Soccer News of Thursday, 21 February 2002

Source: GNA

Olympiakos to Tour Italy

A. C. Olympiakos, a local first division club which failed to qualify for next season's premier league after an unimpressive middle league campaign, are likely to participate in a youth tournament in either Italy or Denmark in April this year.

A source at the club told the GNA Sports in an interview on Wednesday, that it has received two invitations from Italy and Denmark for a youth tournament but said the club was yet to decide on which one to honour.

The source did not name the other participating teams, the duration of the tournament or the criteria for selection of teams.

As a first step, the team has appointed Abraham Allotey, a former coach of Accra Great Olympics as its helmsman, after the contract of the substantive coach Ken August expired.

The source told the GNA that plans are afoot to recruit seven to eight premier league players to beef up the attack and defence of the team, which were identified as factors in the team's fourth position in the six-team middle league.

The players are to join their other colleagues for vigorous training, starting Monday, February 25, to fine-tune the team before emplaning for either Italy or Denmark.

Even before the team leaves for Europe, they would embark on yet another tour in Benin to toughen the boys for the tournament in April, he added.