Decade Review: AEK FC, from devastation to glory in the blink of an eye

AGONAsport’s “Decade in Review” series continues with Shaun Nicolaides looking back on a memorable 10 years for AEK FC, which saw the Athens-based club recover from financial ruin to become Greek champions.

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YEAR-BY-YEAR REVIEW

2009/2010 season

In the regular season, fourth-placed AEK didn’t make a realistic challenge for first place, finishing 17 points behind champions Panathinaikos. However, in the ensuing European playoffs, the Enosi edged out Aris to improve their positioning to third and qualify for the UEFA Europa League qualification playoffs. AEK had finished bottom of Group I of the Europa League after conceding four defeats in six games against Benfica, Everton and BATE Borisov.

Super League: 3rd after playoffs

UEFA Europa League: Group stage

Greek Cup: Fourth round

2010/2011 season

This time around, AEK fell down in the table after the playoffs took place, being overtaken by PAOK to finish in fourth spot having claimed third place of the regular season. Once again, the Kitrinomavri had participated in the group phase of the Europa League, narrowly failing to qualify for the knockout rounds. On matchday six, AEK only required a point to secure an historic qualification to the Round of 32, however the Athenians contrived to concede a heavy 3-0 loss to Zenit Saint Petersburg at the Olympic Stadium.

Nevertheless, Manolo Jimenez’s troops ended the season on a high note, emphatically defeating Atromitos 3-0 in the final of the Greek Cup to hoist a trophy aloft. Nikos Liberopoulos, Nabil Baha and Pantelis Kafes struck gold in that particular game.

Super League: 4th after playoffs

UEFA Europa League: Group stage

Greek Cup: Winners

2011/2012 season

In October, Nikos Kostenoglou replaced Jimenez as head coach, however he couldn’t inspire AEK to an overly impressive regular season campaign with the team finishing in fifth with a mere 48 points on the board. In the playoffs, however, AEK did make an improvement, earning three wins to move up to third position of the final standings. On the continental stage, the Athens-based club came up short in Group L, only winning one out of six matches against Anderlecht, Lokomotiv Moscow and Sturm Graz.

As for the Greek Cup, AEK’s defence of the title ended in the fifth phase of the tournament, as PAOK tallied a 2-0 win in the Dikefaloi Derby.

It must be noted that AEK were not granted a licence by UEFA to participate in the 2012/2013 Europa League campaign.

Super League: 3rd after playoffs

UEFA Europa League: Group stage

Greek Cup: Fifth round

2012/2013 season

A complete and utter nightmare which became a dark chapter in the club’s long, proud history. Crippled by financial problems, AEK parted with leading lights such as Kostas Manolas, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Leonardo in the summer, but removing their high wages couldn’t save the organisation from devastation. AEK, coached in separate spells by Vangelis Vlachos, Ewald Lienen and Traianos Dellas, couldn’t deal with the economical collapse, languishing in 15th place and suffering a humiliating relegation. The Enosi only registered eight wins in 30 games.

After the season ended, Dimitris Melissanidis completed the takeover of the club, with AEK dropping down to the Gamma Ethniki for the 2013/2014 campaign. 

Super League: 15th

Greek Cup: Third round

2013/2014 season

The Melissanidis dynasty started in the best fashion possible. Who knew that just a few years later, AEK would become champions of Greece and compete in the UEFA Champions League again.

With the likes of Vangelis Platellas, Alexandre D’Acol and Ivan Brecevic on their books, AEK were predictably far too good for the rest of the playing field, with Dellas taking the Kitrinomavri to the Football League with only one defeat in the entire Gamma Ethniki season. The only loss was a 1-0 setback at the hands of Thyella Rafina.

Gamma Ethniki: 1st

2014/2015 season

In the summer, AEK had bolstered their squad with the signings of Helder Barbosa, Vasilis Lampropoulos, Michalis Bakakis, Petros Mantalos and Jakob Johansson, and they cruised to first place of the Football League regular season without suffering a defeat. In the ensuing playoffs, AEK did concede two losses in 10 games, however that didn’t prevent the Kitrinomavri from gaining promotion to the top tier.

