[Matchday] UCL Qual R3: Celtic v AEK Athens Wednesday 8th August 7.45pm KO.....result 1-1

Hi to everyone, AEK fan from Greece here.

Looking forward for the game on Wednesday, this is a massive fixture for out team, having the opportunity to qualify to CL group stage would be the perfect continuance of our "comeback" story from 3rd division.

Reading this topic, as well as the topic of CL qualifyings draw, I just wanted to make a post just to explain some facts and maybe answer some of the questions you had regarding our team.

First of all, AEK has indeed lost some of our key players last year:
- Araujo (ST) was on loan from Las Palmas for 2 years and was massiveley beloved from every fan. He was replaced by Ponce, although he may not play at all on Wednesday. We also have Marko Livaja for the striker position, who was reborn during his first year here.
- Vranjes (DC) was sold to Anderlecht, but this sell was seen as mandatory from our fan base, as we sold for 3,5m€ a player with explosive tamperament, very eccentric, with a lot of bad behavior incidents on the training ground. Also he was entering the last year of his contract and as AEK is not yet established as a "selling" club, it was a very good deal for us and was faced as one from our fans. He was replaced by Oikonomou, a Greek international with experience in Serie A.
- Chistodoulopoulos was a bargain for us, signed for AEK 2 years ago as a done player and making the differnce for our team. Unfortunately he behaved ungratefuly to the AEK family, not recognising the +1 year contract extension in his original contract and signed for Olympiacos. Actually, there is a legal case going on right now against him and the red tyrrants of Greek football, with a transfer ban against Olympiacos and a one year vacation for him maybe on the way (although with Olympiacos's network in the whole Greek football association, it is a long shot). Anyhow, this specific player is already 32-33 years old, and if you look the statistics of last year there must haven't been more than 5-6 games that Christodoulopoulos played the whole 90 minutes, being subsituted on 60th minute in most matches. He was replaced by Lucas Boye, a former FM wonderkid with lot of prospect, who (at least in Greek Superleague) is expected to do the difference. We also signed a Greek prospect for the same position, Almpanis who is expected to become a wonderful player.
- Johansson, the Swedish international who's goal against Italy lead his nation to the WC2018 and Buffon to international retirement, is a whole different story. His contract ended and although we made him a lot of offers to renew, he chose to leave on a free. However, he was sidelined since November and haven't played a single match for us since, so the team is used to operating without him. Such a similar case from ungrateful Christodoulopoulos, but very different at the same time, as he will be forever in our hearts.
- Last but not least, our General, one of the best manager stories in history, Monolo Jimenez. Manolo was our manager 7 years ago, when he was sacked from our terrible management that day, with a lot of the media launching a hidious war against him. Always a true gentleman, he returned in AEK during the current management 18 months ago and in less than a year and a half he lead us to our first championship since 1994, went with us to 2 cup finals and if THIS went in, we would make it to the 16 of the UEL last year (with 10 straight matches undefeated, we went out from the UEL with 2 draws ffs!). He chose to leave due to family issues (mother's health problem) and return to Spain. Marinos Ouzounidis, who replaced Manolo, is the best Greek manager of the last 10 years and produced great work in Panathinaikos, only to leave due to the financial problems and the terrible current chairman of theirs.

The thing you should know about AEK is that we aren't big spenders but we depend on our income, we don't have a "sugar daddy" type of presidentship, like PAOK (although we could, as our president is a -not shady as presentend before here- succesful businessman). This happens happens for two reasons: a) we learnt the hard way where bad economics lead a Greek club, even a big one like us (we dropped to 3rd division in 2013) and mainly because of b) we are at last building our new stadium, our new home "Agia Sofia" (reference to the big Greek temple of Constantinople, as our big club was founded from Greek refugees relocated to Athens from there in 1920's).

In conclusion, our team made us very proud last year not just because we played great football and achieved great results, but mostly due to the fightful spirit our lads had in every single game, despite our big and terrible long term injuries some of our key players suffered. Mantalos, our captain who was ruled out today for Wednesday's match played only in the last match of the season, having a torn knee harmstring since Octomber. AEK isn't relying on single players, but in the team as a whole.

