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Users of the TripAdvisor website have voted the Acropolis Museum in Athens the best museum in Greece, making it ninth in the world.

Designed by US-based architect Bernard Tschumi, the modernist building at the foot of the Acropolis’ southern slope showcases surviving treasures from the Archaic and Roman periods, with particular emphasis on the Acropolis of the 5th century BC. The museum opened in 2009.

The top 10 institutions according to the 2016 edition of TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for best museums, are headed by the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The top 10 list, which mostly features European museums, also includes the Art Institute of Chicago, St Petersburg’s Hermitage, the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, and the British Museum in London.

The ranking is based on millions of TripAdvisor reviews from travelers over a 12-month period.

source:ekathimerini.com

TEDDY Sheringham won a treble with Manchester United, played at two World Cups, sits ninth on the Premier League’s all-time goal-scorers’ list and has dipped his toe in coaching at English League Two club Stevenage.

Michael Bridges played opposite Sheringham in the Premier League, is a former Jets captain and assistant coach, works as an A-League analyst and has lived in the Hunter for seven years.

Now the former top-flight strikers want to take the reins of the Newcastle Jets.

Bridges confirmed on Tuesday his interest in “continuing the job” that Scott Miller started and “bringing some stability” to the club.

A week after the sudden dismissal of Miller and assistant Luciano Trani, chief executive Lawrie McKinna is compiling a shortlist of six candidates and expects to begin interviews on Thursday. 

Bridges worked at the club under Phil Stubbins but resigned two days after the coach controversially sacked the remainder of the support staff.

The 38-year-old has since completed his coaching A licence and has been employed as an expert analyst for Fox Sports, SBS, Channel Nine and Optus.

“Breaking down games, whether it is the Premier League or A-League, keeps you on your toes,” Bridges said. “I have also gone to a host of different coaching courses, shared ideas and learned new things.”

Bridges and Sheringham are clients of ie:sports management company.

“I’m not going to hide the fact that I put my name forward for the job,” Bridges said. “Whether I have the experience or haven’t, I’ll back myself all the way.

“Then an opportunity came up to join Teddy as a package. It would be silly not to want to work under somebody with his experience and pedigree.

“The Premier League is massive in China, and having two ex-Premier League players might appeal to the Ledman Group, or it might not.”

Sheringham, who played until he was nearly 41, is relatively new to the coaching scene. He made his debut as a manager with English League Two club Stevenage last season but was let go in February after recording just seven wins from 33 games. 

Sheringham, 50, most recently worked as a strikers coach at West Ham.

“He has been a gaffer over there and has worked under the best manager in the world in Alex Ferguson,” Bridges said. “There is no doubt that you learn a lot from guys like that. I have spoken to some of the boys at Stevenage. They say he has a good tactical mind and his management is superb. His door is always open and he tries to let the lads play with a smile on his face. You can be a tactical genius, but if you haven’t got the dressing room behind you, then the team won’t perform.”

The Jets improved from 10th to eighth under Miller, and with a settled squad, Bridges is adamant the trend upwards can continue.

“Scott was doing a great job,” he said.

“The players, too, have done an amazing job. What has happened, happens in football. The lads have to maintain focus. What they have been doing has been working. They have belief now in the club.”

Bridges said his knowledge of the league and the Hunter region would make for an easy transition for Sheringham. 

“I can nest him in, help him understand what the region is all about,” he said. 

Bridges, who played at Sunderlan, Leeds and Newcastle United, opposed Sheringham when the latter was at Tottenham and West Ham United.

“Teddy was a clever footballer,” Bridges said. “If he has a smart brain as a player, you know he has it as a gaffer.”

source:theherald.com.au

Northern NSW Football has taken over the running of Newcastle Football’s SAP coaching program after a disagreement about how to develop junior talent.

The decision means Newcastle Football, which has won the past three boys state championships in under-11s and under-12s, will not send teams to next year’s titles.

NNSWF will select players from its Newcastle SAP program to compete at the championships, which also include the Emerging Jets and zone teams from Macquarie, Hunter Valley and four other districts.

Northern will meet with parents on Tuesday night at Souths Leagues Club to outline how it will run the Newcastle program, which will comprise boys from under-10s to under-12s and girls from under-9s to under-12s.

