Number 5 had always been of no significance to me; it was rather an indifferent number.

It was never attributed to something metaphysical or spiritual, it never helped in any wordplays or riddles and it was never linked physically to a distinct or special person. On the contrary, number 5 was a rather irritating number since its harmonic matching with even numbers resulted into rounded figures of 10 thus mangling any suspicion or predisposal of  mathematical ‘anarchy’ or entropy.

Additionally, I had never connected this number with any football player of PAOK. Throughout the years, none of the players that wore the sacred two headed eagle in his chest was really memorable to the fans of PAOK. For instance, number 10 was honored by Koudas and number 7 was honored by the great Bane Prelevic. But in general, no player had given this number the brilliance, sacredness or the glory in order for number 5 to be eternally into our hearts.

All these things rapidly changed after Sunday night, in such an emphatic and instant way, like ‘a punch in the stomach’, that from now on even the slightest reference or hearing of this number, or even its random appearance in front of us, will be the reminder of an action both erratic and heroic; it will carry the memory of a human face, with such angles and expression that could easily be the opening theme of a Tarantino’s movie; His majesty, Pablo Garcia.

When Pablo arrived in Thessaloniki in order to play for PAOK, his Curriculum Vitae was not only full of distinctions regarding his playing abilities and value, but was also ‘decorated’ with the reputation of a tough player. As a result, a very particular and intense expectation for the imprint of this reputation inside the four lines of the football field was developed and all the fans waited impatiently to watch him in action; His imposing face, a face as if it is a sculpture on a rock; the look of his face, a look which resembles the look of a serial lawbreaker, but mostly the style of his game. These are the reasons that made us so impatient, craving for the arrival of the true Excalibur in our eyes.

Last Sunday, this myth around Pablo’s name took flesh and bones and all this impatience was rewarded with a magnificent way. Pablo Garcia will be accused, not only from other team fans but also from a small portion of our fans, for this instantaneous loss of mind that resulted in his punching the boy with the diapers who wore the sign of the gay teenager. Of course, it is a natural consequence that Pablo will be taunted from both media and newspapers, while at the same time some people will start dropping crocodile tears regarding the bad effect that this action generated towards the moral values and ideals of the society, competition etc. Additionally, he will be loaded with the accusation of the loss of the victory in that game while others will speak about the future confrontation of his from the referees.

The truth is of course that the player from Uruguay did not punch the fluffy gay boy bearing deep inside his mind or his heart all these traumatic experiences that a true PAOK fan carries all these decades; Experiences that stem from the so called ex – POK (the three ‘big’ teams of the fucking Athens). But nevertheless, the reflection and the impact that this action made to our fans had the point of view that I describe in this article. Moreover, when the masks disappeared the following days and the whole scenario was introduced to the public, an impulsive ‘You served him right’ (or according to a Greek saying ‘may your hand be holy’) was on the lips of a lot of people.
 
Personally, and perhaps excluding my relationships with other people. the majority of my expressions, motions and activities always keep pace with sanity and reasoning,. But as far as my way of functioning and thinking as a PAOK fan, it is the pure emotions that prevail, that totally govern my mind. As a consequence, deeply inside me, I want the players that represent the team that I LOVE more than anything else, to operate with the same attitude inside the football field and I do believe that the majority (not to mention all) of our fans more or less believe the same. During the years only players who functioned more with their hearts and less with their common sense were the ones that were adored and simultaneously became ‘diachronic heroes’. I will never forget the crying of Bane Prelevic after the lost final with Real, the bravery of Paridis during the golden decade of the 70’s, the loud sobs of Vasileiadis after his last game with PAOK, the scrappiness of Leontiadis against Mitropoulos, the appearances of Zagorakis with the double headed eagle on his chest and many other similar actions, that were the up most moments of sentimental functioning from PAOK players and absolute concurrence with the temperament of a PAOK fan.

Pablo Garcia has added his name in this pantheon of the beautiful minded – crazy people. His punch may have been just a simple personal response to the provocation he received, but for everyone else it simply reflected a direct response towards all these pampered boys, the so - called scientists, towards their arrogant boss, towards all the previous unpunished players of them, towards the journalists (or better the mouthpieces of the fucking system), towards all the hypocritical plants that have taken hold of the television and the press. It was then when the slogan ‘one for all’ became ‘one speaking for all the others’ and obtained its true dimensions.

The stray ethics and morals, according to the great Kavafis, which demand the replacement of the manly and true behaviors with nancy ones, which set on the pedestal people like Karvelas and Pania, which tolerate scandals like Vatopedi but at the same time crush unimportant people for the system, even for the slightest small debt, has unleashed tiny puppets (always obeisant to the power of the few) in order to bring the head of the ‘man – eater’ on the plate; And all these due to the fact that no one can stand the unfolding of the madness and disorder that PAOK fans provoke.

I am not in the position to be aware of Pablo’s feelings, who is a professional player, and he may have regretted what he did. In addition, I do not approve and accept this kind of practices as being a part of every day living. But this one time functioned to PAOK fans (and perhaps even to other fans) something like an outburst, an outburst that can bare resemblance to the words of Patoulidou after the Olympics of ’92. 

It is more than possible that the consequences of this action will be unpleasant for our team and for the player himself. But as the great Nikos Kazantzakis said: “It is better to be a bull just for one day than an ox for 10 years”.