History of AEK Athens F.C.

AEK Athens F.C. is one of the greatest and most historical association football clubs in Greece. They have a long, unique and idiosyncratic history and has experienced both the highs and lows of the game. They won their first championship in 1939 and has gone on to become one of Greece's most successful football teams.

Origins

The large Greek population of Constantinople, not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Énosis Tataoúlon (Ένωσις Ταταούλων) and Iraklís (Ηρακλής) from the Tatavla district, Mégas Aléxandros (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) and Ermís (Ερμής) of Galata and Olympiás (Ολυμπιάς) of Therapia existed to promote the Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals. These were amongst a dozen Greek-backed clubs that dominated the sporting landscape of the city in the years preceding World War I. After the war, with the influx of mainly French and English soldiers to Constantinople, many of the city clubs participated in regular competition with teams formed by the foreign troops. Taxim, Pera and Tatavla became the scene of weekly competitions in not only football, but also athletics, cycling, boxing and tennis.

Of the clubs in the city, association football was dominated by Énosis Tataoúlon and The Greek Football Team. In 1914, The Greek Football Team was formed as the football department of Ermís, a sports club established in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera (Galata). Known as "Pera" since the mid-1880's, it was forced to change its name to "Pera Sports Club" and then "Beyoğluspor Kulübü" in 1923. Many of its athletes and those of most other Greek sporting clubs, fled during the Greek genocide and the population exchanges at the end of the Greco-Turkish War and settled in Athens and Thessaloniki.^[1]

The early years (1924–1959)

Formation and first steps (1924–1929)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Athens Championship: 3 (1925, 1927, 1929)

In 1924, the founders of AEK – a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them former athletes from the Pera Sports Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) – met at the athletic shop "Lux" of Emilios Ionas and Konstantinos Dimopoulos on Veranzerou Street, in the center of Athens and created AEK.^[2] Their intention was to create a club that provided athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (including Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni).

AEK's first game was a 1–1 friendly draw against Atromitos in October 1924. Their first official match was a 4–2 win against Goudi on 14 December 1924.

AEK's football team grew rapidly in popularity during the 1920s, eclipsing the already-established Athens-based refugee clubs (Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis), thanks mainly to the large pool of immigrants that were drawn to the club and due, in no small part, to the political connections and wealth of several of the club's board members. Not possessing a football ground, AEK played most of their early matches at various locations around Athens, including the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.

AEK's first president, Konstantinos Spanoudis (1871–1941), a journalist and associate of the then Greek Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, petitioned the government to set aside land for the establishment of a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfeia that was originally set aside for refugee housing was donated as a training ground for the refugees. AEK began using the ground for training (albeit unofficially) and by 1930 the property was signed over to the club.

In 1927 Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK decided to break away from the Athens regional league after a dispute with the fledgling Hellenic Football Federation (EPO). They formed an alliance called P.O.K. (acronym for Podosfairikes Omades Kentrou or Panathinaikos Olympiacos Konstantinoupolis) and started organising friendly matches against each other and several continental European clubs. This also marked the start of the so-called Easter Cup. In 1928, though, the dispute ended and AEK, along with the other P.O.K. clubs, entered the HFF fold once again.

In 1928, Venizelos approved the plans to build what was to become the club's home ground for the next 70 years, the AEK Stadium.

Moving to home ground and first successes (1929–1940)

Honours Won: Greek Cup: 2 (1931–32, 1938–39), Easter Cup: 1 (1938), Panhellenic Championship: 2 (1938–39, 1939–40), Athens Championship: 1 (1940)

Runner-up: Athens Championship: 5 (1930, 1931, 1937, 1938, 1939)

In 1930, the AEK Stadium was completed. The area where the stadium was located had been previously used as the training ground of the club. The first home game, in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiacos that ended in a 2–2 draw.

In 1932, AEK won the inaugural Greek Cup, beating Aris 5–3 in the final. The goals for AEK were scored by Ilias Iliaskos, Nikos Baltas (twice), Oikonomou (O.G.) and Kostas Negrepontis, a veteran of the original Pera Club of Constantinople. This was also the first ever title won by the club.

In 1933, former star striker, Kostas Negrepontis took over the managerial guidance of AEK. He managed to build a formidable team which was led by Kleanthis Maropoulos and Tryfon Tzanetis, the best pair of forwards at the time and one of the best in Greek football's history. Other important players included Christos Ribas, Michalis Delavinias, Georgios Magiras and Spyros Sklavounos.

The club's success during the late 1930s was highlighted by the Panhellenic Championships in 1939 and 1940. The 2–1 win in the 1939 Cup final, goals by Alekos Chatzistavridis and Vasilios Manettas, marked the first ever double (domestic Championship and Cup) in the history of Greek football.

During World War II (1940–1945)

Honours Won: Christmas Cup: 1 (1943) Easter Cup: 1 (1944)

Runner-up: —

The 1940–41 Panhellenic Championship was interrupted due to the Greco-Italian War. After the Battle of Greece (1941) and during the Axis occupation of Greece sporting events were scarce.

During the Greco-Italian War in a battle at Pogradec, AEK player K. Vavanis was badly injured by a mortar bomb that exploded in front of him.During the spring of 1942 Panathinaikos and AEK were to give a friendly match to raise money for a hospital but were asked to give part of the revenue to the occupation forces. Tasos Kritikos and Kleanthis Maropoulos, who served as captains of the two clubs, refused and the 15,000 spectators turned into one of the largest protests of the time. The game became known as the "Resistance Derby". In June 1944 AEK player Spyros Kontoulis was killed by the Nazi forces during his attempt to escape while being transported to Kaisariani in order to be executed for being part of the resistance.^[3]

The 1942–43 Panhellenic Championship was an attempt to restart sporting activity but was not completed.

The Post-World War II years (1945–1952)

Honours Won: Athens Championship: 3 (1946, 1947, 1950), Christmas Cup: 1 (1947), Greek Cup: 2 (1949, 1950)

Runner-up: Panhellenic Championship: 1 (1946), Greek Cup: 1 (1948), Athens Championship: 2 (1951, 1952)

With English coach Jack Beby at the wheel, veteran players such as Maropoulos, Tzanetis, Delavinias and Magiras, along with new generation players such as Kostas Poulis, Goulios and Pavlos Emmanouilidis, AEK won the Cup of 1949 and 1950, beating Panathinaikos by 2–1 and Aris by 4–0.

AEK won also the Athens regional championship of 1950, but the play–off games for the Panhellenic Championship were not played, due to many players being called up for a prolonged training camp for the national team.

A new generation of stars (1952–1959)

Honours Won: Christmas Cup: 1 (1957), Greek Cup: 1 (1956), Easter Cup: 2 (1955, 1958)

Runner-up: Panhellenic Championship: 2 (1958, 1959), Greek Cup: 1 (1953), Athens Championship: 2 (1954, 1958)

The early 1950s saw the addition of the next generation of star footballers in Giannis Kanakis, Andreas Stamatiadis and Stelios Serafidis and along with Poulis and Emmanouilidis.

In 1955, AEK signed Kostas Nestoridis, a player who would become the greatest forward of his era. His former team Panionios did not consent with the transfer, so Nestoridis was forced to sit out for two seasons, due to the restraining law which applied at the time. In his first season at the club Nestoridis showing his class, finished as the top scorer of the league.

AEK won the Cup of 1956, this time beating Olympiacos by 2–1 in the final.