NNSWF boss David Eland said Northern had appointed a technical director and several coaches and secured a venue for its Newcastle Skill Acquisition Phase program, in which identified players train and play exclusively with a SAP team.

Newcastle Football is reviving its NET boys program, in which club teams and coaches train once a week with the zone’s coaches under technical director Richard Hartley. Newcastle ran the program in 2014 but reverted to SAP in the past two years. Its girls program will mirror SAP in that identified players will train and play only with their zone team.   

Eland said he had recommended to his board that NNSWF run SAP in Newcastle as Newcastle Football wanted to pursue a different program.

“Newcastle Football was not prepared to commit to a licensed SAP from 2017,” he said. “Unfortunately, our philosophies in this regard were not aligned.

“Newcastle Football were very keen to implement a program that was very, very broad, and that just wasn’t aligned to our high-performance principles. If Newcastle Football don’t want to do it, there’s not a lot we can do.

“What Newcastle Football is conducting is a community program, whereas the skill acquisition program we will be running is aligned to our talented player pathway. They’re two completely different programs.”

Newcastle Football chief Russell Henry said NET would support the player numbers required by NPL and WPL clubs.  

“We believe that the base should be wider. We should be offering the Skills Acquisition Phase of training program to as many players as we can,” Henry said.

“We believe the SAP program is narrowly focused and doesn’t deliver the numbers of players that the system requires, so we’re offering it to the wider base so we can support those other tiers above us.”

Both Eland and Henry said players and parents were free to choose between the programs on offer.

“There is a choice,” Henry said. “The decision to go with the SAP has the pathway that David is publicising, and we accept that. We’re not questioning any of that.

“We have said to the boys that they can take the SAP pathway or go to one of our community clubs that are involved in the NET program and come back to us that way.”   

Eland said Newcastle Football would not have teams at the state titles as “they are not part of our talented player pathway any more”.

“The state championships are for member zones that are committed to the skill acquisition program,” he said. 

“We’ve redefined the principal purpose of the state championships. They are principally there as a talent identification opportunity . . . to identify players with the potential to be part of our Emerging Jets program.

“Unfortunately, Newcastle Football will not be part of the state championships. We will be selecting kids from the Newcastle SAP program to be part of the state championships.”

Eland acknowledged that parents facing a choice between the two programs would be “feeling a bit confused”.

“But I just don’t think we are competing here. Northern NSW Football’s Newcastle SAP is a high-performance program. The NET program is a club-based community program.”   

Eland said Northern had asked NPL clubs whether they wanted to take over the SAP program from the member zones during the next licence period, but they were unanimously against the idea.

source:theherald.com.au

The player hopes the move will keep him in contention for a place in the Socceroos squad

As the Socceroos embark on the last stage of World Cup Qualifiers over the next 12 months, Socceroo winger Chris Ikonomidis will leave Rome’s Lazio and embark on a season long loan to Danish Super League club AGF in a bid to get more precious game time, in a hope that it will keep him in contention for a place in the Socceroos squad.

Currently in Ang Postecoglou’s Socceroos squad for the first two matches in the last stage of the Socceroos’ qualifying campaign, against Iraq in Perth and the UAE away from home, Ikonomidis is hoping to add significantly to his six Socceroo caps.

The Sydney-born 21-year-old, who played at Sutherland Sharks in Sydney before moving to Italy as a 17-year-old to pursue a professional career, joined Lazio’s youth team in 2013 and made his senior debut last season when he was loaned out to Italian Serie B club Salernitana, for whom he made 14 senior appearances and scored one goal.

Following Australia’s two World Cup qualifying matches Ikonomidis will fly to Denmark to join his new team mates at AGF. Amongst them will be fellow Australian midfielder Mustafa Amini who has signed a three year deal with the club.

AGF Sports Director Jens Andersson said in a statement, ” Chris is a talented player that has flair. With his speed and technique, he can get involved with collective play and create something on his own. He also knows the way to goal and in that way he makes our play more unpredictable and gives us more options to choose from in attack. He will certainly be exciting for AGF.”

source:neos kosmos

Figures released by the Greek Foreign Ministry are on the rise as young Greeks continue their search for a brighter future

New data supplied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Greek parliament has revealed that between 2010-2015, more than 332,000 Greeks left Greece in search of opportunity.

