The Best European Results From Every Greek Club

The Best European Results From Every Greek Club

By Konstantinos Massaras,

I think it is fair to say last season was the most successful season in the history of Greek clubs competing in European tournaments. 

The addition of the Conference League has certainly added an unprecedented element for Greek, and all other clubs who play in European leagues outside of the top 10, who do not regularly qualify for the quarter-final rounds of major tournaments. 

It only took three editions of the competition for Greece to crown their first ever European Champion. On top of that, that was the only way Greece could reach the 15th spot in the UEFA Coefficient Ranking, meaning we will be competing for five European spots in the SLGR 2024-25, which include two Champions League Qualifying spots.

To prepare for the upcoming European competitions, I will be looking at the best results in Europe from every Greek club that has played a match in a UEFA competition. To select the best result for each club, I will be judging both the matchup itself, and the round it took place in. 

For example, a lone result in a two-legged tie does not outweigh a progression, even if that result was against a club of a much higher level. 

The list is organized by the total number of matches that the club has played in Europe. 

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Olympiakos (Super League Greece): 

UEFA Conference League 2023-24 - Final: 1-0 vs Fiorentina

After never having never advanced past the Quarter-Final round in a European competition, along with having a relatively poor 2023-24 season altogether, Olympiakos went on a stunning run to not only return Greece to a European final for the first time since 1971, but bring home the country’s first European trophy. And although this was not the Champions League, Olympiakos had an extremely difficult path to the final, specifically their semi-final tie with tournament favourites Aston Villa, who they cruised past 6-2 on aggregate. They also got by Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, Maccabi Haifa, who they trailed 1-4 after the home leg, and Fenerbahce in penalties. This led to the final against Fiorentina, who were trying to redeem their Conference League final loss to West Ham in the previous season, where Ayoub El Kaabi scored his 11th and final goal of the knockout stage in extra time to win the title.

Panathinaikos (Super League Greece): 

European Cup (Champions League) 1970-1971 - Semi-Finals: 4-4 (a) vs Red Star Belgrade

In 1970, the European Cup, now called the UEFA Champions League, solely consisted of European Domestic League Champions, and of course the defending champion. Panathinaikos, winning the Alpha Ethniki, represented Greece in the tournament. They cruised past Luxembourg Champions Jeunesse Esch 7-1 on aggregate in the first round, and got through Czechian champions Slovan Bratislava in the second round, defeating them 4-2 on aggregate. They then traveled to face English champions Everton at Goodison Park, finishing level with them 1-1. Panathinaikos held them scoreless at a sold out Leoforos, advancing on away goals. In the Semi-Final, they were set to face Yugoslavian giants Red Star Belgrade. Trailing 1-4 heading into the Leoforos for the second leg, Panathinaikos completed one of the greatest comebacks in not only Greek history, but European history, winning the match 3-0, and winning the tie 4-4 on away goals. With this victory, the Puskas-managed Panathinaikos reached the biggest match in Europe, where they fell to Johan Cruyff and Ajax. Before Olympiakos’ run this past year, this was inarguably the greatest run by any Greek club, which I think is now up for debate.

AEK (Super League Greece):

1976-77 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - Quarter-Finals: 3-3 (pen.) Queens Park Rangers

Drawing Dynamo Moscow in the First Round, AEK headed to Russia up 2-0 thanks to a goal by AEK legend Mimis Papaioannou. Moscow would level the tie and take the match to extra time, but a 120’ penalty from Tasos Konstantinou would send AEK through to the Second Round. There they faced Derby County, who were one season off from winning the English League, and they cruised by them, winning 5-2 on aggregate. They were then set to face Queens Park Rangers, who finished second in the English first division in the previous season. After losing the away leg 0-3 in London, AEK came back to Nea Filadelfia to score three goals of their own, including two by SLGR all-time leading goal scorer Thomas Mavros, to send the tie to penalties. There, Mimis Papaioannou, who is 3rd on the SLGR all-time leading goal scorer list, scored the seventh and final penalty before Nikos Christidis made the winning save. This sent AEK to the semi-finals, which is only one of the four European semi-finalists in Greek history, where they fell to Juventus. AEK do not have one of the greatest histories in Europe, as they have not reached Round of 16 in 21 years, but this run is inarguably their greatest.