The early Alpha Ethniki years (1959–1974)

The Lukas Aurednik Era (1959–1961)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1960)

1959–60 season

In the first season of the newly formed Alpha Ethniki, AEK under Lukas Aurednik, were strengthened with Giannis Marditsis and Alekos Sofianidis, while Kostas Poulis left after 11 years. In the first matchday on 25 October, Giannis Kanakis became the scorer of the first goal of the institution in the 3rd minute against Ethnikos Piraeus. The end of the championship found AEK and Panathinaikos tied at the top and thus the champion was to be determined by a play-off match. In the match that took place on 31 July, despite taking the lead, AEK eventually lost, as the "greens" overturned the score and won by 2–1. Kostas Nestoridis won the top scorer award for the second time in a row.

1960–61 season, Part I

AEK continued this season with Tryfon Tzanetis in the technical leadership, who was officially hired in January. However, Aurednik remained in the club alongside the former player Christos Ribas. Spyros Pomonis was promoted from the academies, while Giannis Kanakis retired after 12 years of service. A series of incidents with the referees prevented AEK from claiming the league and in combination with some bad results, led in Aurednik stepping down as the manager of the club.

The Tryfon Tzanetis Era, Part IV (1961–1962)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1960–61 season, Part II

The assumption of technical leadership by Tryfon Tzanetis for the fourth time did not change things up, as AEK finished at the fourth place. The roster was strengthened with the arrival of Stelios Skevofilakas. Kostas Nestoridis defended successfully his title as the top scorer of the league, for a third season in a row.

1961–62 season

AEK carried out the transfer of Panikos Krystallis, while Pavlos Emmanouilidis left. In January, Nikos Goumas completed the constructions on the Nea Filadelfeia Stadium, which was modernized with the reconstruction of its stands and by acquiring turf. The high competition with other teams, who proved to be more consistent, did not allow them to finish higher than the fourth place for a second season in a row. Kostas Nestoridis stood up again, claiming the top scorer award for a fourth time in a row.

The Jenő Csaknády Era, Part I (1962–1963)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1963)

Runner-up: —

Serafidis

Marditsis

Papapostolou

Kanellopoulos

Sofianidis

Stamatiadis (c)

Tsachouridis

Petridis

Skevofilax

Papaioannou

Nestoridis

Lineup against Panathinaikos (1963-06-23)

1962–63 season

Nikos Goumas hired the Hungarian-German manager, Jenő Csaknady who brought an disciplined model, innovating training methods and new tactical systems. Mimis Papaioannou, Aleko Yordan, and the Syrian Ibrahim Mughrabi, the first foreign player to ever play for a Greek club, were among the arrivals. AEK finished at the top, tied with Panathinaikos and a championship play-off was set. Panathinaikos initially took the lead, the yellow-blacks made it 3–1, but the greens responded makng the final 3–3. Thus, by the regulation of the time AEK won the title due to a better a goal ratio.^[4] As AEK won their first post-war league, Nestoridis emerged as the league's top scorer for the fifth time and the last of his career with 23 goals, making a record of consecutive wins of the award.^[5]

The Heinrich Müller Era (1963–1964)

Honours Won: Greek Cup: 1 (1964)

Runner-up: —

1963–64 season

Petrakis

Papapostolou

Marditsis

Charalampidis

Theofanidis

Tasinos

Kanellopoulos

Skevofilax

Papaioannou

Petridis

Nestoridis (c)

Lineup against Monaco (1963-09-18)

In 1963, the management removed Csaknády and Heinrich Müller was hired. Ibrahim Mughrabi and Panikos Krystallis departed and returned to their homelands. Kostas Papageorgiou and Giorgos Karafeskos were among the additions. AEK played for the first time in their history in the UEFA competitions, for the preliminary round of the European Cup, where they were eliminated by Monaco. AEK ended up finishing third, but they won the Cup, even though the final did not took place, since the other semi-finalists, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos were disqualified due to serious incidents of their fans in the semi-final at Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.^[6] After five consecutive wins of Kostas Nestoridis, the league's top scorer was Mimis Papaioannou, who with 29 goals kept the award within the club. In the end of the season Müller left the club due to financial differences with the renewal of his contract.

The Mirko Kokotović Era (1964–1965)

Serafidis

Yordan

Balopoulos

Kefalidis

Sofianidis

Stamatiadis (c)

Pomonis

Petridis

Skevofilax

Papaioannou

Nestoridis

Lineup against Dinamo Zagreb (1964-09-09)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1965)

1964–65 season

In the summer of 1964 Mirko Kokotović was hired. AEK proceeded in the transfers of Fotis Balopoulos, Giorgos Kefalidis, Lakis Fragoudakis and the Turkinsh legend of Greek descent, Lefter Küçükandonyadis. The departure of Giannis Marditsis stood out among others. AEK played for the first time in the Cup Winners' Cup against Dinamo Zagreb. Despite their elimination of the tournament, they managed to achieve their first European victory in the first leg. AEK claimed the league title until the final matchday, but eventually finished second. Kokotović was released after the end of the season.

The Tryfon Tzanetis Era, Part V (1965–1966)

Honours Won: Greek Cup: 1 (1966)

Runner-up: —

1965–66 season

In the summer of 1965, Tryfon Tzanetis in his fifth and final spell in the club, strengthened the roster with the great transfers such as Tasos Vasiliou, Kostas Nikolaidis and Panagiotis Ventouris, while Nikos Stathopoulos was promoted from the academies. On the other side, Miltos Papapostolou and Lefter Küçükandonyadis retired. In a friendly match between AEK and Real Madrid, Mimis Papaioannou had an impressive performance and the Spaniards made a huge offer for his acquisition. The club's refusal resulted in his withdrawal from the club.^[7] Ηowever, shortly before the derby with Panathinaikos, AEK offered a new contract to Papaioannou, who returned to the team.^[8] In the away match against Panathinaikos, while the score was at 1–1, the referee awarded an off-side goal to the greens and as a result incidents occurred with the fans entering the pitch, which resulted in suspension of the match and its award to Panathinaikos.^[9] As a protest, AEK were absent in the next matchday, but with the fear of relegation they were forced to return to the championship, eventually finishing third. Papaioannou won the top scorer award for the second time in his career with 23 goals, succeeding Nestoridis in being the leader of the team. In the Cup, AEK qualified to the final against Olympiacos and the HFF set the match on 10 July, at the Karaiskakis Stadium, which brought reaction of Olympiacos, who announced their intention not to show up. Thus, on 7 July the HFF, unable to convince Olympiacos to change their mind, declared AEK as the Cup winners.^[10]

1966–67 season, Part I

After eleven seasons, the legendary Kostas Nestoridis left the club, as well as Giorgos Petridis. AEK started the season with the European Cup Winners' Cup, playing against Braga, but they were eliminated with two defeats. After an away draw against Panserraikos at the tenth matchday, alarmed the management, who took the decision to remove Tzanetis from the bench.

The Jenő Csaknády Era, Part II (1967–1968)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1968)

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1967), Balkans Cup: 1 (1967),

1966–67 season, Part II

Serafidis

Yordan

Vasiliou

Skevofilax

Sofianidis

Karafeskos

Balopoulos

Stamatiadis (c)

Nikolaidis

Papaioannou

Mastrakoulis

Lineup against Fenerbahçe (1967-10-11)

Jenő Csaknády returned after three and a half years. While AEK were covering the distance for the title race, the government was overthrown and a military dictatorship was imposed on the country, resulting in the interruption of the championship. AEK were not affected by the interruption and continued in covering up the distance, but two draws in the final matchdays ended their chances of winning the championship, finishing second. They also competed in the Balkans Cup, finishing first in their group and qualified in the final against Fenerbahçe. In the first leg at Nea Filadelfeia, AEK won by 2–1, but in Istanbul, the Turks won by 1–0 and a third match was set at Mithat Paşa, which they lost with 3–1.

