Strange coincidences. Coincidences that create a lot of question marks. In the years of … football resolution, almost every derby in which PAOK is competing, the opponent leaves the field with complaints. Justified complaints. A recent example of this by AEK.

AEK left as a looser by the Israeli, Grinfeld. PAOK’s goal should never have been scored if they had taken into account Świderski’s clear foul on Vranias, seconds before Simo’s penalty. He asked for two penalties, but in order to give Tuba the penalty against PAOK they had to come up with … pistols. We talk about it metaphorically, we say nothing about those who had appeared in another PAOK – AEK derby.

PAOK have played four games so far this season, with foreign referees whistling. KED’s decision is not to include Aris in the games of foreign teams, so this year’s measure applies to Panathinaikos, Olympiakos, PAOK and AEK matches. PAOK have already played four games, two with AEK and one with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. And by… coincidence in three out of the four games there have been referees whistling in PAOK.

Melo Pereira has selected three derby players to send referees who … know what PAOK is. Two of the three had even whistled in Tuba again. By chance both of them favored PAOK.

Let’s start from the beginning: In the first round match at OAKA between AEK and PAOK the Swiss referee was Stefan Klosner. A referee that PAOK had met a few years ago, in a 3-2 victory in Florence over Fiorentina for the Europa League. On the contrary, he had never whistled for AEK in its European clash.

Klosner had a great chat (there is always talk and complaining about PAOK games), but not as much as the other two did. The referees, who had been whistled in Tuba again and Melo Pereira sent them back there, apparently because they were used to the PAOK’s stadium.

First, Slavko Vinčić, the PAOK’s Slovenian referee – Panathinaikos. A referee who a few months earlier had come back to Tuba and whistled PAOK – Ajax 2-2 for the Champions League qualifiers. PAOK then had a friendly arbitration. Not as much, of course, as he had in Panathinaiko’s derby, with the Greens making a statement after the end of the match against Vinčić, for a series of offenses.

Leading up to the delays of the… delays, when with the score at 2-1 in favor of Panathinaikos, the referee let the match go despite the five minutes of delays he had given and finally gave PAOK a penalty. A penalty that brought the equilibrium by Vieirinha.

Grinfeld, the Israeli referee, had also the taste of Tuba. Greenfield was also the referee at PAOK – Spartak Moscow. A match in which PAOK was found to lose 0-2 in its start by Spartak Carrera. 0-2 became 3-2 within minutes of the first half, with the overturned penalty given by Grinfeld to PAOK.

How was the penalty given? As a hand within Spartak’s area. Two identical phases, two different decisions and both in favor of PAOK by Grinfeld. Pereira’s choice would be random.

It remains to be seen whether Portugal will send a referee that PAOK has met again in the past.

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