to the stage later in the evening, as he collected his prize for a Super League leading eighteen goal output last term.

Other awards included referee of the year which was awarded to Skoda Xanthi’s current trainer Giorgos Kasnaferis. The former referee beat out fellow nominees Kyros Vassaras, and Anastasios Kakos.

Special honorary awards were awarded to several other figures that evolved into legends of Greek football. Alekos Alexandris, Zisis Vryzas, Elias Poursanidis, Akis Zikos, Giannis Xanthopoulos and Takis Oikonomopoulos were among the figures honoured, while journalist Stavros Petrakopoulos, the Samoulidis family – a father and three sons all involved in the Greek game – and Michalis Pagoudis were honoured as active citizens of the Greek game.