Professional Greek soccer team Olympiacos C.F.P., Greece’s most successful professional soccer club – winner of 38 league titles, 24 Greek cups and 4 Super Greek Cups – has selected Chicago as the location for its first US soccer academy. The club has academies in Greece, Cyprus and Australia.
GreekSoccer.com
John Kosmas, founder of GreekSoccer.com and Chicago’s Hellenic Soccer Tournament, has been involved in soccer in Chicago for nearly 30 years. Through the website, he and his wife Angela Kosmas started the Hellenic Soccer Tournament about six years ago, to enhance the site’s service to Greek soccer fans outside of Greece. A huge fan of soccer, and more specifically Olympiacos, it’s always been his dream to somehow partner with Olympiacos and bring their expertise to Chicago area kids. “Many Chicago clubs have a foreign club affiliation, but they aren’t official academies of soccer where the club’s actual training curriculum is followed. This will be the first one,” John said.
About the Academy
As an official Olympiacos academy, people who attend the school will follow the same training schedule as the team, will be held to identical standards, and will wear their uniforms. The school will also include the very first official fan club for the team in the Chicago land area. “Actual players of the team, as well as club leadership will join us from time to time here in Chicago,” John said.
Official Announcement Coming Soon
There will be an official announcement over Labor Day weekend, during this year’s 6th Annual Hellenic Soccer Tournament. A delegation from Olympiacos C.F.P. will come to Chicago for the announcement. ANT1 Satellite, the Greek television station, will also be on hand, covering the event. Members of the Olympiacos Academy in Greece, as well as members of the senior leadership of both the academy and team, and former players will travel to Chicago as well. There will be a series of events throughout the community. The school’s suburban Chicago location will also be announced at that time.
