Good Season for Olympiacos & PAOK, Trouble for Panathinaikos & AEK
With Olympiacos’ elimination to Besiktas in the Europa League Round of 16, the UEFA season is over for the Greek teams. Olympiacos and PAOK had one of their better seasons in recent years, in accordance with UEFA’s Club Coefficient rankings, while both Panathinaikos and AEK will likely have difficult opponents in next year’s European competitions.
With no Greek teams left in this year's UEFA’s competitions, we now have a good picture as to where the Greek teams will finish in this year’s UEFA Club Coefficient rankings. These rankings take into consideration a team’s performance in both the Champions & Europa League for the last 5 seasons. More information on these rankings here. In addition, the rankings will determine which teams will be seeded and unseeded in next year’s draws for the UEFA Champions and Europa League qualifying and group stages.
AGONAsport takes a look at each team that will contest a place in next year’s Champions and Europa Leagues through this year’s Superleague and what their current UEFA rank means for next season. A reminder, the Superleague Champion and runner-up will compete in next year’s Champions League qualifying while the 3rd-5th placed teams will enter Europa League qualifying.
OLYMPIACOS
It looked as if it was going to be a catastrophic season in Europe for Olympiacos as they were eliminated in UEFA Champions League qualifying by Hapoel Be’er Sheva. However, the Erythrolefki managed to progress to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 for the first time since 2012 while racking up 11.160 points in UEFA’ Club Coefficient rankings, more than last year’s total (11.080).
Olympiacos sit 25th in the rankings and will surely be seeded in the summer’s qualifying draws. However, that does not mean they will have an easy opponent, having to painfully learn that when they fell to Hapoel Be’er Sheva earlier this season.
paok
PAOK, who reached the last 32 of the Europa League, racked up more points this season (9.160) in comparison to the last two seasons (7.080, 6.240). Next season, their 2012/2013 performance will be removed from the rankings which will merely impact the Dikefalos tou Vora, having only accumulated 2.3800 that year.
PAOK will enter next year’s draws ranked 60th in the standings (with 35.080 points) and with the European season still in progress, we will have to wait and see if PAOK will be seeded or unseeded in next year’s Champions or Europa League competitions.
panathinaikos
Despite Panathinaikos finishing with more points this season (3.1600) in comparison to last season (2.5800), the Prasini sit well behind in UEFA’s rankings at 127th. Things will not get any easier as their 2012/2013 year, which is their best in the last 5 seasons, will be removed from the rankings beginning next season. That year their accumulated 4.8800 points.
Panathinaikos will go into next season’s draws with only 15.080 points and will likely be unseeded in the qualifying draws of the Champions and Europa League (later stages).
aek
AEK, who made a return to Europe this season, will also have an uphill battle as they were eliminated in this year’s Europa League qualifying to Saint Etienne. The Enosis will finish this season in 207th place with only 6.580 points and will be unseeded in the qualifying draws. AEK will desperately NEED to qualify for the group stages of a European competition next season to increase their place in the rankings, which will give them theoretically easier draws in the future.
panionios, xanthi, platanias
As for Panionios, who will likely earn a European ticket from this year’s Superleague, they have not competed in Europe for the last five seasons and will enter next year’s UEFA season with 5.580 points, which is the total for all Greek teams. They will be unseeded in the qualifying draws. The same goes for Platanias, who are only two points adrift a playoff place. Xanthi is in the same boat as AEK as they sit 207th in the standings.