The season was most remembered for the Greek Cup quarter-final against Olympiacos. In the first leg, AEK put themselves in a great position by securing a 1-1 draw, and the OAKA was then packed to the rathers for the return in what was one of the best atmospheres ever witnessed at the arena. Until the 89th minute, AEK had performed gallantly, but Franco Jara bundled in a controversial winner to send Olympiacos through.

Football League: 1st

Greek Cup: Quarter-finals

2015/2016 season

In their first season back in the Super League, AEK changed managers with alarming regularity, with Dellas leaving in October and Gustavo Poyet being sacked in January. In the end, Stelios Manolas was the temporary boss until the end of the season, and he steered AEK to Greek Cup glory with the Enosi beating arch-rivals Olympiacos 2-1 inside an empty OAKA as Mantalos and Rafik Djebbour scored.

For all of their coaching instabilities, the Kitrinomavri did secure a place in the 2016/2017 Europa League by finishing in fourth place of the championship after the playoffs. Both Christos Aravidis and Vargas netted nine goals for AEK in the Super League.

Super League: 4th after playoffs

Greek Cup: Winners

2016/2017 season

The season began with Europa League disappointment. In France, AEK had gained a valuable 0-0 draw against St. Etienne in the first leg of the third qualifying round, however the visitors emerged victorious 1-0 at the OAKA to condemn the Greeks to a bitter elimination.

Jimenez returned as head coach in January. After his appointment as manager, AEK burst into life in the Super League, especially in the playoffs as they qualified for the Champions League preliminaries with a pulsating 2-1 victory at Panionios on the final matchday. Sergio Araujo, adored by the AEK faithful, headed in the winning goal for the Enosi in Nea Smyrni with time running out.

AEK were close to winning the Greek Cup again too. However, in a final which was ruined by fan violence in Volos, Pedro Henrique headed in a late goal for PAOK from an offside position to seal a 2-1 victory for the Dikefalos tou Vorra. 

Super League: 2nd after playoffs

UEFA Europa League: Third qualifying round

Greek Cup: Finalists

2017/2018 season

A campaign which will never be forgotten for many reasons.

For the first time in 24 years, AEK became Greek champions, edging out PAOK in what was a scintillating, drama-filled campaign. With Manolo Jimenez at the helm, and Mantalos, Araujo and Marko Livaja in wonderful form, AEK were the most consistent team across the season and notably managed to beat Olympiacos twice in the Super League. The famous win in Piraeus was achieved with Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Giorgos Giakoumakis striking last-gasp markers.

The fate of the title was decided in Thessaloniki. In the 90th minute, Fernando Varela headed beyond Vasilis Barkas, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Mauricio who was blocking the goalkeeper’s view. Infuriated by the call, PAOK supremo Ivan Savvidis stormed the pitch, with images later showing that he had a gun attached to his waist. Savvidis and PAOK were consequently handed punishments which well and truly ended their championship bid.

PAOK, however, got their revenge in the Greek Cup final, beating AEK 2-0 with Vieirinha and Dimitris Pelkas hitting the target. 

Away from domestic action, AEK caught the eye in Europe too, advancing to the knockout phase of the Europa League after emerging unbeaten from a group which contained AC Milan, Rijeka and Austria Vienna. In the Round of 32, AEK dominated long periods of the two games against Dynamo Kyiv, bowing out on the away goals rule after missing several clear opportunities in Ukraine. AEK had comprehensively lost to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League third qualifying round to drop down to the Europa League in the summer.

Super League: 1st

UEFA Champions League: Third qualifying round

UEFA Europa League: Round of 32

Greek Cup: Finalists

2018/2019 season

Jimenez decided to leave AEK after the triumphant 2017/2018 season. As a replacement, Marinos Ouzounidis was drafted in by Melissanidis, and his time in the hot seat started in ideal fashion as AEK negotiated tricky ties against Celtic and Vidi to qualify for the Champions League group stage.

However, AEK then lost all six group games against Ajax, Benfica and Bayern Munich to become the first Greek team to not pick up a point in the Champions League. In the Super League, AEK’s title defence had quickly fallen apart, and Ouzounidis departed in the autumn with the club in a dreadful internal state. Lampropoulos, Andre Simoes and Tasos Bakasetas had been ostracized from the senior side after reportedly refusing to extend their AEK contracts.