PAOK (Super League Greece):

1997-98 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - First Round: 2-1 (agg.) vs Arsenal

After stunning Arsenal in the first leg with a 1-0 win in Toumba, PAOK headed to London with the slight advantage. Arsenal would level the tie early on, but, in the 88’ minute, soon to be Ethniki hero Zisis Vryzas scored the winning goal to give PAOK the shocking progression. They would then play a wild, 15-goal Second Round, which ended in favor of Spaniards, eliminating PAOK from the competition. PAOK have had a couple of runs to the quarter-finals of the Conference League the past three years that one could argue eclipses this result, along with a legendary progression over Tottenham in the 2010-11 Europa League Group Stage, but it is fair to say this stands alone as the most impressive lone result in the club’s history. PAOK are also the only one of the big four Greek clubs to have more wins than losses in European competitions.

Aris (Super League Greece):

2010-11 UEFA Europa League - Group Stage: 1-0 & 3-2 vs Atletico Madrid

After finishing ahead of Olympiakos in the league, Aris earned a spot in the Europa League Third Qualifying Round. They snuck through qualifying to reach the Europa League Group Stage, but found an extremely tough group consisting of Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. They went on to stun Atletico with a 1-0 victory in their first match of the group at home, before traveling to Madrid to come from behind and defeat them 3-2, single-handedly knocking out the Europa League’s defending champions, and finishing second in the group. Unfortunately, Aris were drawn against Manchester City in the Round of 32, and although they drew the first leg, they were defeated 0-3 in Manchester and were eliminated from the competition.

Panionios (Super League Greece 2):

1971-72 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - 1st Round: 2-2 (a) vs Atletico Madrid

Panionios is easily one of the most successful Greek clubs outside of the big four in Greece. They went through a particular “glory period” in the 70s, but are mostly known for producing three of the greatest strikers in Greece’s history: Nikos Anastopoulos, Thomas Mavros, and Dimitris Saravakos, all of whom defined the 1980s. They have since produced many more high quality talents that have gone on to play for the Ethniki, and while this did not lead to them becoming a superpower in Greece, it did provide some relative success, including two Greek Cups. After finishing as the runner up in the 1970-71 Alpha Ethniki, one point above Panathinaikos, Panionios qualified for the inaugural season of the UEFA Cup. They were given one of the toughest draws possible, as they were set to play then six-time Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. After losing the away leg 1-2, a second half penalty gave Panionios the 1-0 victory, sending them through on away goals. They were set to face Hungarian champions Ferencvaros in the Second Round of the competition. This match however, it is fair to say, did not go to plan for the Nea Smyrni side. After losing the opening leg 0-6 in Hungary, traveling Panionios fans attacked the Hungarian players, match officials, and the Hungarian Police, on the field, leading to their ejection from the competition. Still, that Panionios side is able to say they pulled off one of the most incredible European results in Greece’s history.

Asteras Tripolis (Super League Greece):

2014-15 UEFA Europa League - Third Qualifying Round: 3-2 (agg.) vs Mainz 05

After finishing in 5th place in the SLGR, Tripolis qualified for the Europa League Second Round of Qualifying for their third consecutive season. After advancing past Finnish side RoPS, thanks to goals by future Ethniki starters Dimitris Kourbelis and Tasos Bakasetas, Asteras Tripolis were set to face Bundesliga side Mainz 05. Tripoli headed into the second leg facing a 0-1 deficit, but managed to pull off a miracle in Tripoli, winning the match 3-1 to advance on aggregate. They went on to play Maccabi Haifa in the playoff, and advanced to their first and only European Group Stage. Tripolis managed to pick up six points in the group stage, defeating and drawing Partizan, and drawing Besiktas home and away, but finished 3rd in the group, five points behind Tottenham. They were narrowly defeated by Tottenham in their home match, a match that saw Harry Kane score at the Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium.

