Historical past is written by the teams, the nice Dionysis Savvopoulos sings and the Ermis group has been writing its personal historical past since 1984. Within the stadiums of Brussels, after the households, individually, in rain (principally) and solar (typically), however all the time with the ball on the grass and within the nets the household of the primary Greek soccer workforce in Brussels grew up and managed to maneuver up a division on its fortieth birthday.
“The 2 greatest challenges have been discovering a reputation for the workforce and elevating cash. Most of us supported Olympiakos or Panathinaikos, so we prevented these names and colours. After we have been wanting on the seems we agreed on blue and yellow. As for the identify, we realized that the ELTA emblem was Hermes. And that is how the Ermis soccer workforce was born,” says Kostas Golfidis, one of many founding members, in a put up of the workforce on Instagram.
The birthday match
The appointment was made simply exterior Brussels for an “intra-family” birthday match. Young and old have been there to have a good time. Some with their youngsters and grandchildren. Others arrived from Luxembourg, the place they now work, only for this sport.
Dorian Tsetis is now the chief of the workforce, but additionally his brother Kostas adopted within the footsteps of their father and present coach of the workforce.
“I’ve been within the workforce for 8-9 years and I got here as a result of my father used to play too. I am now the captain of the workforce” says Dorian, describing in a slick, but fully lifelike method what “Mercury” is: “Mercury is a spot the place anybody can discover what they’re in search of, that’s, you are an individual in Brussels and also you’re simply seeking to play a match each Saturday after which go dwelling, you possibly can come to Ermis. You’re in search of an organization to drink your beer with after the race, you come to Ermis. You’re a Greek a bit misplaced in Brussels, you do not know the place to go, you come to Ermis. It has for everybody what they’re in search of.”
His father, Babis, a former govt of the Fee, a while in the past hung up his sneakers within the European Fee, however not in his workforce which he coaches and when he’s not doing that he follows Olympiakos within the matches wherever they play.
“To have a good time 40 years with this promotion was unbelievable. We did it by way of arduous work, though I take advantage of the primary plural. All have been performed by the gamers who tried, who fought, labored arduous and succeeded and rose to the primary newbie division, Brussels and its environment. It’s a success. I’m very completely happy, very completely happy” says Babis Tsetis.
The “double” because the champion of Greece together with his favourite workforce PAOK, but additionally as a participant of Ermis, George Patkos within the mornings you possibly can meet him in one of the vital well-known cafes of Brussels, “To Meli” which he co-owns, coping with funds and with soccer being his nice ardour and his teammates saying that he may very nicely have performed professionally.
“Hermes is a second household”
“For us, Ermis means a second household, a company that may aid you whenever you come to a brand new nation to adapt much more simply” says Giorgos. “The Hermes matches are a social occasion, we get collectively, trade opinions, concepts, share the identical ardour for soccer and when we now have some successes we really feel proud and completely happy about it” he explains.
The apple beneath the apple tree additionally applies to Argyris Antonakopoulos. “I’ve been taking part in for Hermes for nearly 15 years, I began as a participant, however earlier than that they began as a fanatical fan of my father, my father additionally performed within the workforce, he was one of many first gamers to be within the unique groups of Hermes, when it was based in 1984”. Son of Leonidas Antonakopoulos, former head of the European Parliament Delegation in Athens, who additionally performed within the anniversary sport. As Argyris says, “the workforce is all the things. A group in Brussels is our pleasure each Saturday, as gamers and followers.
It is an important pleasure, at present we have a good time 40 years, could we have a good time 50 and 60 and so long as it goes. And lest we neglect: both Hermes or nobody.” Within the stands have been his two nephews, sons of his sister Eleni who was watching dad, brother and her accomplice in motion.
“40 years of Mercury”
For 20 years, Vangelis Demiris, communication advisor to the vice-president of the Fee Margaritis Schinas, performed for “Ermis”, who stays a devoted follower of the workforce to today: “40 years of Ermis means 40 years of a really good Greek soccer household in all stadiums of Belgium. Heat congratulations to the younger individuals of the workforce who additionally took one thing from us, the youthful ones, and moved up a class this 12 months”.
Giorgos Rossidis, supervisor of well being commissioner Stella Kyriakidou, began taking part in for the workforce in 2005. After Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, Hermes additionally welcomed Cypriot gamers who proceed to type an vital core of it. Giorgos arrived on the stadium together with his twelve-year-old son Stefanos, a fan of Omonia, who already performs soccer in a youngsters’s workforce and took part within the match because the youngest participant, placing a bow to hitch Ermis as an everyday when he’s a bit older. “I had the chance to play on this discipline with Ermis. Once I flip 16 I need to play with this nice workforce. My dad performed within the assault, however I play protection”, describes Stefanos.
Stefanos and his era are steadily taking on and Ermis continues to be the household and weekend firm for Brussels soccer followers.
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