Jimenez returned as manager for the remainder of the season. To an extent, the Spaniard did steady the rocking ship as he made sure that AEK finished on the Super League podium, however once again the Enosi lost in the Greek Cup final to PAOK, this time by a score of 1-0. 

Super League: 3rd

UEFA Champions League: Group stage

Greek Cup: Finalists

2019/2020 season so far

It was a shocking start to the season with Miguel Cardoso in charge. During his brief spell at the club, Cardoso only succeeded in alienating the squad and losing to both Trabzonspor and Xanthi, so it was no surprise when he was given the boot in late August. Initially, replacement boss Nikos Kostenoglou got AEK back on track, however he was also sacked in November following a run of damaging results. 

There has been a complete change in fortunes since Massimo Carrera was hired.

Carrera, 55, quickly fixed the defensive issues and inspired AEK to a third-placed finish in the Super League regular season, only one point behind PAOK. The return of Araujo in the January transfer window was greeted by overwhelming joy by the supporters. 

THE HIGHS

The Super League triumph has to be in first place of the list. In the opening weeks of the campaign, AEK quickly made a statement of their intentions, beating Olympiacos and PAOK at the OAKA. There was a bit of a wobble towards the end of 2017 but, at the start of the new calendar year, AEK regained form and the unforgettable 2-1 triumph at Olympiacos gave the fans the feeling that it really was their year. Of course, the campaign will always be remembered for Savvidis’ wild west antics, but AEK fully deserved their moment of glory.

AEK did lose all six group games in the 2018/2019 Champions League, but the very fact that the Enosi participated in the competition was a credible achievement in itself. In the third qualifying round, AEK started as slight underdogs against Scottish champions Celtic, however a gritty 1-1 draw in Glasgow was followed up with a 2-1 victory in Athens. AEK then managed to sneak past Vidi in the playoffs to secure their spot in the Champions League group phase for the first time in 12 years.

Qualification for the Last 32 of the 2017/2018 Europa League was a great achievement for the club. In the group stage, AEK didn’t lose a single game against AC Milan, Austria Vienna and Rijeka while displaying a courageous, brave brand of football which was entertaining to watch. Yes, the Kitrinomavri only won one match while drawing the rest, but remaining undefeated in the competition was something worth a lot of pride. AEK bowed out against Dynamo Kyiv in heartbreaking circumstances in the Round of 32 with Viktor Tsygankov’s away goal in Athens proving decisive.

As already mentioned, AEK did lose the quarter-final of the 2014/2015 Greek Cup quarter-final against Olympiacos, but the quite incredible atmosphere inside the sold-out OAKA compensated for the eventual outcome. Before Olympiacos scored in the 89th minute, AEK did miss a handful of ideal opportunities to score, with Petros Mantalos having been denied by Roberto when clean through.

AC Milan don’t enjoy playing against AEK. In the 2006/2007 Champions League, AEK famously slayed the Rossoneri in Athens, and the Enosi once again made life tough for Milan 11 years later by not conceding a goal across the two games. With Jimenez’s tactics working a treat, AEK could have even beaten Milan, however a few clear chances were missed in both Italy and Greece. 

The victory which reaffirmed the feeling that it was AEK’s year. In a highly anticipated clash, Olympiacos needed to defeat AEK in order to remain in the title hunt, and they seemed to be on their way to a dramatic win when Karim Ansarifard fired beyond Panagiotis Tsintotas with 81 minutes on the clock. However, Dmytro Chygrynskiy equalised just six minutes later, before Giorgos Giakoumakis tapped Rodrigo Galo’s cross past Silvio Proto in stoppage time to stun Olympiacos in their own backyard.

In 2011, AEK won the Greek Cup for the first time since 2002, breezing past Atromitos 3-0 at the OAKA. Competing on the front foot from the opening whistle, the favourites made the breakthrough in the 28th minute as Nikos Liberopoulos headed Ignacio Scocco’s cross into the net, however they had to wait until the last 12 minutes of proceedings to eventually seal the deal as Nabil Baha and Pantelis Kafes completed the scoring.

