Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 16 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
The shirt still fits. Nikolaos Tachtsidis is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Grigorios Mitroglou is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Georgios Karelis is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Volos NPS have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
The name of Alexandros Tzamalis has come up in conversations Volos NPS were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Everything was agreed until it was not, and Ignacio Vázquez reports back to Volos NPS with a summer to forget. Neither club is saying who walked away from the table.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
A new face in his position, and Peter Grance Martínez suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Volos NPS have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
A new face in his position, and Lazaros Lamprou suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Volos NPS have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Peter Grance Martínez arrives at Volos NPS with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Pablo Rossi is 37, with 50 appearances behind him, and Volos NPS will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The shirt still fits. Antonio Kuš is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 2 appearances in 37 say he has earned the hearing.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Nicolás Besaccia is 35 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.
Mathieu Oliveira arrives at 36 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 2 appearances in 25 say he has earned the hearing.
Whether it was the goalkeeper or the ten in front of him is the argument that will fill every conversation in town this week. 5 saves does not settle it either way.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every debut is a small story about the future: Franko Hećimović, 19 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Volos NPS has been clear about where Angelos Tsingaras stands, which is more than many ever get.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 0 appearances in 21 say he has earned the hearing.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
The name of Carles Soria has come up in conversations Volos NPS were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Jan Bienduga knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
The terracesEverybody has an opinion about Carlos Rivas
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 0 appearances in 17 say he has earned the hearing.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Jakub Antczak has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Volos NPS know, and have known for weeks.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 0 appearances in 13 say he has earned the hearing.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Volos NPS have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
A new face in his position, and Derek Agyakwa suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Volos NPS have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 12 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Carlos Rivas is 37, with 53 appearances behind him, and Volos NPS will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
Asked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Juanpi has let it be known that he does not like the way Volos NPS are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
In brief
The terracesThe press cannot get enough of Derek Agyakwa
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 8 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Volos NPS have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Volos NPS spent the window trying to move Carles Soria on and nobody came. He trains with a squad that has already told him he is not part of it, and both sides now wait for the next one.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Thanasis Kourbelis is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Vladimir Golemić is 37 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.
A new face in his position, and Carles Soria suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Volos NPS have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
The name of Giorgos Katris keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Volos NPS say nothing, which says plenty.
The terraces10 Jul 2028
Supporters make their feelings known about Giorgos Katris
The speculation has reached the stands, and the stands have answered. Volos NPS would like this settled before it becomes the only thing anybody asks about.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Volos NPS can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Alexandros Maskanakis and Volos NPS agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
A new face in his position, and Lazaros Lamprou suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Volos NPS have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Volos NPS has been clear about where Carles Soria stands, which is more than many ever get.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 0 appearances in 13 say he has earned the hearing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
14 days since the seat came open, a list of names doing the rounds, and nobody has signed anything. Every week this drags on the shortlist gets shorter.
Four paragraphs on the club website, none of them about football. The board thanked him, wished him well, and had the search under way before the page went up.
“Somebody picks the team on Saturday. This week it is me, and that is as far as I have thought.” No promises were made in either direction, which is how these usually begin.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Volos NPS, and 0 appearances in 9 say he has earned the hearing.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Volos NPS they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
He is 19, and nobody at Volos NPS signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Jake Evans is 18, and Volos NPS have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. António Vital arrives at Volos NPS with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
The club looked outside for a month, found nothing it preferred, and handed the job to the man who had been doing it anyway. He knows the building; now he has to prove he knows the rest.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Volos NPS is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The name of Eduardo Esterilla has come up in conversations Volos NPS were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
The shirt still fits. Tiago Costa is back at Volos NPS, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Daniel Mejia is 18, and Volos NPS have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Volos NPS pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
A season-long audition: Kolos still own him, but the shirt and the minutes are Volos NPS's to give. A loan is a bet both clubs believe they are winning.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Volos NPS pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
9 days with the chair empty, a list of names that grows and shrinks by the day, and not one signature on anything. Every week that passes takes the best candidates off it.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Alexei Koșelev knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Every debut is a small story about the future: Ignacio Vázquez, 22 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.
“Somebody has to pick the team on Saturday, and this week that is me.” An interim appointment with no promises attached, which is how most of them start.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Levadiakos defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Maximiliano Comba and Volos NPS agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Volos NPS, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Alexei Koșelev knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Volos NPS have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Volos NPS can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Volos NPS know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Volos NPS have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
The award is a small thing with a heavy meaning: for four weeks nobody in this division did his job better. Volos NPS have the trophy on a shelf and the player in the side.