Greek Australians in Athens to show talent

An 18-member soccer squad of young Australians of Greek descent has arrived in Athens for a series of youth-level friendlies which the visitors hope will lead to contracts with Greek clubs.

The visiting squad, a select group of players aged between 16 and 22, launched its brief showcase tour yesterday against Olympiakos’s youth team. It is scheduled to meet Aegaleo tomorrow, Panathinaikos next Tuesday and AEK two days later.

Several Australian players of Greek descent have managed to sign with Greek clubs in the past, mostly in the 1980s and early 90s, but the flow has since come to a halt. Compared to the sport’s local market standards, soccer in Australia remains far less lucrative.

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