Greek soccer joins Israeli game Real Manager
Ohad Krystal, CEO of hi-tech firm Funatix Club, which develops the fantasy soccer strategy game Real Manager, signed a cooperation agreement this week with Super League Greece president Minas Lysandrou.
Greece’s top-flight league consists of 14 teams, the most prominent of which are Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Salonika’s PAOK FC. Greece’s Euro 2004 win is considered a turning point in Greek soccer.
The Greek league will now join the premier leagues of Ukraine, Serbia and Israel in the online fantasy game.
“We are very pleased with the official Super League Greece fantasy league, developed by Real Manager, as are tens of thousands of soccer fans all over Greece who have been playing the
game on a daily basis,” said Lysandrou.
Krystal also said that Funatix was very pleased with the cooperation with the Greek league.
“The league’s management and the league’s teams have welcomed us with open arms, helping us a great deal in marketing the product to the fan audience.”
The founders of the Funatix Club are Lishar Bahar, CTO, and Yoni Ben Simhon, COO.
The company has a top of the line advisory board in the world of sports: Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant, IIcho Gjorginski, a senior member of UEFA management, and Efraim Barak, a senior sports attorney and judge in the CAS Appeals Court.
Real Manager is a global fantasy sports platform which combines the classic fantasy sports with the world of online games and social networks. The game empowers fans’ experience, increases user engagement and provides a comprehensive solution to common retention issues.
Almost $1.5 million has been invested in Funatix through venture groups South Israel Bridge Fund and Sherpa InnoVentures.