The Greek Cup was on its way to Nea Filadelfeia again five years later. Due to fear of fan violence, no tickets were sold for the mouth-watering duel between AEK and Olympiacos, however that didn’t detract from what was an exciting game of football. With the half-time break approaching, Mantalos headed past Roberto from point blank range, before Rafik Djebbour doubled AEK’s money in the second half after escaping the Olympiacos defence. Alejandro Dominguez halved the deficit for Olympiacos with six minutes remaining, but AEK weren’t to be denied.

The summer of 2017 started with a heavy loss to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League qualifiers. AEK, however, recovered instantly from that defeat to beat Club Brugge in the Europa League playoffs and return to the group stage of a European competition. After the first leg had ended goalless in Belgium, AEK took the initiative in the return at home, taking the lead in the 27th minute as Lazaros Christodoulopoulos successfully converted a spot-kick. Andre Simoes later netted a brace to send AEK through with ease.

Dimitris Melissanidis’ decision to come to the rescue for AEK in 2013 was the catalyst for the subsequent success. In the 2012/2013 season, AEK had been relegated to the Gamma Ethniki amid a disastrous financial situation, however Melissanidis refused to let the club go to the dogs. His commitment and love for the club salvaged it from the brink of complete destruction.

Planning permission for the construction of the Agia Sofia Stadium in Nea Filadelfeia was finally granted in the summer of 2017. The new arena, which is being constructed on the exact same site where the Nikos Goumas Stadium once stood, will have a capacity of around 30,000 and is expected to be one of the most modern venues on the continent. At the moment, despite the coronavirus crisis, it’s predicted that AEK will move into the Agia Sofia in either April or May in 2021. The dream of returning to Nea Filadelfeia is one which the supporters have constantly longed for.

THE LOWS

Surely the worst moment in the club’s history. The writing was on the wall, though, with the organisation having fallen into deep financial trouble long before relegation from the Super League was confirmed in the 2012/2013 season. Thankfully, Melissanidis was to save AEK in the ensuing summer, starting from scratch and taking the team to the top of the national game in a short period of time.

On one hand, AEK have qualified for four successive Greek Cup finals. On the other, three of them have been lost to PAOK. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 AEK came up short against the Dikefalos tou Vorra, only scoring a grand total of one goal across those three matches. Incidentally, two of the three finals were played at the OAKA, however that didn’t help AEK as PAOK kept their opponents at bay in both games. The two clubs could meet again in the final of this year’s competition too. 

Four setbacks in Europe were particularly bitter. In the group stage of the 2010/2011 Europa League, AEK only required a point against Zenit to progress to the knockouts, however the slick Russian visitors coasted to a 3-0 triumph after Ismael Blanco had earlier missed a penalty for the hosts. Six years later, St. Etienne denied AEK a place in the group stage of the same tournament, winning 1-0 in Athens after the first game had ended 0-0 in France. More Europa League disappointment was in store in February 2018. In Ukraine, AEK dominated the second leg of the Last 32 tie against Dynamo Kyiv, but they were eliminated on the away goals rule after missing several chances. Shojaei Masoud’s incredible miss in the second half was the worst of them all.

AEK could, and should, have beaten 10-man Benfica on matchday two of the 2018/2019 Champions League. However, after Viktor Klonaridis had scored twice and then missed a glorious opportunity to complete his hat-trick, Alfa Semedo caught Vasilis Barkas napping to condemn AEK to a 3-2 defeat which ruined their chances of fighting for a place in the top three.

The reaction to winning the Super League wasn’t exactly the best. Instead of protecting the squad, AEK lost several key players, with Ognjen Vranjes, Sergio Araujo and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos all leaving the club in different circumstances. Just to rub salt into the wound, Christodoulopoulos opted to join Olympiacos, with AEK vehemently protesting that the winger had already agreed to extend his contract with the Kitrinomavri.

Surprisingly, until beating Panathinaikos in early February, AEK hadn’t won a major derby in Greece since defeating the same opponents in April 2018. The streak stood at 13 consecutive matches without a derby triumph until Sergio Araujo curled a sumptuous attempt past Sokratis Dioudis at the OAKA to beat Panathinaikos and snap the miserable winless run.