1967–68 season

Serafidis

Vasiliou

Fragoudakis

Balopoulos

Karafeskos

Sofianidis

Stamatiadis (c)

Pomonis

Ventouris

Skevofilax

Papaioannou

Lineup against Olympiacos (1967-12-03)

AEK appeared capable of claiming the league, as they defeated Olympiacos with 1–4. Indeed in the second round with a victory against the same opponent at home, they secured the title.^[11] Csaknády did not agree on staying in the club, becoming the only coach of AEK to win two championship titles in his two full seasons.^[12]

The Branko Stanković Era (1968–1973)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1971)

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1970)

1968–69 season

Konstantinidis

Vasiliou

Balopoulos

Kefalidis

Stathopoulos

Karafeskos

Stamatiadis
(c)

Skevofilax

Nikolaidis

Pomonis

Papaioannou

Lineup against Spartak Trnava (1969-03-12)

A transitional year for AEK, with the hiring of Branko Stanković. Giorgos Lavaridis was promoted from the academies. Under the Yugoslav, the team's model was based on tactics, technique, physical strength and discipline. The inability of the players to quickly adapt to the new model, resulted in a bad start in the league, but in time the team started to increase their performance. On 27 October they defeated Olympiacos by 2–3 with Papaioannou playing as goalkeeper from the 85th minute, due to the suspension of Serafidis.^[13] AEK were consistently close in claiming the title, until the 22nd matchday when they were defeated at home by Olympiacos, which resulted in their downfall and their sixth-place finish. However, AEK made one of the most impressive European campaigns, eliminating Jeunesse Esch in first round and AB in the second round and became the first Greek club to reach the quarter-finals of a European competition, where they were eliminated by Spartak Trnava.

1969–70 season

Stanković proceeded in the renewal in their roster, that he planned since the previous season. Stefanos Theodoridis was promoted to the first team, while Apostolos Toskas and Andreas Papaemmanouil were acquired. At the same time Alekos Sofianidis, Aleko Yordan, Andreas Stamatiadis and Kostas Papageorgiou departed. The conquest of the second place in the league was considered a success, considering the radical changes in the squad and the strength of Panathinaikos at the time. In the Cup, AEK were eliminated in the second round, by Panathinaikos at home, losing by 3–5 in the penalty shootout.

1970–71 season

Stanković completed the renewal of the roster creating a well-worked team. Tasos Vasiliou, Fotis Balopoulos and Lakis Fragoudakis left the club. AEK began their competitive obligations with the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, where they were eliminated in the first round by the newly formed Twente. Despite their elimination, AEK played spectacular football throughout the season and won the league, relatively early on in the season.

1971–72 season

Konstantinidis

Triantafyllou

Kefalidis

Theodoridis

Karafeskos

Lavaridis

Papaemmanouil

Pomonis

Ventouris

Papaioannou (c)

Psimogiannos

Lineup against Internazionale (1971-09-29)

The administrative disputes and the demands of the players that appeared within the club, resulted in the start of a declining period for AEK. However, that did not prevent AEK from presenting a competitive team. Lakis Nikolaou stood out among the transfers. AEK played in the European Cup and were eliminated from the first round by Internazionale, but they achieved a historic win at Nea Filadelfeia, with 3–2^[14] In the league they finished third, while in the cup they experienced a surprise elimination in the round of 16 by Lamia.

1972–73 season, Part I

The declining course of AEK continued. Important players such as Petros Ravousis, Tasos Konstantinou, Lakis Stergioudas and Dionysis Tsamis were acquired. On the other hand, Stelios Serafidis retired after 19 years at the club, while Panagiotis Ventouris and Andreas Papaemmanouil also departed. In their first appearance in the UEFA Cup AEK were eliminated in the second round by Liverpool. In the Cup they faced again a surprise elimination by Apollon Kalamarias at the round of 16, which resulted in the removal of Stanković after five years at the club.

Overview

The Billy Bingham Era (1973)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1972–73 season, Part II

Billy Bingham was appointed as a replacement of Stanković. In a bad season for the club, the Irish coach did not succeed in making any significant contribution. In the end AEK finished fifth and Bingham was sacked after the season was over.

The Stan Anderson Era (1973–1974)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1973–74 season

As the combination of administrative changes and financial difficulties continued, the Stan Anderson was hired. Giorgos Sidiropoulos was acquired, while Stelios Konstantinidis, Kostas Nikolaidis and Spyros Pomonis left. In a disappointing season Anderson was sacked before the end of the season with the club closing the season with coach of the reserve team, Kostas Chatzimichail. AEK finished for the second consecutive year in the fifth place.

The Barlos ownership years (1974–1981)

The František Fadrhonc Era (1974–1977)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 2 (1975, 1976)

1974–75 season

Huge administrative changes occurred within the club in the summer of 1974, as Loukas Barlos became the new president.^[15] He started to build a new team, by hiring František Fadrhonc as coach.^[16] The Czechoslovak brought a series of innovations to the club, while Barlos brought great players such as Christos Ardizoglou^[17] Georgios Dedes, Walter Wagner and Timo Zahnleiter.^[18] Among the departures, were those of Giorgos Karafeskos and Nikos Stathopoulos. The newly reformed AEK played impressive football from their first season, finishing second in the league, having the best attack and defense, while they reached the quarter-finals of the cup.

1975–76 season

AEK continued their ascending course with the main focus point for Barlos was the acquisition of Thomas Mavros from Panionios. The president of AEK approached and convinced Mavros to join the club, but they came across the obstacle of Panionios. A legal dispute began, with Mavros staying out the stadiums for a season.^[19] Giorgos Lavaridis was among the departures. Fadrhonc's work was becoming effective, creating a team that combined spectacle and results. AEK returned in the UEFA Cup, after two years of absence, reaching the second round, where they were eliminated by Inter Bratislava. In the league, AEK despite being undefeated for 23 matches, some defeats during the end of the season, resulted in finishing at the second place for a second season in a row. Georgios Dedes with 15 goals won the top scorer award.

1976–77 season

Stergioudas

Nikolaou

Ravousis

Intzoglou

Theodoridis

Tsamis

Tasos

Nikoloudis

Papaioannou (c)

Wagner

Mavros

Lineup against QPR (1977-03-02)

The team that Barlos envisioned with Fadrhonc was reaching its completion. As the legal dispute with Panionios ended and the transfer of Mavros was completed. Furthermore, they acquired Nikos Christidis, Takis Nikoloudis and Babis Intzoglou. Fadrhonc, considering the playing intelligence and high technical qualities of Mimis Papaioannou, decided to relocate him as an attacking midfielder, in order to fit all the attackers of the roster. In the UEFA Cup AEK eliminated Dynamo Moscow in the first round, Derby County in the second round, Red Star Belgrade in the third round and QPR in the quarter-finals reaching the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Juventus, becoming the first Greek club to reach that stage. The negative results that were occurred in matches that coincided near European games, resulted in AEK finishing fourth, at a distance of three points from the top.

1977–78 season, Part I

Barlos strengthened the roster with Milton Viera and Dušan Bajević, while Giorgos Sidiropoulos, Timo Zahnleiter, Walter Wagner and Georgios Dedes among others departed. The disagreementsbetween Barlos and Fadrhonc regarding the future of AEK showed up, which resulted in the removal of the Czechoslovak after an away defeat at the second matchday.