Australia alone has welcomed 45,000 of the Greek hopefuls, and is continuing to attract the largest number of Greeks outside of Europe.

While the figures may already seem quite high, the ministry believes the reality could in fact be significantly higher, given that “there is no mandatory registration process of Greeks living abroad to local embassies and consular authorities”, it revealed in a statement.

According to the data, arrivals Down Under have been increasing since 2010, with approximately 9,000 Greeks arriving per year.

However, the majority are not being recorded as new arrivals, given that many are in possession of dual citizenship, while others are on student visas, which grant them permission to work part-time.

Despite the increasing numbers, however, the Athenian-Macedonian Press Agency’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis is hopeful they will return to Greece one day when the country’s economy improves.

“We are working to strengthen and organise the Hellenic diaspora and to create conditions for the return of young people in the productive fabric of our country, for their return home,” he said.

“We utilise the Greeks abroad as development partners. A stronger relationship between the national centre and the Greek diaspora is desirable and urgent.”

Aside from Australia, the most popular destinations for Greeks moving abroad are Germany, the UK, Cyprus, Norway, the Netherlands, and the US, followed by Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

Germany has been the most popular destination to date, with a total of 157,055 Greeks moving there in the past five years. The UK has welcomed 51,859 and Cyprus 31,474.

Other countries increasing in appeal are Holland, with 24,000 newly-arrived Greeks, and France, which is particularly popular with youth.

While there are no official figures available, it has been estimated that within the territory of the consular office of Paris alone there are 15,000 Greek workers, and between 1,500 and 2,000 students.

Of those moving abroad, 6,165 Greek citizens have settled in Austria, 5,000 in Belgium, 2,572 in Luxembourg, 5,000 in Switzerland, 2,630 in Denmark and 1,111 in Portugal.

Meanwhile, outside of Europe, from 2010-2014 the US granted 6,340 Greeks residence permits with permanent resident status.

In neighbouring Canada, just 1,616 successfully received residence permits with permanent resident status, and though the number is low in contrast to other countries, the Foreign Ministry noted that as a destination it has been a growing trend in recent years.

Middle Eastern countries have also been on Greeks’ radar, particularly those in the construction, commerce, shipping and tourism industries, many of whom have university degrees.

According to the data, 500 Greeks are living and working in Kuwait, while in Qatar, the number of arrivals in 2008 to 2014 increased from 450 to 1,000.

source:Neos Kosmos

Tim Cahill demonstrated his enduring value to Australia by coming off the bench and netting the only goal in a 1-0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying win away to United Arab Emirates on Wednesday (AEST).

The veteran, Australia’s all-time leading scorer, is now 36 and playing for A-League club Melbourne City after ending a brief spell in the lucrative Chinese Super League.

But the former Millwall, Everton and New York Red Bulls favourite has retained his uncanny knack for delivering when it counts on international duty, meeting Brad Smith’s cross to slot home from close range with 15 minutes to go at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

The victory, secured by Cahill’s 48th goal in 92 appearances, sees Ange Postecoglou’s team retain a 100 per cent record from two matches played in the third round of Asian Football Confederation qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

Asian Cup holders Australia, who defeated UAE 2-0 in the semi-finals of the regional competition en route to glory on home soil in January 2015, created the first real opening of the game after 16 minutes.

Tomi Juric found Robbie Kruse inside the area, the forward shooting across goal and seeing his attempt well saved by Khalid Essa.

A tense opening period produced few genuine chances, although Rogic, teed up by a Juric lay-off, saw a deflected shot parried over the bar by Essa in first-half stoppage time.

The visitors were perhaps fortunate to retain a full complement of players when Rogic was only booked for a stamp on Omar Abdulrahman four minutes into the second period.

Just before the hour, a mistake from substitute Abdelaziz Husain gifted a chance to Aaron Mooy, the midfielder firing his strike against the crossbar.

Less than a minute later, UAE enjoyed a rare sight of goal on the counterattack, Ahmed Mabkhout sending a difficult chance high and wide after being found in behind the Australia defence at the back post.

