Performance Analysis in Greek Football

Meet Nikolaos Litsios

Nikolaos Litsois, otherwise known as Nikos, is a football analyst and scout who is currently working as the first-team analyst at Odysseas Moschatou WFC in the Greek 2nd Division.

In addition to working at Odysseas, Nikos also provides match analysis for the Thunders Soccer School, which was founded by Greek footballer Panagiotis Korbos.

Nikos recently decided to follow his passion for football, pivoting from a successful 13-year career in sales and construction to a role as an analyst and scout. This pivot has allowed him to apply his analytical and strategic mindset to the world of football, delivering valuable insights into player and team performance.

And, of course, Nikos is a Nacsport user. We have been his software of choice since he started studying football analysis at a Greek university.

So, with that being said, let’s hear from Nikos and learn more about how he uses Nacsport in his day-to-day tasks.

Hi Nikos. Can you tell us more about your current role and the duties involved?

Hi there! Well, I started my current role at Odysseas Moschatou WFC  at the beginning of this season. 

My primary responsibilities include recording and analysing matches, preparing video clips to highlight key moments, and providing performance insights to the coaching staff. I also conduct opposition analysis for the women’s team when needed. 

My work focuses on breaking down tactical patterns and team dynamics to enhance decision-making, support team development, and improve player growth—especially at the academy level.

So, how does video analysis fit into your working week?

Video analysis is an essential part of my daily routine because I use Nacsport extensively to analyze match footage from both our team and our opponents. 

After each game, I review the footage, tag key events, and prepare reports for the coaching staff in order to assist them make tactical adjustments and aid player development.

How do you use video analysis and how does it fit into the philosophy of the team?

My primary objective is to provide image-driven insights that enhance team performance and exploit opponents' weaknesses.

Video analysis helps us identify strengths and areas for improvement, refine tactical approaches, and improve decision-making on the field. 

It also ensures that both individual players and the team stay aligned with the game plan developed throughout the week in training sessions.

I am the sole analyst at both teams, meaning I am the only one using Nacsport and while video analysis is applied similarly at both levels, the focus differs.

For the women’s team, which competes in the 2nd Division in Greece, the analysis is more specific. I tend to tag fewer clips but these are much more specific and relevant to team strategy.

In contrast, at the U14 academy level, I incorporate more video clips, often including footage from top clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City, which allows developing players to visualise key concepts of the game more effectively.

Tell us more about how you use Nacsport.

I have been using Nacsport since I began my journey in football analysis, and it has become an essential part of my workflow.

Most of my time is dedicated to analyzing the women’s team. After filming matches with a standard camcorder, I compile the footage into a single video, effectively creating a highlights package, branded with the club’s badge, for use on social media.

Next, I tag the match in order to extract key statistics - possession percentages, shot placement (low, high, left, right, center), final passes into the box, and corners. 

I use customised dashboards to visualise these stats and share them with the team and coaching staff.

Finally, I perform a detailed analysis using the tagging window I created. This generates video clips which highlight key moments in the game and this is subsequently used in team presentations.

So, how do you present your insights to the team?

Both at the academy and the women’s team, we hold a 30-minute video session each week with the coaching staff to review match footage and discuss key takeaways.

KlipDraw plays a crucial role in my presentation, allowing me to visually illustrate patterns, decision-making options, and tactical choices.

By using annotations, I can make key moments clearer for players, helping them better understand positioning, movement, and in-game decisions.

In addition to this, I share statistical data and shot maps with players via social media so they can get a preliminary understanding of their performance before our in-depth discussions.

How do you think video analysis, and in particular Nacsport, has helped to improve the team’s performance?

Without a doubt, video analysis has significantly enhanced our team’s ability to recognise patterns and refine strategies. 

With Nacsport in particular, we can pinpoint those areas where we need to improve - defensive positioning, offensive movement and individual decision-making. 

Additionally, Nacsport helps players better understand their roles and make better on-field decisions more efficiently through visual learning.

Overall, Nacsport is very user friendly. It’s easy to use and saves me a lot of time. The tagging window, timeline, presentation environment and dashboards are all essential to my work as a video analyst.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, as you mentioned at the start of this blog, video analysis is still a growing field in Greece, especially at levels below the Super League. Many people in Greek football are suspicious about the benefits it can bring for our teams. 

So, my goal is to establish an analysis department on my own, using the resources I have available to help pioneer video analysis at these levels.

I am passionate about promoting analytical approaches to football and demonstrating their value in improving performance and decision-making.

Conclusion

We’d like to thank Nikos for taking time out from his busy schedule to answer our questions and give us this fascinating insight into football analysis in the lower leagues of Greece.

We also wish him well on his mission to spread word of the benefits of video analysis.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned in this blog, please don’t hesitate to contact us through our website or any of our social media channels.

If you wish to contact Nikos directly, his LinkedIn can be found here.

Don’t forget, we offer a free trial of any Nacsport product. If you are not already a Nacsport user, you can get started here.

As always…

Thanks for reading.