Overview

The Zlatko Čajkovski Era, Part I (1977–1978)

Christidis

Nikolaou

Ravousis

Mousouris

Intzoglou

Viera

Tasos

Nikoloudis

Papaioannou (c)

Bajević

Mavros

Lineup against Olympiacos (1978-05-17)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1978), Greek Cup: 1 (1978)

Runner-up: —

1977–78 season, Part II

Fadrhonc's assistant, Andreas Stamatiadis sat on the bench for the next two games as an interim coach and from there Zlatko Čajkovski took over the fate of AEK. In the UEFA Cup, AEK after eliminating ASA Târgu Mureș in the first round, were eliminated in the second round by Standard Liège. With the pairing of Bajević with Mavros in the offense, AEK played impressive football and they easily won the league with only 2 defeats. Thomas Mavros claimed the top scorer of the league award with 22 goals. In the Cup, AEK, eliminated AO Chania in the first round, Panathinaikos in the second round, Panionios in the round of 16 and Panelefsiniakos in the quarter-finals and crused Olympiacos with a 6–1 in the semi-finals. In the final, AEK defeated PAOK by 2–0 and won the trophy, achieving the second domestic double in their history. Dušan Bajević emerged as the top scorer of the Cup with nine goals. Despite that being one of the most successful years in the history of the club, Čajkovski had already signed with Zürich for the next eason.

The Ferenc Puskás Era (1978–1979)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1978–79 season, Part I

Christidis

Nikolaou (c)

Ravousis

Mousouris

Intzoglou

Nikoloudis

Tasos

Ardizoglou

Domazos

Bajević

Mavros

Lineup against Porto (1978-09-13)

The additinons that stood out were the promotions of Spyros Ikonomopoulos and Panagiotis Stylianopoulos, but most importantly the legend of Panathinaikos, Mimis Domazos. Barlos hired the legendary Ferenc Puskás as the coach of the team. In the championship, AEK started impressively and were ahead in the standings with Olympiacos being the only rival for the title. However, there were many official complaints from the opponents of Olympiacos for attempts of bribery by the red and whites. AEK in the European Cup against were drawn against Porto for the first round and they achieved their greatest victory in the European Cup, scattering the Portuguese champions with 6–1, while in the rematch AEK lost by 4–1. In the second round they faced Nottingham Forest, who eliminated them with two wins. Towards the end of the season, AEK presented a decline in their performance and Barlos removed Puskás from the bench.

The Andreas Stamatiadis Era (1979)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1979)

Runner-up: Greek Cup: 1 (1979)

1978–79 season, Part II

Puskás' assistant, Andreas Stamatiadis took charge for the rest of the season. The end of the championship found AEK and Olympiacos, tied in the first place and a play-off match for the title was set. Olympiacos did not show up to the match and AEK were declared champion.^[20] In the Cup, AEK easily reached the final, where they faced Panionios and despite taking the lead early on, they lost the title with a 3–1 defeat.^[21] Thomas Mavros was declared the top scorer of the league with 31 goals and 40 in total, winning the European Silver Shoe.^[22]

The Hermann Stessl Era (1979–1980)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1979–80 season, Part I

In 1979 football in Greece became professional with the chairman, Loukas Barlos becoming the first owner of AEK. His last great offer to AEK was the construction of the first two-story podium in a Greek stadium, the so-called "Skepasti" (The Covered).^[23] Transferwise, AEK mostly promoted players from their academies, such as Stelios Manolas, Lysandros Georgamlis and Vangelis Vlachos, while also acquiring Franjo Vladić. On the other hand, Apostolos Toskas, Milton Viera, and most importantly Mimis Papaioannou, left the club. In the position of the coach Hermann Stessl was hired. AEK were eliminated in the first round of the European Cup by Argeș Pitești and after the incidents that followed in the locker room and the referees' room, AEK were punished with a one-year ban by UEFA.^[24] AEK did not start the championship well and were left behind in the standings, while in the Cup they were eliminated by PAOK at the round of 16. In the first winter transfer period in Greek football, AEK were weakened as Mimis Domazos Takis Nikoloudis and Dionysis Tsamis departed. A series of bad results brought the dismissal of Stessl from the bench.

The Miltos Papapostolou Era (1980–1981)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 1 (1981)

1979–80 season, Part II

Miltos Papapostolou took over the bench. The team returned to the successful results and with the 25 goals of Bajević, who emerged as the league's top scorer, finished tied with Panathinaikos in the third place, two points from the top and a play-off match was set for the third place and a ticket to the UEFA Cup. With the exclusion of the yellow-blacks from the European competitions meant that no matter what the result of the game was, Panathinaikos would play in the UEFA Cup, but if AEK won would serve their sentence immediately. Even though from Panathinaikos' side seemed that they were against the conduction of the match, Barlos, demanded the match to be held and thus the match took place normally with AEK losing by 1–0, finishing 4th in the league.^[25]

1980–81 season

AEK were closing one of their most successful historical periods, since this season was the last year of Loukas Barlos' ownership. AEK acquired Michalis Tzirakis, Kostas Eleftherakis and Manolis Kottis among others, as well as Petros Karavitis from the winter. Babis Intzoglou and Tasos Konstantinou from the winter, were the most important departures. Since the club did not compete in the UEFA competitions, thus they competed in the Balkans Cup, where in the group stage, all three teams were on tied and Velež Mostar with a better goal ratio were qualified to the final. In the league, AEK finished in the second place, while in the Cup they were eliminated in the semi-finals by PAOK.

The post-Barlos sterile years (1981–1988)

The Hans Tilkowski Era (1981–1982)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1981–82 season, Part I

After the departure of Loukas Barlos the ownership of the club was taken over by Andreas Zafiropoulos. The new administration proceeded with the renewal of the roster with the addition of Takis Karagiozopoulos, Giannis Dintsikos, Dinos Ballis and Hristo Bonev. Dušan Bajević, Franjo Vladić and Kostas Eleftherakis left. Hans Tilkowski took over at the team's bench. AEK made one of the worst starts in their history and Tilkowski was fired midseason.

The Zlatko Čajkovski Era, Part II (1982–1983)

Honours Won: –

Runner-up: —

1981–82 season, Part II

Zlatko Čajkovski, returned at the bench after four years. AEK recovered competitively, but not to an extent of claiming the league. In the Cup, AEK faced PAOK at the round of 16 and were again eliminated. AEK eventually finished at fourth place in the league and managed to secure a spot in the European competitions, after two-year absence.

1982–83 season, Part I

In the summer of 1982, Zafiropoulos stepped out of the presidency, which was handed over to the shipowner Michalis Arkadis. Takis Nikoloudis returned to AEK and transfers of Christos Arvanitis and Angel Kolev took place. Hristo Bonev, Petros Karavitis and Giannis Mousouris and left the club, while Nikos Christidis and Lakis Nikolaou retired. AEK competed in the UEFA Cup, where they played against Köln in the first round and were eliminated with two defeats. As season progressed, the relations of Čajkovski with some players and the management, caused controversy his face and after some bad results, he was fired.

The Helmut Senekowitsch Era, Part I (1983)

Honours Won: Greek Cup: 1 (1983)

Runner-up: —

Arvanitis

Karagiozopoulos

Manolas

Georgamlis

Paraprastanitis

Ballis

Vlachos
(c)

Ardizoglou

Kottis

Dintsikos

Mavros

Lineup against PAOK (1983-06-29)

1982–83 season, Part II

After a brief spell by Kostas Nestoridis at the bench, Helmut Senekowitsch was hired. The team finished in the third place. AEK completed the season with the conquest of the Cup, by defeating PAOK by 2–0 at the Olympic Stadium in the final that was marked by crowd incidents.^[26]

The John Barnwell Era (1983)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1983–84 season, Part I

In the summer of 1983, AEK faced another administrative change in their presidency, as Michalis Arkadis left and the Cypriot travel agency owner, Lefteris Panagidis stepped in and replaced him. The English coach John Barnwell was hired, while Pavlos Papaioannou was acquired among others. On the other hand, Michalis Tzirakis left the club. After a bad start and an elimination from the Cup Winners' Cup's the first round by Újpest, Barnwell was fired.