It took the intervention of substitute Cahill to break the deadlock in the 75th minute, the experienced forward reprising the role of the Socceroos’ match-winner he knows so well, collecting a deep Smith delivery at the back post and firing into an unguarded net, with Essa left stranded.

Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan and defender Ryan McGowan were both called upon to preserve the lead in the final exchanges, Australia seeing out a late UAE rally to join Saudi Arabia on six points at the top of Group B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=H5FoGNxZ82E

source: theworldgame.sbs.com.au

For the first time ever Greece has beaten The Netherlands, as it came from behind to win Thursday’s friendly game at Eindhoven with a 2-1 score.

In a game that will certainly boost the Greeks ahead of the start of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the players of coach Michael Skibbe showed after the 20th minute they have the quality and team spirit thwhichat up to the 2014 World Cup fans had associated the Greek team with, before two years of terrible results saw the team miss out on Euro 2016.

On Thursday the Dutch led after 14 minutes through a Georginio Wijnaldum goal, but Greece bounced back to equalize on the 29th minute with Benfica’s Costas Mitroglou and win the game in the second half courtesy of a goal by APOEL Nicosia striker Yiannis Yianniotas on the 74th.

Greece starts its battle for a place in the finals in Russia with an away game at World Cup debutant Gibraltar, to be played in Portugal on Tuesday.

source:ekathimerini.com

Cycling master Loukas Katapodis comes to Australia to compete in the 2016 Gran Fondo Championships, hoping to sing the Greek national anthem at the end of the event

As fans of cycling know already, for the next few days, all eyes are turning to Perth, which hosts the 2016 Gran Fondo World Championships organised by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). An international celebration of the sport of competitive cycling where amateurs and professionals alike compete to be crowned the World Champion and receive the coveted rainbow jersey, the event will bring cyclists from across the globe to Perth, in order to race the world-class courses on 1 and 4 September, 2016. The UCI Gran Fondo World Series is a set of 14 World Championship Races, organised throughout the world, from which are selected the athletes who will take part in the World Finals, provided they finish among the top 25 per cent of this category. It is a World Championship for Amateurs, which allows for any athlete carrying their respective cycling union card to take part, along with professional athletes.
Among the participants in Perth, one Greek name stands out: Loukas Katapodis.

Greek champion of Individual Time Trial (ITT) for two years in a row, Katopodis has been participating in bicycle racing since 1986, having raced with the Greek National Team 200 times. In 2009 he competed in the Masters category, continuing his remarkable path. He recently finished first in the three-day Bike Giro di Rodi which was part of the 2016 Rhodos Challenge. In Perth, he will take part in both the ITT, and the 156km race, taking place on 1 and 4 September, respectively. Before embarking on this journey, the Greek cycling master shared his story with Neos Kosmos.

What do you hope to achieve in the 2016 Gran Fondo Championships?
My goal is to manage to finish among the top six of the Finals, thus claiming one of the top three medals.

In what other events have you recently participated?
I won the Greek cup this year, as well as the Greek championship. Also the International Tour of Cyprus, and three World Cup races.

What does preparation for such an event include?
Preparation starts about a year before the World Finals. Practically, this means that I started getting ready for Perth a few days after last year’s World Championship in Denmark. Training is very demanding; it includes doing 600-700km per week, which amounts to 25-30 hours. On top of that, you spend more time cross training or in the gym. I usually try to train in areas with significant differences in height. The climate also plays a role to the rhythm and intensity of training.

What are the needs of an athlete who participates in such an event?
You need to have some people around to support you during the race, and provide for food and water. You also need someone along to inspect the route of the race. In Perth, the distance run will be 154km and for the ITT it is 20km. It is crucial for the athlete to know the route, before the race.

Do you have support from the Hellenic Cycling Federation?
The World Championships are part of the Hellenic Federation’s program of events, given that it is part of the UCI activities. However, due to its limited funding it cannot provide financial support to this mission. I am the only Greek athlete coming to Australia to take part in such an important race, and I had to seek private funding in order to cover for my expenses.

How would you describe your personal route in competitive cycling?
Ever since I started cycling, in 1986, I became part of the Greek National Team, gaining significant distinctions. It has not been an easy path. I had to overcome various setbacks, some related to exhaustion, or to mechanical problems, or even injuries and falls. I would always try to analyse what happened, in order to focus on the positive side of it, using it as an experience for the future, leaving the negative behind.

