A remarkable year for Razvan Lucescu at PAOK
After being appointed head coach of PAOK in August last year, AGONAsport’s Athan Stylos takes a look at the Romanian manager’s achievements this past year in Thessaloniki.
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On August 11, 2017, PAOK appointed former Xanthi manager Razvan Lucescu following PAOK’s disappointing pre-season under new manager Aleksandar Stanojevic, who was extraordinarily sacked after only spending 56 days in the job. President Ivan Savvidis and Director Lubos Michel knew that the talent of the playing group was there, but they needed a manager that would be able to enhance the team’s capabilities. The two men felt that the Romanian manager would be the best person to take the club forward, but not in their wildest dreams would they have expected this current turnout.
What Lucescu has achieved in a year at the club has been sensational. With PAOK, he won the club their second consecutive Greek Cup title as well as finishing the league in second place behind eventual champions, AEK Athens, in controversial circumstances which PAOK believe the title was unfairly stolen from them.
Outstanding record
Overall, the 49-year-old Romanian technician has managed PAOK in 46 matches in Greece and Europe, which excludes the Olympiacos game at Toumba last season which never started as well as the AEK Athens game at Toumba which was never completed. Under Lucescu’s guidance, PAOK have won 35 games, drawn on seven occasions while suffering only four defeats. This gives Lucescu an incredible winning percentage of 77.77% in his first year in charge. During those games, PAOK have scored 100 goals and have conceded only 27.
Improvement of players under his guidance
The most important thing that the Romanian technician has brought to the club is his capabilities of improving every players ability in the squad, utilizing their talent, and getting the best out of the playing group that he has had at his disposal. The team has a balance of a great defence while also having lethal attacking options led by the the improvement and consistency of Dimitris Pelkas and also their target man, Aleksandar Prijovic, who was the Greek Super League’s top goalscorer last season.
Triumph in the Greek Cup Final
After losing the league to AEK Athens, PAOK had the chance to get their revenge in the Greek Cup Final in Athens. PAOK proved that they were the best performing club throughout the season by winning the Greek Cup final 0-2 at the OAKA stadium. Although PAOK triumphed against AEK in the Cup, the Romanian boss and the club as whole, felt they were robbed of the league/cup double during the 2017/18 season.
Outstanding results in the Champions League
Currently PAOK are competing in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and are just one game away from qualifying for the group stages for the time in club history. In fact, only two weeks ago ,they won their first UEFA Champions League match in club history when they defeated FC Basel 2-1 win in their first leg second-round qualifier at the Toumba stadium. PAOK came out in the second leg away from home and dominated FC Basel winning 0-3.
The team’s fighting spirit was on show throughout PAOK’s third qualifying round matches when they found themselves down 0-2 within the first 20 minutes at Toumba in the first leg against a strong Russian outfit in Spartak Moscow. They recovered from the setback and remarkably came from behind late in the first half and incredibly held on to win the match 3-2. Throughout the second leg, PAOK had numerous chances to snatch an away goal but were unable to come through. However, Lucescu’s tactics and management was on full show as a structured, defensive set up kept a quality Spartak Moscow team off the score sheet as PAOK qualified for the UEFA Champions League playoffs with a goalless draw.
In the playoffs, PAOK grabbed a favorable 1-1 draw away to Benfica for the first leg and will look to finish the job in Toumba on Wednesday. Lucescu goals for his second season in charge include PAOK’s progression to the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time in club history as well as going one better in the league and ultimately winning the Greek Super League title, which will be their first since 1985. A reminder, PAOK will be starting the league with a -2-point deduction, something that does not concern or worry Lucescue about the new season ahead.