OFI Crete (Super League Greece):

1993-94 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - Second Round: 2-1 (agg.) vs Atletico Madrid

After finishing in 4th place in the Alpha Ethniki, just two points behind Olympiakos, OFI qualified for their second ever UEFA Cup. They faced Czech giants Slavia Prague in the first round, edging them 2-1 thanks to a winning goal in Crete by their all-time leading goal scorer and Ethniki hero, Nikos Machlas. They went on to face Atletico Madrid, who are incredibly making their third appearance on this list. After losing the opening tie 1-0, they took the second leg in Heraklion 2-0, with Machlas scoring the leveler, eliminating the Spanish giants. They would be crushed by Portuguese side Boavista in the Third Round of the competition, but this was a historic result for the Cretans nonetheless.

AEL (Super League Greece 2):

2007-08 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - First Round: 3-2 (agg.) Blackburn Rovers

Larissa surprised all of Greece in 2007, winning the Cup final over Panathinaikos for their second ever Greek Cup, and automatically qualifying for the First Round of the UEFA Cup. Drawn against Blackburn Rovers, AEL won the first leg 2-0 at home, and held on in England to advance 3-2 on aggregate in front of many traveling supporters from Larissa. They lost four out of four matches in the subsequent group stage, but this remains a legendary time period for the club. AEL are one of five Greek clubs to ever play in a European Cup / Champions League match, in which they won the home leg, but ended up losing the tie in penalties to Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax. They are also one of five Greek clubs to ever play in a European Quarter-Final, where, after progressing past Servette, they fell to a then Soviet Dynamo Moscow side 1-0 on aggregate, the same year where they would go on to win their first Greek Cup (1984-85).

Iraklis (Super League Greece 2):

2000-01 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - First Round: 1-0 (agg.) vs Gueugnon

During a time when nine Greek teams qualified for various European tournaments, Iraklis qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing 6th in Greece. They were drawn up against Ligue 2 side Gueugnon, who stunned PSG in the 2000 League Cup Final to make their first and only European appearance. Iraklis would end that European appearance immediately after a tightly fought 1-0 win on aggregate, thanks to a goal by Cyprus’ all-time leading goal scorer Michalis Konstantinou, making it the Thessaloniki side’s only progression in a European competition. They later faced Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern, where Konstantinou’s three goals in the tie would not be enough, as they fell in the second round 4-5 on aggregate.

Atromitos (Super League Greece):

2015-16 UEFA Europa League - Third Qualifying Round: 4-1 (agg.) vs AIK

One of two progressions ever made by Atromitos in Europe came in 2015 against Swedish giants AIK, who they cruised past 4-1 on aggregate to reach the Europa League Playoff Round for the third time in their history, and the third time in four years. Atromitos lost 1-2 to Newcastle United in 2012, drawing the home leg, and they fell to AZ Alkmaar in 2013, losing 3-3 on away goals. In 2015, they faced Fenerbahce, but fell 4-0, failing to ever qualify for the group stage.

Xanthi (Super League Greece 2):

2013-14 UEFA Europa League - Second Qualifying Round: 2-2 (a.e.t) vs Linfield

After Panathinaikos and Giannina failed to obtain a UEFA license in 2013, the final European spot went to seventh place Xanthi, making it their fourth and final European appearance. They lost the opening leg 1-0 at home, but rallied back in Northern Ireland to force extra time. They then fell behind again in extra time before Marcelinho, who had scored the opening goal, and who would later help Atromitos advance past AIK in Europe, scored his second goal of the match, winning the match for Xanthi 2-2 on away goals. They would then fall to Belgian side Standard Liege 2-4 on aggregate. 