What does it mean to take part in bicycle racing in Greece today?
Cycling in Greece blossomed during the previous decade, in which we saw many achievements taking place. Unfortunately, lack of programming from the part of the State in addition to the financial crisis that has hit Greece for the last five years, leaves little room for the sport to develop.

Why would you suggest people take on cycling?
Cycling can be one of the best sports for all ages, as it enables you to enjoy nature without putting strain on your joints. It greatly improves the athlete’s aerobic capacity and effectively regulates metabolism. At the same time it fosters discipline to the athlete’s body and mindset.

Have you been to Australia before?
It is my first time to Australia and even that was only made possible in the last minute, due to financial strains. I’ve heard a lot of praise for the Greek Australians and I would like to have them on my side, so that I could get the moral boost needed in order to compete with strength and motivation; my secret urge is for the Greek anthem to be heard in this event.

Details on the Perth Gran Fondo Championships can be found at https://www.granfondoworldchampsperth.com.au/
For more information on Loukas Katapodis visit his website: https://lkatapod.gr/

source:neos kosmos

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All previously issued banknotes remain legal tender

Australia’s new $5 banknote enters circulation today with issuance being supported by an information campaign to ensure that the Australian public is able to identify the new banknote and its security features.

“The new $5 banknote has a range of security features that have not previously been used on an Australian banknote and that will help to keep our banknotes secure against counterfeiting into the future,” the Governor, Glenn Stevens, said.

“New features include a world-first clear top-to-bottom window and a number of dynamic features that change as the banknote is tilted. The new banknotes are the culmination of many years of research and trial and extensive consultation with subject-matter experts and the cash-handling industry, as well as qualitative research involving focus groups.”

The $5 banknote is the first in a new series and other denominations will be upgraded over coming years. Key design aspects of the existing series, such as the colour, size and people portrayed on each denomination, have been maintained to help the public recognise the new banknotes as they come into circulation. The existing $5 banknote will be progressively withdrawn from circulation but can continue to be used as usual but remains legal tender as it will take some time for the new banknotes to be widely circulated.

Meanwhile, each banknote in the series will incorporate the same security features. Additionally, they will each feature a different species of Australian wattle and a native bird within a number of distinctive elements. The new $5 banknote features the Prickly Moses wattle and the Eastern Spinebill.

The new series also includes a ‘tactile’ feature to help the vision-impaired community distinguish between different banknote denominations. The tactile feature on the $5 banknote is one raised bump on each of the long edges of the banknote next to the top-to-bottom window.

Further information on the new banknote, including a video explaining the new features, can be found at www.banknotes.rba.gov.au.

source:neos kosmos

For the sixth year running, Melbourne has secured perfect ratings for healthcare, education and infrastructure

Melburnians are sure to be feeling a little pleased with themselves today after the city topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Liveability Index for the sixth year in a row.

The prestigious EIU index is a survey of 140 of the world’s best cities, with Melbourne emerging with perfect ratings for healthcare, education and infrastructure and a score of 97.5 out of 100.

One point below Melbourne in second place was Austria’s Vienna, followed by Canada’s Vancouver and Toronto.

Adelaide tied with Calgary, Canada in fifth place, while Perth ranked seventh, and Sydney ranked seventh last year, dropped out of the top 10.

So how has Melbourne managed to maintain its title at the top?

Known for its multiculturalism, the city also ranked highly with regards to culture and the arts, and maintains its national title as the sporting and events capital with the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Spring Racing Carnival amongst others.

It’s easy to see why international visitation has grown by 9.2 per cent annually.

Meanwhile more than 175,000 international students are currently studying across Victoria, which boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, leading the way in full-time jobs growth.

“This is a result all Victorians can be so proud of,” said Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

“We’ve once again outperformed some of the world’s best cities when it comes to healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, and sport,” he said, adding that “it’s just more proof there’s no city on earth quite like Melbourne.”

In a bid to avoid getting complacent and to maintain the city’s ranking, the Andrews Labor Government is about to embark on various major infrastructure projects including the Metro Tunnel, the Level Crossing Removal Project and the Melbourne Park upgrade.

source:neos kosmos