The year 2026 has already secured a special place in OFI’s history. In just a few months, the Cretans managed to rack up titles, major European nights, and strong results against the powerhouses of Greek soccer, with Christos Kontis’s work at the heart of this impressive run.
The defining moment came on April 25 at Panthessaliko Stadium, when OFI won the Greek Cup against PAOK. That night essentially marked the beginning of a period in which the Heraklion-based team began to forge its own new reality.
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Within about four and a half months, they went on to win the Super Cup against AEK, victories over CSKA Sofia, and qualification for the Europa League group stage, while the list now also includes one of the most significant away victories in the club’s modern history.
OFI triumphed at the “Georgios Karaiskakis” Stadium, putting an end to a long-standing drought against Olympiacos. With a goal by Kenan Kontra, the Cretans celebrated their first victory at the “Red-and-Whites’” home stadium since May 27, 1990, and that legendary 5-4 win, when they had come back from a 4-0 deficit.
This result took on even greater historical significance, as it was the first time OFI had managed to defeat both AEK and Olympiacos on the road within the same calendar year. This followed a 1-0 victory over AEK in the Cup on January 14, while of the traditional powerhouses, only Panathinaikos remains, whom the Cretans will face at the OAKA on November 22.
The victory at Faliro also put an end to an 18-game losing streak against Olympiacos, both at home and on the road. OFI’s previous positive result against the Piraeus-based team was a 1-0 victory on October 21, 2018, at the “Theodoros Vardinoyannis” Stadium, with Patrick Vouho scoring the goal. In fact, in their eight most recent losses to Olympiacos prior to this season’s “away win,” OFI hadn’t even managed to score.
The Cretans also became only the third team from outside Athens to defeat Olympiacos at the new Karaiskakis Stadium in a league match. They were preceded by AEL in 2009 and Kerkyra in 2012, a fact that further underscores the significance of this latest victory.
Beyond the numbers, however, what stands out is the performance OFI puts on the field. Against Olympiacos, they managed to strike at the points where their opponent showed weaknesses, moved quickly on the counterattacks, and created the conditions to come away with a result that cannot be attributed simply to luck.
*photo source: KYPE
