Nikolaou, Diakité, and Desplanches: The Certainties of Palermo under Dionisi

Hands off Nikolaou. Weeks go by, matches are won and lost, the players practically change all, for one reason or another, except one: Nikolaou. Yes, the Greek defender of Palermo, who arrived this summer from Spezia in the operation that brought Soleri and Aurelio to wear the white and black shirt of the Ligurians, is the only Palermo player who can say he has played every minute of Serie B with Palermo.

Eight games as a starter, for a total of 720 minutes not counting injury time, Nikolaou has also played more than Desplanches, the starting goalkeeper of Palermo but substituted for Gomis in the first match of the season, the unfortunate away game at Rigamonti. And that game, in fact, was the occasion of a small but decisive distraction by Nikolaou that allowed Adorni to head in undisturbed and beat Desplanches for the home team’s opening goal, which was then not overturned by Palermo. Despite that not entirely positive start, the left central defender has been the only element of the defense not to be called into question.

A comprehensive piece by Salvatore Orifici in today’s edition of the Giornale di Sicilia in newsstands