Alan Pardew Joins Aris Thessaloniki as Manager
The recent Twitter announcement welcoming Alan Pardew to Aris was met with mixed reactions from the community and Greek fans. Aris has been struggling to win the national championship but came very close in 2020 and 2021 when they managed to end the race at 3rd and 2nd place respectively. The current management believes that Alan Pardew is capable of making their championship dreams a reality.
The long journey of Pardew
Many believe that the respected coach has been riding the fame of their former achievements. He started his managerial career at Reading in 1999 and managed to achieve an impressive win rate of 48.3% over 4 seasons. His following work with West Ham and Charlton would also be commended by experts and fans, but his most notable season was with Southampton which he led to 7th place in Premier League and won the first title for the club since 1976.
After spending several seasons with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, Pardew landed a job at West Bromwich Albion but had a very weak track record. Then, he led ADO Den Haag, a second division team in the Netherlands after which he took a two-year hiatus. In April, he became the manager of CSKA Sofia but decided to resign in June after 7 underwhelming games and only 1 win.
Now, he is going to Thessaloniki, a spa town with an ambitious football team that wants to win the national championship. Whether he will be able to lead Aris to success is a big question.
Aris wants it all and eyes the European competition
The club is known for its middle-of-the-pack domestic performances and several appearances in the international arena. Bested frequently by Olympiacos and neighboring PAOK, Aris wants better results this season.
The success they achieved in 2021 when they ended the regular season in the 2nd place and landed in the 3rd position after the knockout stage was enough to bring hope that the team has the potential to reach higher. Their deal with Alan Pardew is a bet that may pay off if the coach can do what he was capable of a decade ago.
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