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But the last laugh may well rest with Izzo and Co if, as expected, Super League 2 Xanthi bounce straight back to the top division under Tony Popovic’s guidance and once again rub shoulders with the glitterati of Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, Aris, AEK Athens and PAOK.
Sitting fifth, five points off early pacesetters Ionikos but with a game in hand, Xanthi are making the right moves, even if Izzo concedes heading there in the first place might be construed a quirky career choice.
“I was up for the challenge of moving overseas,” said the former Olyroo whose 94th-minute penalty save at the weekend ensured a 1-0 win over Trikala.
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If the Akrites (Frontiersmen) are successful it will be in no small part due to a nine-strong ensemble of Australian pioneers.
Make that ten if you count - and you surely must - Sydney-based owner Bill Papas, a football-crazy entrepreneur who aims to mould the club into a permanent pipeline for Australian talent.
Foremost among coach Tony Popovic’s cast is Socceroos defender Matthew Jurman, the 31-year-old stopper whose maiden foray into the bear-pit of European club football will be deemed more miss than hit if Xanthi doesn’t dominate Super League 2.
Relegated from the top division after points were stripped as a consequence of ownership irregularities, a multi-cultural collective of players are working to right perceived wrongs with performances on the field.