Ščasný: I give the Greeks a bit more chances. I didn’t get a call from Panathinaikos

Slavia will play Panathinaikos in the third round of the Conference League on Thursday at 7 pm. The Greek team was led by Czech coach Zdeněk Ščasný in the 2004/05 season, who even tried out the Champions League in Athens. Who does he think will advance?

Slavia overcame St.Joseph’s in the second round, but now they are facing a completely different calibre of team. Panathinaikos of Greece was a regular in the Champions League at the start of the 21st century and is one of the most successful clubs in Greece.

But then it ran into problems, not playing European Cups for the last three years due to financial fair-play. In the green part of Athens, there is a great hunger for trophies.

And the local atmosphere was also experienced by Zdenek Ščasný, who managed Panathinaikos in the 2004/05 season. He still has some contacts at the club, but his friends have not asked him to scout for Slavia.

“I have two people who still work at Panathinaikos. We will call each other from time to time, around Christmas we will wish each other a nice holiday. (laughs) But they don’t need it, they have Slavia loaded,” said Ščasný in an interview with iSport.

Panathinaikos is on the rise, it has made a big rise in the last six months. The team is being put together by experienced tactician Ivan Jovanovic, and the fourth-placed team in the Greek league brought in three Slovenian players (Verbic, Sporar, Cerin) in the summer. So how does Ščasný see the chances of both teams?

“Slavia will be at home, with a full stadium at the back, against a diametrically different opponent than at the weekend. If it was a few years ago, I would have favored Panathinaikos. Now I see it more like fifty-fifty. If I’m honest, I give the Greeks a bit more chances,” Ščasný favours his former club.

Source:: iSport