| (continue)
"Civil War"
The next two seasons PAO was to win another two consecutive championships, but the season after that PAO was drawn in the Champions Cup and everyone was expecting Bobek's almost unbeaten team to have a good run in Europe. After PAO rolled over Sliema of Malta, they were drawn with Ferencvaros, Hungary. They were a powerful team in that time but PAO managed to draw 0-0 in Budapest. In the return leg, though PAO were terrible and lost 3-1. Many fans and the press blames Bobek for the loss and after a while even some players we holding him responsible.
The team continued to win, but not in convincing fashion as it had in the past. PAO ends up losing the league to their "eternal rival", Olympiakos and 7 players make a press statement setting the blame on Bobek. Some board members also joined it. Domazos and 4 other players plus Panourgias from the board took Bobek's side and for about most of the summer the two sides where at war. Finally, the "Bobek-ists" were the ones that won the debate. Bobek promised to build a team that would be able to challenge for more than just the Greek league. The Croatian coach also promised to renew the blood of the team with new players he saw fit, that could take PAO to the next level. He signed Grammos, Mitropoulos, Kalaitzidis who with Kamaras and Domazos where to lead the team to the 1971 Champions Cup final versus Ajax, 5 years later.
The players that were against Bobek were all given 6 month suspensions but even though the team was performing well, they were called by Nikolaidis. Domazos was against their return and said he was quitting football and stops playing for 3 months. Without Domazos, PAO loses the title to Olympiakos but manages to win the cup with him returning at the end of the season. Bobek though had, had enough of the quarrels and leaves the club. His assistant Lakis Petropoulos takes over a team that was very strong and had no reason to quarrel about Bobek's tactics after he left. Bobek had put together a very powerful squad and it was to be Ferenc Pouskas who 2 years later was to take steer PAO on the road of glory.  |