The Helmut Senekowitsch Era, Part II (1983–1984)

Honours Won: –

Runner-up: —

1983–84 season, Part II

Helmut Senekowitsch returned at the team's bench. In December Takis Nikoloudis and Angel Kolev left the club. Senekowitsch did not manage to change the bad performances of the team and was also fired after 2+1⁄2 months. With Kostas Nestoridis at the bench, AEK completed a bad season, where they eventually finished seventh at the league, while at the Cup were eliminated at the round of 16 by AEL.

The Václav Halama Era (1984)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1984–85 season, Part I

In the summer of 1984, Zafiropoulos returned to the club's presidency. Petros Ravousis and Lakis Stergioudas, left the club. AEK were strengthened with the Håkan Sandberg, František Štambachr, Nikos Pias, Theologis Papadopoulos and Makis Chatzis, while Václav Halama was their new coach. AEK did not start well, while in the Cup they experienced one of the most shameful eliminations in their history by Lamia. Before the middle of the season, Zafiropoulos removed Halama.

The Antonis Georgiadis Era (1984–1985)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1984–85 season, Part II

Antonis Georgiadis was hired as the new manager. In December, František Štambachr left the club, while Márton Esterházy arrived. Esterházy, alongside Mavros and Sandberg composed a magic attacking triplet. Eventually, AEK finished at third place in the league, tied with Panathinaikos and three points from the top. Thomas Mavros finished once more as the league's top scorer, with 27 goals.

The Jacek Gmoch Era (1985–1986)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1985–86 season

Arvanitis

Georgamlis (c)

Manolas

Chatzis

Armodoros

Karagiozopoulos

Pias

Dintsikos

Papaioannou

Esterházy

Sandberg

Lineup against Real Madrid (1985-09-18)

Antonis Georgiadis left the club and Jacek Gmoch was hired. Christos Ardizoglou also left the club. Christos Arvanitis in the summer and Vangelis Vlachos and Lysandros Georgamlis in the winter, were among the departures. In the winter AEK signed Jim Patikas. AEK had to move to the Olympic Stadium due to construction works at the AEK Stadium. AEK achieved an average league ticket record in their history with 31,254 tickets per game. In the UEFA Cup, AEK were eliminated in the first round by Real Madrid, despite making a historic win 1–0 in Athens. In the league AEK started well, but their performances in the away matches resulted in many losses during the season. They finished at the third place, tied with Iraklis, seven points from the first place. On 19 April, the general manager of AEK, Giannis Chrysovitsianos, was arrested for attempted bribery to some players of Panserraikos and the league standings were not secured, until the case was finalized. Eventually, that happened in mid-June, with AEK being punished with the deduction of third points, but from the next season's championship. Thus, the HFF decided to set a third place play-off match between AEK and Iraklis. Meanwhile, Gmoch left, with Nikos Christidis was on the bench for the game. Iraklis, not accepting the decision, showed up in order to make a parody of the match and by the 53rd minute were left with six players and thus the game was awarded with 2–0 to AEK, who secured a place in the next season's UEFA Cup.^[27]

The Ab Fafié Era (1986)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1986–87 season, Part I

The crowd reactions towards Zafiropoulos became more intense, while financial problems began to appear in the club. Nevertheless, AEK proceeded with the transfers of Giorgos Peppes and Lampros Georgiadis, while in the winter they were also strengthened with Rajko Janjanin. At the same time, Márton Esterházy and Dinos Ballis departed. Zafiropoulos hired Ab Fafié for the position of the coach. In the UEFA Cup, AEK faced Internazionale and were eliminated with two defeats. The elimination from the Cup at the hands of Panionios, combined with the bad results in the home matches, resulted in Fafié getting sacked in December.

The Nikos Alefantos Era (1986–1987)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1986–87 season, Part II

In a strange decision, Zafiropoulos hired Nikos Alefantos. AEK continued their instability in their performances and the fans were running out of patience. In a home game Alefantos subbed off Thomas Mavros, who had returned after an injury, with the crowd disapproving the substitution. In the press conference of the match, Alefantos spoke out against Mavros, considering him as a "finished" footballer.^[28] Those incidents led in the departure of Mavros, after 11 years in the club. Shortly after, the bad results brought Alefantos to the exit door, as well and AEK completed the season with Nikos Christidis as an interim coach. AEK did not compete in the last three games of the league, due to a strike declared by the Footballers' Union^[29] and were punished with a deduction of six points, finishing in the seventh place.

The Todor Veselinović Era (1987–1988)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki (1988)

1987–88 season

AEK returned to the Nea Filadelfeia Stadium. Håkan Sandberg departed and on the other hand, the club proceeded in the additions of Giorgos Savvidis, Henrik Nielsen, Vasilios Vasilakos, Georgios Koutoulas and Christos Vasilopoulos. Todor Veselinović was hired for the position of the coach. AEK were in the title race, with their only contenders being AEL. After the victory of AEL over Panathinaikos, their footballer, Georgi Tsingov, was tested positive in a dopping test and the case was transferred to the courts becoming known as the "Tsingov case". In the Cup, AEK reached the round of 16, facing Olympiacos. After the away 1–1, a scandal broke out on the eve of the rematch, as the former player of AEK, Dinos Ballis visited the hotel where the team were located with a bouquet for Theologis Papadopoulos and created suspicions that he was trying to bribe him. Olympiacos the game won by 1–3, eliminating them from the Cup and the story continued in courts. The Koskotas brothers of Olympiacos were accused of trying to bribe Papadopoulos and Vasilakos through Ballis, resulting in the punishment of only the latter for attempted bribery.^[30] In the "Tsingov case", AEL were initially punished with zeroing for the match, a 2-point deduction and punishment of the player, which brought AEK to the top of the table. AEL appealed with their fans rallied, resulting in the alteration of the regulation and the return of the points, which led in their eventual conquest of the championship.^[31] In the last game of the season at Nea Filadelfeia, the tension between the ultras of the club and Andreas Zafiropoulos peaked, when the riot police invaded the ultra's stand which resulted in heated encounters, that led in his withdrawal from the presidency.^[32] Henrik Nielsen with 21 goals finished the season as the league's top scorer.

Golden Years (1988–1997)

The Dušan Bajević Era, Part I (1988–1996)

Honours Won: Alpha Ethniki: 4 (1989, 1992, 1993, 1994), Greek Super Cup: 1 (1989), Greek League Cup: 1 (1990), Greek Cup: 1 (1996)

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki: 2 (1990, 1996), Greek Super Cup: 3 (1992, 1993, 1994), Greek Cup: 2 (1994, 1995)

1988–89 season

Ikonomopoulos

Peppes

Manolas

Vasilopoulos

Chatzis

Papaioannou

Stamatis

Savevski

Savvidis (c)

Christodoulou

Okoński

Lineup against Olympiacos (1989-05-07)

