Skip to main content

The Best Greek Teams in the European Competitions

Image
By

 


Some Greek teams reached crucial stages in the European competitions before Olympiakos’ success in Conference League this season.

Olympiakos has stunned the fans after crushing the favourite, Aston Villa, in the Conference League semi-final. Jose Mendilibar's men finally clinch the title after securing a narrow 1-0 win over the runner-up in the previous edition, Fiorentina. Their emergence in the continental final is surely quite shocking.  Let alone winning it. Once in a while, the Greek teams did manage to advance to the crucial stage. Here are the Greek teams that could reach their furthest stages in the previous three major club competitions in Europe.

Olympiakos in the UEFA Winners Cup 1993

Before their outstanding campaign in the Conference League this season, Olympiakos did it before in the second-tier continental competition in the past, which has been abolished, the Winners Cup. Back in the 1992–93 season, they managed to reach the quarterfinals. Such might not be as far as PAOK Salonika in 1974, Larissa in 1985, AEK Athens in 1997 and 1998, or Panionios in 1999. Yet, what Olympiakos went through was more stunning than that of his other Greek counterparts. 

In the 1992–93 season, the Greek side was led by the notable Ukrainian boss, Oleg Blokhin. They eliminated Ukraine’s Chernomorets Odessa by a 3-1 win on aggregate in the first round. In the second round, Olympiakos surprisingly picked up a 1-0 win over Arsene Wenger’s Monaco on the road. Monaco was the tournament’s runner-up in the previous season. In the second leg, Oleg Protasov and Co. were able to hold the Ligue 1 side in a stalemate. Unfortunately, their campaign ended in the eighth round. They were unable to ease past Atletico Madrid and were beaten 4-2 on aggregate (1-1; 1-3).

AEK Athens in the UEFA Cup 1977                                         

In UEFA Cup, AEK Athens’ campaign was even better. They managed to go through the semifinals in 1976/77. The capital side had an underrated yet experienced manager, Frantisek Fadrhonc. He was the Czech boss who guided the Netherlands to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup before he was replaced byRinus Michels for the final round. 

Fadrhonc was able to guide AEK Athens to the final four after seeing off several more established teams, such as Dynamo Moscow in the first round, two English teams, Derby County and QPR in the second round and quarterfinals, and Red Star Belgrade in the third round. Their most dramatic result was probably in the round of 8, as they already suffered a 3-0 defeat in the first leg. Yet Fadrhonc’s men managed to make a superb comeback by trashing the English side 3-0 at home before eliminating Trevor Francis and Co. on penalties. Unfortunately, they were running out of steam in the semifinal. The eventual champions, Juventus, ran rampant and hammered AEK in a 5-1 win on aggregate (4-1; 1-0). 

Panathinaikos in the Champions League 1971

This was probably the best campaign for Greek clubs in European football. Panathinaikos surprisingly advanced to the final of the 1971 European Cup to take on Ajax Amsterdam. They had been out of the radar since the team was never a favourite, despite having the legendary Ferenc Puskas on the sidelines.

The Hungarian legende seemed to bring the magic again from the dugout. He was able to lead Panathinaikos to the summit after knocking out Luxembourg’s Jeunesse Ech and Czechoslovakia’s Slovan Bratislava before eventually meeting two stronger sides, English champions Everton and Red Star Belgrade. They saw them off relying on away goal rules with 1-1 and 4-4 on aggregate. Puskas’s men eventually had to surrender in the final, as they were hapless against the star-studded Dutch team with Johan Cryuff and Johan Neeskens on the pitch. Panathinaikos’ European campaign ended in a 2-0 defeat at Wembley Stadium. 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top Goalkeepers who became understudy in the Elite Clubs

By
  A few top goalkeepers were unable to be the first choice while joining the elite sides and forced to be the understudy. The top goalkeepers with established roles in the previous clubs or in the national team would certainly expect the same status when they decided to switch sides to the top sides. Unfortunately, such is never easy. Signing for the elite team might be tempting to add silverware to their collection. Yet, lifting trophies without playing regularly would not be ideal. Barcelona’s new signing, Wojciech Szczesny, might be one recent example of such. The former Poland international joined the Catalan side following Marc Ter Stegen’s long-term injury. Fans would hope to see the former Arsenal and Juventus man in action between the sticks. Yet, his status might not change after Ter Stegen’s understudy, Inaki Pena’s top form in the first El Clasico this season. He was able to keep a clean sheet and make crucial saves to keep Real Madrid’s stars at bay. Szczcesny is likel
Post a Comment
Read more

Top players who failed in both Real Madrid and Barcelona

By
  Several top players had attempted to thrive in both Real Madrid and Barcelona in their careers but failed. Real Madrid and Barcelona are undoubtedly two of the most famous elite clubs in the world. Thus, a chance to play in either one or even both of them is too good to turn down. Such would not only improve their career but also their level of performance, winning mentality, and even exposure. Some players managed to shine in one of them, whereas a few were even able to thrive on both sides. The likes of Ronaldo Luiz Nazario, Luis Figo, and Michael Laudrup are the perfect example of the latter. Unfortunately, some others have not succeeded in neither team, despite having the rare opportunity to play for both La Liga powerhouses in a star-studded squad. Here are several top players who had failed stints in both Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou. Two of them were even considered legendary figures in their home soil and Eastern Europe. Alfonso Perez Alfonso Perez was one of the
Post a Comment
Read more

The Best Former Olympic Team Managers Promoted to Lead Senior Teams

By
  Only a few former Olympic team managers appointed to take charge of the senior team were considered the best one in history. The Paris Olympics 2024 are getting closer. The multi-event sport tournament starts its competition on July 26, but football starts slightly earlier on July 24 due to its stages in the competition. All 16 managers are still pondering who will be named in the final squad and which over-aged player can be called up and given permission by their clubs to compete in the Olympics, the global tournament that is not included in the FIFA calendar. So far, only the host France U23 and Argentina U23 have called up their players for the final squad. Les Blues have included Crystal Palace man Jean Philippe Mateta and former Arsenal man Alexander Lacazette as their only over-aged players enlisted in the team. France is led by Thierry Henry, while Albiceleste currently has Javier Mascherano at the helm of the team. Both are still at the early stages of their managerial
Post a Comment
Read more