STARTING XI

Goalkeeper: Vasilis Barkas

The agile 25-year-old is one of the most talented Greek goalkeepers of his generation. Standing 196 centimeters tall, Barkas is a commanding figure between the sticks, capable of almost winning matches for AEK by himself when at his best. In 2017, he suffered a serious injury which kept him on the sidelines until the second half of the season, but he has been the starting goalkeeper since he returned. Barkas has also competed in 10 games for the senior Greek national team.

Left-back: Didac Vila

Didac signed for AEK as a free agent from AC Milan in August 2015. During his stay in Athens, the Spaniard stood out with his quality on the left side of defence, contributing with three goals and five assists until he joined Espanyol in 2017. Didac scored the goal to defeat PAOK at the Toumba Stadium in an important game in the 2016/2017 Super League European playoffs.

Centre-back: Dmytro Chygrynskiy

Chygrynskiy was once touted as the world’s next best defender. 11 years ago, Barcelona signed the Ukrainian centre-back for 25 million euros from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he didn’t make the grade and returned to his homeland after one season in Spain. Chygrynskiy has been an AEK representative since 2016, playing with reliability and sometimes scoring key goals at the other end.  Reports have suggested that he will extend his AEK contract in the summer. 

Centre-back: Ognjen Vranjes

Vranjes is never far away from the headlines, often for the wrong reasons. However, while the 30-year-old Bosnian is a controversial player who continues to make trouble for himself, he is a strong, physical centre-back who is not afraid of any opponent. His power and charisma are important factors for this AEK team.

Right-back: Michalis Bakakis

The right-back joined AEK when the club was still in the Football League. Since helping the team earn promotion, Bakakis has won the Super League, Greek Cup and participated in the Champions League and Europa League with AEK, making fast runs on the right wing. Bakakis is often criticised for a lack of end product, but he is a great attacking asset with his overlapping sprints.

Central midfield: Andre Simoes

Simoes, 30, transferred to the Enosi from Morienense in 2015 with the club having returned to the elite tier of Greek football. Although he has experienced a dip in form in the last couple of seasons, Simoes remains a high quality central midfielder, possessing good technical and defensive skills. His current AEK contract is due to run until the completion of the 2021/2022 season.

Central midfield: Jakob Johansson

The Swede signed for AEK midway through the 2014/2015 Football League season. A player capable of spreading the play well, Johansson was a popular figure during his time in Athens, winning both domestic trophies with the organisation while registering 10 goals and eight assists in 127 games. Johansson moved to Rennes on a free transfer in July 2018.

Left attacking midfielder: Petros Mantalos

Captain Fantastic. Capable of playing either on the left flank or in a more central role, Mantalos is the engine of this AEK team, offering creativity and flair. So far, Mantalos has inspired AEK to the Greek Cup, Super League and Champions League qualification, and he is also an important player for the national team. The 28-year-old is enjoying a productive season for AEK having previously struggled in the previous campaign.

Right attacking midfielder: Lazaros Christodoulopoulos

The manner in which Christodoulopoulos departed AEK for Olympiacos in 2018 tainted his legacy. Even if he will never be in good relations with the fan base again, his explosiveness and sheer quality have been missed by AEK, especially last season. His gorgeous free-kick against Olympiacos in autumn 2017 was one of the nominees for the FIFA Goal of the Year award.

Second striker: Marko Livaja

Moody, unpredictable, temperamental. Nevertheless, despite those issues, Livaja is technically maybe the best player in the Super League. Before he joined AEK, his career was heading down the pan, however he even returned to the Croatian national team set-up as a result of his superb showings in Greece. 

Striker: Sergio Araujo

A fan favourite. Adored by the supporters, Araujo has earned their love with his passion and desire on the pitch, and he has scored several stunners against Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK over the course of this three separate spells as an AEK player. AEK are fully expected to sign Araujo on a permanent basis from Las Palmas in the summer.

Honourable mentions: Nacho Scocco, Ismael Blanco, Traianos Dellas, Ezequiel Ponce, Vangelis Platellas, Giannis Anestis, Helder Lopes, Rodrigo Galo, Tasos Bakasetas.

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