Andreas Zafiropoulos handed over the presidency of AEK to Stratos Gidopoulos. Dušan Bajević returned after years, as their new coach. Gidopoulos, supported the Yugoslav to build a well-worked team with the transfers of Mirosław Okoński, Antonis Minou and Frank Klopas. After the last season's "Ballis-Papadopoulos" case, Theologis Papadopoulos and Vasilios Vasilakos were released Rajko Janjanin retired, while Panagiotis Stylianopoulos left. Despite their good performances and having the best defense in the league, AEK seemed to be an outsider for winning the title. The team competed in the UEFA Cup, where they played in the first round against Athletic Bilbao and even though they won by 1–0 at home, they were eliminated with a 2–0 defeat in the rematch. In the Cup, AEK were eliminated in the second round by Levadiakos. In December Stavros Stamatis and Toni Savevski arrived, while Henrik Nielsen departed. The most crucial match of the season was the away game against Olympiacos for the penultimate matchday, which was a decider for the title, where the defense of AEK stood up well and in a counterattack, Karagiozopoulos made the "1-2" with Okonski and scored the "golden" goal, which gave AEK the title victory with 0–1.^[33]

1989–90 season

Ikonomopoulos

Peppes

Manolas

Chatzis

Koutoulas

Papaioannou

Savevski

Savvidis (c)

Patikas

Okoński

Batista

Lineup against Dynamo Dresden (1989-09-27)

Having won the last year's championship and with the addition of Daniel Batista in their roster, AEK started the season with great optimism. Dimitris Pittas left the club and Giannis Dintsikos retired. AEK started well, by winning the Super Cup against Panathinaikos on penalties, while in the European Cup played against Dynamo Dresden where, despite the defeat in Germany by 1–0, with an excellent performance in the rematch, they prevailed with 5–3 and advanced to the second round. There, they faced Marseille and the first match in France, AEK lost 2–0, while in the rematch that ended 1–1 the French reported an attack on their bus, with UEFA eventually punishing AEK with one-year ban from all European competitions.^[34] In the Cup, they were eliminated for a second consecutive season of shock-elimination in the round of 32, by Ionikos. The team had the best defense in the league for a second consecutive year, but in the end they finished in the second place. AEK completed their competitive obligations with the conquest of the League Cup against Olympiacos, in an institution that took place only that season.^[35]

1990–91 season

AEK faced administrative problems and most of the season was part of the transitional period, as the ownership of Zafiropoulos was coming to its end. AEK maintained their core roster with their main addition being that of Vaios Karagiannis. The team did not compete in any European competition, due to the last season's ban. AEK finished 3rd, with the only positive element being the time credit that was given to Bajević, to re-build the team for the oncoming seasons. The problems that the club was facing during the season resulted in a temporary administration led by Kostas Generakis, who was chosen by the Court of First Instance.

1991–92 season

The new management of the club put the clubs finances of in order and at the same time proceeded in the transfers of Refik Šabanadžović, Vasilis Dimitriadis and Alexis Alexandris, while Mirosław Okoński and Georgios Christodoulou departed. The "AEK Stadium" was renamed into "Nikos Goumas Stadium", after the former president of the club, who had a significant contribution to its construction.^[36] In the UEFA Cup, they easily eliminated Vllaznia Shkodër in the first round and Spartak Moscow in the second round, while in the third round they faced Torino and were eliminated. In the Cup, AEK reached the semi-finals, facing PAOK and despite their 2–0 win, they were eliminated at extra time with a 3–0 defeat. In the end, they presented a solid substance in their game and won the title, with a difference of 3 points from the second. The top scorer of the league was Vasilis Dimitriadis with 28 goals. Kostas Generakis resigned from the presidency and the businessmen, Dimitris Melissanidis and Giannis Karras purchased the shares of Zafiropoulos, with Melissanidis taking over the presidency.^[37]

1992–93 season

Minou

Koutoulas

Stamatis

Vasilopoulos (c)

Karagiannis

Papaioannou

Šabanadžović

Savevski

Alexandris

Slišković

Dimitriadis

Lineup against PSV Eindhoven (1992-10-21)

In the summer of 1992, the new owners of the club, Melssanidis-Karras, started their tenure by helping the club recover financially and by supporting Bajević. However, their term began with difficulties since Daniel Batista had already signed for Olympiacos, while the Giorgos Savvidis, Makis Chatzis, Giorgos Peppes and Jim Patikas also departed. On the other hand, they signed Zoran Slišković, Giorgos Agorogiannis, Tasos Mitropoulos, and Ilias Atmatsidis, while in December Vasilios Tsiartas and Charis Kopitsis also arrived. In the first round of the newlly-formed, UEFA Champions League, AEK eliminated APOEL on away goals and in the second round they faced PSV Eindhoven and despite the 1–0 win at home, they were eliminated by losing 3–0 in the rematch. AEK won the title for the second consecutive season with a 1-point difference from Panathinaikos. Vasilis Dimitriadis was the top scorer of AEK and of the league with 33 goals in 34 matches, winning the European Silver Shoe.^[38]

1993–94 season

The administration in collaboration with the Bajević, decided to make a renewal in the roster, despite winning the championship of the previous season, with the older Antonis Minou, Christos Vasilopoulos, Takis Karagiozopoulos, Pavlos Papaioannou and Lampros Georgiadis leaving the club and the younger Michalis Kasapis, Vasilios Borbokis, Michalis Vlachos and Pantelis Konstantinidis coming in. In the first round of the UEFA Champions League, AEK played against Monaco and were eliminated. In the Cup, AEK reached the final of the against Panathinaikos, in one of the best finals, the match ended 3–3 after extra time and went to penalty shoot-out, where the greens won with 4–2. Eventually, AEK won the championship and with three successive championship wins, established themselves as one of the most successful periods in their history. Alexis Alexandris alongside Krzysztof Warzycha of Panathinaikoswere the top scorers of the league with 24 goals.

1994–95 season

Atmatsidis

Manolas (c)

Papadopoulos

Vlachos

Agorogiannis

Kasapis

Šabanadžović

Savevski

Tsiartas

Saravakos

Kostis

Lineup against Rangers (1994-08-24)

AEK decided to make a transfer excess in order to achieve a great course in the Champions League and signed Christos Kostis, Dimitris Saravakos, Temur Ketsbaia and Nikos Kostenoglou, while Dionysis Chiotis was promoted from the academies. Alexis Alexandris, Tasos Mitropoulos, Frank Klopas and Zoran Slišković departed from the club. The season did not start well for the team, as they were defeated in the Super Cup at the hands of Panathinakos.^[39] AEK became the first Greek football club that participated in the newly formed group stage of the Champions League, after eliminating Rangers with wins at both legs. There, they were eliminated finishing third behind Ajax and Milan, who both made it to the final, but above Casino Salzburg.^[40] AEK were not able to bear the weight of the consecutive games both in Greece and Europe and eventually finished 5th. In the Cup they reached the final facing Panathinaikos for a second consecutive season. The match ended 0–0 and was led in extra time, where the greens won the trophy. The duo of Melissanidis-Karras sold their shares to the businessman, Michalis Trochanas.^[41]

1995–96 season

Atmatsidis

Manolas (c)

Vlachos

Kostenoglou

Borbokis

Kasapis

Šabanadžović

Savevski

Ketsbaia

Tsiartas

Batista

Lineup against Apollon (1996-05-15)

Τhe new major shareholder and president of the team, Michalis Trochanas in collaboration with Bajević, maintained the roster and strengthened it with the return of Daniel Batista and the transfer of Christos Maladenis. Among the departures were those of Giorgos Agorogiannis in the summer and Stavros Stamatis in the winter. In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, AEK after defeating Sion in the first round, they were eliminated by Borussia Mönchengladbach afterwards. AEK had a quality roster and played spectacular football, but finished second. During the season, the team lost much of their concentration, as Bajević was reported that would not renew his contract and had agreed to join Olympiacos. Vasilios Tsiartas emerged as the league's top scorer with 26 goals. In the Cup, AEK, after qualifying as first in their group and eliminating both their rivals, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respcetivelly, reached the final against Apollon Athens and won the trophy with record victory with 7–1.