Having said all that, I personally think that the chances of qualifying are about 70-30 on Celtic's side, but if there is one thing that AEK does, is that even if we are beaten, we are beaten with our heads standing high. For Wednesday's match, a draw is not a bad result for us and even a 2-1 or 3-2 loss wouldn't be catastrophic. Still, knowing the tamperament of our new manager, don't be surprised if he goes all-in in the first half and if luck is on our side, we can even make a big win like the one against Rangers in 1994.

I wish to you to enjoy 2 great matches between our teams as I cannot wish you good luck

P.S. AEK fans are the most nice and hospitable fans you can find in Greece. Of course there are a**holes in any fan base of any club worldwide, but please don't have any worries travelling to Athens.

P.S.2 Sorry for any grammar or typing mistakes I did, the truth is that I never wrote text that long since high school

 

Gordon

Gamboa Lustig Ajer Tierney

Brown Ntcham

Forrest Rogic McGregor

Edouard
​

Griff, Kouassi and Christie off the bench.

 

3 at the back is a must if we have the personnel at centre half. Tierney is a massive asset going forward and we need to free him up.

Not often mentioned, but I also feel 3 at the back takes the pressure off Forrest. He works his * off anyway as a wing back but him not being in the front 3 means we aren't relying on him to create as much. Its like he knows as a wing back he can have a good game without creating chances whereas it's less likely when he's in the front 3.

We also tend to play well with that staggered diamond and Brown-Ntcham-McGregor-Rogic is the best version of it.

 

Great stuff! Thank you for the post, great to hear from an AEK supporter! One of my close friends is Greek and a die hard Olympiakos supporter, so he’s told me about the history of the big Greek clubs and he’s actually told me with admiration about the founding of AEK and it’s history and connection with Constantinople. He has no issues with AEK, he reserves his animosity towards Panithinaikos, and I tease him because I support Sporting CP in Portugal and Celtic, and because of that, if I were to have an affinity for a Greek club it would be Pana because their colors are green and their symbol is a shamrock, lol. Anyway, looking forward to two tough, but great games....and stick around, this is a great forum.

 

There is one on the Lytham road mate it has the official Blackpool csc based in it the excelsior

 

Hey guys, another AEK fan here. Looking forward to our games! Ask questions if you want to. I have a question for you tho. I noticed your CBs are very tall, but are they fast? Because I think my team will rely on counter attacks for most of the first leg, and especially because of our second striker Klonaridis who is the fastest player on the team.

 

Brilliant mate thank you!

 

Ajer is fast, the other centre backs less so I would say. However after going for deep runs through the midfield Ajer can often struggle to track back.

 

Got the Catholic club if you are staying at north shore mate also but dunno if it would be on there

 

Ajer lacks pace mate..

 

Hendry is quick.

 

So is Boyata and Simunovic is no slouch either..

 

They are ok,can be turned easily with some good footwork....fast? Not really.

On their day they can defend well as a unit though.

You have to get by Broony first

 

Yeah very quick mate, There's a film about Hendry called "braveheart", its about hendry growing as a bear (he was raised by bears) and he befriended a cheater, anyhow the cheater grows up and ovbs is quick as * so hendry couldnt play with him anymore, so through the film hendry trains to get quicker and quicker until he can keep up with the cheater and they re unite, just before end hendry get signed up to be a footballer so he goes to say bye to the cheater but long story short the cheater gets salty so hendry cuts his heart out and eats it, sad stuff but if u think ur forwards are gonna break when we have a cheater eating bear at the back you're mistaken.

 

I think he's fairly quick for a 6'5 giant, his pace has never worried me.

Boyata is quick, as is Hendry. Jozo not the slowest, but wouldn't say he is quick.

 

All of our defenders are fairly fast except Lustig who is really slow, he may play right back or may play as part of a back 3. Ajer is probably the second slowest, but he isn't bad for a big guy.

 

There all fast as *, next question

 

Don’t agree mate, think Ajer will have to make adjustments to his starting positioning when faced with pacy strikers.. most CBs do need to do this Tbf.. Ajer is still learning his trade and a good CB will adjust when they know they don’t have the pace to get back..

Don’t think it will be an issue for him as he has at all, just needs that knowhow to ensure he doesn’t get exposed because he can be defo slow off the mark..

 

You could say the exact same thing about Celtic last year, not as glamorous to watch as we were the year before, but our Bhoys have terrific spirit and winning mentality. Should be a good game

 

AEK new winger on loan Lucas from Torino. Can play tomorrow night.