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

The Best Football Films based on true Football Stories

By
  Football films based on true events are not as common as we might hope, but the few that exist certainly stand out as some of the best. Unlike American football or basketball films, football (or soccer, as it's called in the U.S.) hasn't gained the same level of popularity or production in Hollywood. That’s understandable, given the sport’s limited appeal in the U.S. historically. However, with the country set to co-host the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup next year, more football films should be produced to build the hype and capture the spirit of the world’s biggest sporting event. Football movies have the unique ability to explore stories on and off the pitch — from a fan's perspective to tales centred around players, managers, or even lesser-known supporting characters. The following list focuses solely on those based on true events, highlighting the personal conflicts, dressing room dynamics, and emotional journeys that define real football legends. As we enjoy...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Distinguished Final Specialists at the top level throughout history

By
  A number of legendary names have become final specialists at the top level throughout history, with very few players able to match such a record, even today. The 2025  FIFA CWC might have been over, but the final in East Rutherford left a remarkable note beyond just Chelsea’s stunning win over the UCL champions, PSG. The emergence of Cole Palmer as a new star for England might have been anticipated, yet his constant contribution in finals seems too obvious to deny. The former Manchester City man has become the new final specialist among football’s elite. His record of contributing in finals—either through goals or assists—continues to grow, and Palmer could potentially reach new heights to cement his status as the greatest final specialist in history. The Blues star’s contribution rate in finals is already at 75%, even higher than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and, most recently, Kylian Mbappe. Cole Palmer already made his mark during his time at the Etihad, scoring...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Most Daring Journeyman Managers in History

By
  Not many gaffers opt to roam around the world to become journeyman managers in their careers and gain fair success.  Being a football manager, just like any other profession, needs a challenge to push the limit in their career, be it for the silverware, more noble missions like developing football in the remote countries, or simply for an adventure. It is quite rare to find one recently and thrive, especially at the top level.  One of the few such figures is probably Jorge Jesus. The Portuguese boss has currently signed for the post in Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. It would be a challenge as well as an honour for him to lead Cristiano Ronaldo, something that he never had during his stints in Europe. Jesus mainly spent his career in his home soil and Turkey before venturing to South America and winning the prestigious title, Copa Libertadores 2019, with Flamengo. He is one of the few European gaffers who managed to do so. However, his experience in three contine...
Post a Comment
Read more