Overview

The Petros Ravousis Era (1996–1997)

Honours Won: Greek Super Cup (1996), Greek Cup (1997)

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki (1997)

1996–97 season

Atmatsidis

Manolas (c)

Kostenoglou

Borbokis

Kasapis

Machairidis

Ketsbaia

Savevski

Nikolaidis

Kostis

Batista

Lineup against Panathinaikos (1997-04-16)

In the summer of 1996, Bajević left AEK after 8 years, joining Olympiacos and Trochanas anointed his assistant and former player of the club, Petros Ravousis, as his successor. At the same time, Vasilios Tsiartas was sold to Sevilla, the contract of Refik Šabanadžović was expired and followed Bajević to Olympiacos, Dimitris Saravakos left and Spyros Ikonomopoulos retired after 19 years at the club. On the other hand, AEK signed Demis Nikolaidis and Marcelo Veridiano among others. AEK played for the Super Cup against Panathinaikos and won at 9–8 at the penalty shoot-out. The team had the best attack in the league again, but finished in second place. In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, AEK eliminated Chemlon Humenné in the first round, Olimpija Ljubljana in the second round and were eliminated in the third round by Paris Saint Germain. In the Cup, AEK advanced to the final for the fourth season in a row against Panathinaikos, where after a goalless game AEK won with 5–3 on penalties and got the trophy.

ENIC ownership years (1997–2004)

The Dumitru Dumitriu Era (1997–1998)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1997–98 season

Trochanas no longer being support financially the club, was looking for a buyer, placing in the presidency the lawyer, Alexis Kougias. Dumitru Dumitriu was hired in the position of the coach. AEK lost 2 important players with Temur Ketsbaia and Vasilios Borbokis, while Giannis Kalitzakis, Arnar Grétarsson and Chrysostomos Michailidis were transferred to the club. The team started the championship well and eventually Trochanas sold his shares to the financially powerful, English multinational ENIC.^[42] The former player of AEK, Lakis Nikolaou took over as president, contract renewals were made and in January they were strengthened with Georgios Donis and Kelvin Sebwe. In the Cup, AEK were eliminated in the round of 32 by Skoda Xanthi. In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup AEK eliminated Dinaburg and Sturm Graz and were qualified to the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Lokomotiv Moscow. In the league AEK eventually finished third. Towards the end of the season, Dumitriu was fired and Antonis Minou took his place as an interim to close the season.

The Dragoslav Stepanović Era (1998)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1998–99 season, Part I

Dragoslav Stepanović was hired as the new manager. In the transfers of the season, those of Vasilios Lakis, Akis Zikos and Dimitris Markos stood out. With the retirement of the club's long-time captain, Stelions Manolas, Georgios Koutoulas, Christos Kostis and Marcelo Veridiano also departed. In the UEFA Cup, AEK eliminated Ferencváros in the second qualifying round and in the first round they faced Vitesse and they were eliminated from the institution. Stepanović started well, but his presence at the bench was not convincing and he was sacked after the 7th matchday.

The Oleg Blokhin Era (1998–1999)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki (1999)

1998–99 season, Part II

Former player Takis Karagiozopoulos took over as caretaker coach for a while and then Oleg Blokhin was hired. At the same time the ex-president, Dimitris Melissanidis took over the management of the club. In January they were strengthened with the loans of Christopher Wreh and Alberto Méndez. In April, by the initiative of Melissanidis, a friendly match was organised against Partizan in Belgrade, during the height of the NATO bombing of Serbia.^[43] In the end of the season, AEK could not claim the championship and finished second. The league's top scorer was Demis Nikolaidis with 22 goals.

The Ljubiša Tumbaković Era (1999–2000)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

1999–2000 season, Part I

Melissanidis who had taken over the management, addressed the Serbian market hiring Ljubiša Tumbaković, while the club signed Dragan Ćirić as a loan. Traianos Dellas and Sotiris Konstantinidis were also acquired and at the same time, Kevin Sebwe and Daniel Batista left the club. At the beginning of September a big earthquake took place in Parnitha and damaged part of Nikos Goumas Stadium, which was deemed unsuitable and thus AEK were forced to play most of their home mathces at Nea Smyrni Stadium.^[44] In the Champions League, AEK were drawn against AIK and were eliminated with 1–0, continuing in the UEFA Cup. There, AEK eliminated Torpedo Kutaisi and MTK Budapest, but were eliminated by Monaco afterwards. In the winter they were strengthened with the transfer of Milen Petkov. Tumbaković brought irrational results and since he was left out of the European competitions, after a home defeat by Panionios he was removed from the bench of AEK.

The Giannis Pathiakakis Era (2000–2001)

Honours Won: Greek Cup (2000)

Runner-up: —

Atmatsidis (c)

Kapsis

Dellas

Kalitzakis

Lakis

Kasapis

Zikos

Petkov

Ćirić

Konstantinidis

Nikolaidis

Lineup against Ionikos (2000-05-10)

1999–2000 season, Part II

After a brief return of Takis Karagiozopoulos as an interim coach, Giannis Pathiakakis was hired. After the departure of Melissanidis, the multinational owners appointed the Dutch Cornelius Sierhuis as the new president, the first foreign to ever seat in that position. Pathiakakis raised the psychology of the team, however they finished in 3rd place. In the Cup, AEK reached the final, facing Ionikos, which easily won with 3–0 and got the trophy. However, the highlight of the match was the fair play move by Nikolaidis, who after scoring a goal with his hand, asked the referee to disallow it, which led the International Olympic Committee to award him for his sportsmanship.^[45]

2000–01 season, Part I

Atmatsidis (c)

Ferrugem

Kapsis

Kostenoglou

Kasapis

Zikos

Lakis

Navas

Tsiartas

Ruiz

Nikolaidis

Lineup against Bayer Leverkusen (2000-11-23)

The season started with the multinational Netmed and ENIC at the wheel of the club. Fernando Navas and Theodoros Zagorakis arrived at the club with Vasilios Tsiartas and Christos Kostis returning from abroad. The departures of Dimitris Markos and Giannis Kalitzakis stood out among others. AEK started the championship mediocre. In the UEFA Cup, AEK eliminated Vasas, Herfølge and Bayer Leverkusen and were qualified in the round of 16. In the Cup, AEK reached the round of 16 and were drawn against Olympiacos. In the first leg and while the score was 1–0, AEK were suddenly left with 9 men and after they were equalized, the chairman of AEK, Petros Stathis instructed the players to fake injuries so that the match would stop to prevent incidents with the fans, resulting in Olympiacos being awarded the match. In the rematch Pathiakakis used a mix of substitutes and main players in the lineup in a 6–1 defeat. After the game Pathiakakis left the club.^[46]

The Toni Savevski Era (2001)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

2000–01 season, Part II

After the departure of Pathiakakis, the team's captain, Toni Savevski, retired as a footballer and became their new coach.^[47] AEK were strengthened with the transfers of Nikolaos Georgeas and Ivan Rusev. In the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup, AEK faced Barcelona and were eliminated from the institution. In the championship, AEK finished third.

The Fernando Santos Era, Part I (2001–2002)

Honours Won: Greek Cup (2002)

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki (2002)

2001–02 season

Chiotis

Gamarra

Kapsis

Georgeas

Kasapis

Zikos

Zagorakis (c)

Tsiartas

Lakis

Konstantinidis

Nikolaidis

Lineup against Olympiacos (2002-04-27)

AEK were once again with administrative and financial problems, as ENIC and Netmed were searching for a buyer for the club, with the controversial businessman Makis Psomiadis becoming their new boss.^[48] Psomiadis hired Fernando Santos as the team's coach, while adding to the roster, Carlos Gamarra as a loan. Among the departures of the season were those of Traianos Dellas and Charis Kopitsis. The club performed well in all competitions were first during the winter break. In the winter transfer period, AEK were strengthen with Ilija Ivić, while Fernando Navas left. The 3 consecutive defeats in January allowed Olympiacos to cover the lost ground. Eventually, in the match that was deemed as "final" for the title, AEK lost 4–3 to Olympiacos and championship was lost in a draw with 58 points each. In the UEFA Cup, AEK eliminated Grevenmacher, Hibernian, Osijek and Litex Lovech, but were eliminated by Internazionale at the round of 16. In the Cup, AEK reached the final against Olympiacos won the trophy with 2–1.^[49]

The Dušan Bajević Era, Part II (2002–2004)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: —

2002–03 season

Chiotis

Wright

Kapsis

Kostenoglou

Georgatos

Katsouranis

Zagorakis

Tsiartas

Lakis

Kasapis

Nikolaidis (c)

Lineup against Real Madrid (2002-10-22)

After the resignation of Fernando Santos,^[50] Psomiadis made a controversial decision and brought back Dušan Bajević to replace him.^[51] The return of Bajević was not well received by the ultras who protested, as they considered his move to rivals Olympiacos in 1996 a high treason. Despite the departures of Akis Zikos, Vaios Karagiannis and Carlos Gamarra, AEK signed Grigoris Georgatos, Kostas Katsouranis, Michel Kreek, Mauricio Wright and Walter Centeno, while Vasilios Borbokis returned to the club. For the qualifying round of the Champions League, AEK eliminated APOEL and were qualified to the group stage. There they were placed alongside Real Madrid, Roma and Genk, achieving a record by drawing all six of the group stage matches,^[52] eventually finishing 3rd and continued in the UEFA Cup. In January, Ilias Atmatsidis was released, after 12 years at the club. Having lost his support within the club, Psomiadis left, with president of Amateur AEK, Giannis Granitsas taking charge. In the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup they passed through Maccabi Haifa and in the round of 16, AEK faced Málaga and were eliminated. AEK claimed the league, but finishing third by 2 points from the top. In the Cup, AEK reached the semi-finals against PAOK and they were eliminated. The season was also marked by the demolition of Nikos Goumas Stadium, home to AEK Athens for 73 years.^[53]

2003–04 season Part I

Chiotis

Amponsah

Kapsis

Borbokis

Georgeas

Katsouranis

Zagorakis

Tsiartas (c)

Okkas

Georgatos

Liberopoulos

Lineup against Grasshopper (2003-08-27)

The summer of 2003 started with severe financial and administrative problems, after the mismanaging of Psomiadis.^[54] Furthermore, Demis Nikolaidis, Mauricio Wright and Walter Centeno also left. The transfers of Nikos Liberopoulos,^[55] Ioannis Okkas and Vangelis Moras promised to revitalise the club's success amid the growing financial problems. Since the demolition of the Nikos Goumas Stadium, AEK were forced to play in various stadiums of Athens. AEK took a financial breath by joining the group stage of the Champions League, as they eliminated Grasshopper. There, they were drawn with Monaco, Deportivo La Coruña and PSV Eindhoven and their European campaign came to an end, as the finished 4th with 2 draws and 4 defeats. In the winter transfer window, they were weakened through the releases of Grigoris Georgatos^[56] and Christos Maladenis. Modest performances were not enough and unable to cope with the negativity from a large section of the fans, Bajević resigned in January, during the match against Iraklis.^[57]

The Ilie Dumitrescu Era (2004)

2003–04 season, Part II

Ilie Dumitrescu was appointed as a caretaker manager.^[58] Nevertheless, Dumitrescu did not manage to change the situation of the team, who eventually finished in the 4th in the league. In the Cup, AEK reached the semi-finals, where they got eliminated by Panathinaikos.

The Demis Nikolaidis Era (2004–2008)

The Fernando Santos Era, Part II (2004–2006)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Alpha Ethniki (2006), Greek Cup (2006)

2004–05 season

Chiotis

Alves

Katsouranis (c)

Bourbos

Kontis

Moras

Kyriakidis

Rusev

Júlio César

Soares

Liberopoulos

Lineup against Panathinaikos (2005-02-03)

On the brink of bankruptcy, AEK lost most of their important players, such as Vasilios Borbokis, Theodoros Zagorakis,^[59] Michalis Kapsis, Michel Kreek, Vasilios Lakis, Vasilios Tsiartas and Ioannis Okkas, while Michalis Kasapis and Ilija Ivić retired. The former star of the team, Demis Nikolaidis persuaded a group of businessmen to buy shares and invest money to the club and became the new club president. His primary task was to lead AEK out of their precarious financial situation. Securing the club's participation in the league, Nikolaidis began to rebuild the team and brought back Fernando Santos as head coach.^[60] Santos also brought Paulo Assunção and Bruno Alves on loan from Porto, while Alessandro Soares also arrived. With their European participation also secured from UEFA, AEK eliminated Gorica for the first found of the UEFA Cup and advanced to the group stage. There, they were placed in the same group with Sevilla, Lille, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Alemannia Aachen and with 4 defeats in equal matches were eliminated from the tournament. Winter additions included Júlio César and Vladan Ivić. AEK came close to winning the championship, but a surprise loss to Ionikos and the defeat to Panathinaikos, resulted in finishing 3rd. The course of the team in the Cup was similar, where they faced Olympiacos in the semi-finals and were eliminated.

2005–06 season

The next season the club was strengthened with the returns of Vasilios Lakis and Traianos Dellas, while also acquiring Georgios Alexopoulos, Stefano Sorrentino, Bruno Cirillo, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Panagiotis Kone. During the winter transfer period, AEK signed Emerson and Pantelis Kapetanos. Chrysostomos Michailidis, Nikos Kostenoglou, Ivan Rusev, Milen Petkov, Sotiris Konstantinidis and Christos Kostis were among the departures. In the first round of UEFA Cup, AEK were drawn against Zenit Saint Petersburg. They managed to secure an away 0–0 draw, but lost by 0–1 at home and were eliminated. In the league they finished second, securing a place in the Champions League of the next season. In the Cup, AEK reached the final, where they lost the trophy to Olympiacos with a 3–0 defeat.

The Lorenzo Serra Ferrer Era (2006–2008)

Honours Won: —

Runner-up: Super League Greece (2007)

2006–07 season

Sorrentino

Dellas (c)

Papastathopoulos

Cirillo

Tziortziopoulos

Zikos

Emerson

Tőzsér

Manduca

Júlio César

Liberopoulos

Lineup against Milan (2006-11-21)

Nikolaidis decided in the removal of Fernando Santos and appointed Lorenzo Serra Ferrer as head coach.^[61] Kostas Katsouranis^[62] and Alessandro Soares departed. Summer transfers included Panagiotis Lagos,^[63] Akis Zikos, Dániel Tőzsér and the loan of Gustavo Manduca.^[64] AEK started the season as they overcame Hearts in the Champions League and qualified to the group stage. There, the club obtained 8 points, their top performance until then, beating Lille and Milan by 1–0 in their way to the third place. In the Cup, they faced a shock-elimination at the first round by Chaidari in the penalty shoot-out. During the winter transfer period AEK signed Pantelis Kafes.^[65] In the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup, AEK played against Paris Saint-Germain and they were eliminated with 2 defeats. In the league, AEK played good football at periods and finished second securing a place in the Champions League of the next season.