Egaleo (Super League Greece 2):

2004-05 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - Group Stage: 2-2 vs Lazio

Egaleo had their second best season in Greece in 2003-04, finishing 5th, qualifying for their first ever UEFA Cup. They faced Genclerbirligi of Turkey in the first round, knocking them out 2-1 on aggregate, making it their first and only progression in European competition. Egaleo advanced to the UEFA Cup group stage, and although they only picked up one point in four matches, they did so against one of the better teams in the Serie A, Lazio, which directly prevented them from advancing to the knockouts. 

Panachaiki (Super League Greece 2):

1973-74 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - First Round: 3-1 (agg.) vs Grazer AK

After only being promoted to the Alpha Ethniki two years prior, Panachaiki finished in 4th, seven points ahead of AEK, making it their best finish to date, and beginning what was a historic time period for the club. With this 4th place finish they qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. Qualifying for the UEFA Cup, they were set to play Austrian side Grazer AK in the First Round of the competition. They won their first ever European match 2-1, playing at the Leoforos in Athens, and finished off the tie with a 1-0 victory in Austria. They went on to play Twente of Holland in the second round, but this time were granted by UEFA the rights to play their home leg, the first leg of the tie, in the Stadium of Panachaiki. In front of a sold out crowd in Patras, Panachaiki went ahead 1-0 in the match thanks to a penalty by Panachaiki legend Kostas Davourlis, who the stadium would later be named after. The match finished 1-1, in what is easily one of the most significant matches ever played in the stadium. Unfortunately, the away leg was a complete disaster, and the tie ended 1-8 in favor of Twente. 

Olympiakos Volos (Gamma Ethniki):

2011-12 UEFA Europa League - Second Qualifying Round: 2-1 (agg.) vs Rad

After gaining their first promotion from the Beta Ethniki in 20 years, Olympiakos Volos remarkably finished 5th in the Super League, qualifying for their first ever European matches. They began in the Europa League Second Qualifying Round where they won their first match in Europe 1-0 against Serbian side Rad, and advanced 2-1 on aggregate at the Panthessaliko Stadium. They then found Differdange of Luxembourg in the Third Qualifying Round, who they beat 3-0 home and away, winning 6-0 on aggregate and progressing to the Europa League Playoff Round, where they were set to face Paris Saint-Germain. Unfortunately, we were not able to see this match take place, as this is exactly when the Koriopolis Match Fixing Scandal was breaking open. Olympiakos Volos was banned from the Europa League, and the matches never took place. To this date, Olympiakos Volos are the only Greek Club that has participated in a European Competition and never lost a match. Only in Greece can a club be slated to play Paris Saint-Germain, and then be placed in the fourth division months later. Last season they gained promotion to the Gamma Ethniki from local divisions.

PAS Giannina (Super League Greece 2):

2016-17 UEFA Europa League - Second Qualifying Round: 4-3 (a.e.t) vs Odd

After Panionios was barred from participating in Europe by UEFA for financial reasons, the fifth European spot was given to sixth place Giannina, making it their first ever European appearance. The club was drawn against Norwegian side Odd, and won their first ever European match 3-0 in Giannina, in their own stadium, in front of over 5,000 of their supporters. They would then blow their lead in the second half of the away leg, before Leonardo Koutris scored the winning goal in extra time, followed by a miracle save by Alexandros Paschalakis, which sent Giannina through to the next round. There they faced AZ Alkmaar, but were now forced by UEFA to play their home match in Peristeri. Despite leveling the tie at 1-1 in the second leg, AZ were able to do enough to progress, and Giannina’s only ever European campaign ended there.

Apollon Smyrnis (Athens FCA First Division):

1995-96 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - Preliminary Round - Leg 1: 1-0 Olimpija Ljubljana

Due to PAOK serving a one-year ban from all European competitions, the UEFA Cup spot was given to 4th place Apollon Smyrnis, who had never played a match in Europe. They were placed into the Preliminary Round of the Competition and drawn against Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia. Apollon won their first match at home 1-0, securing their first and only European victory. They scored an away goal early in the second leg to make it 2-0 with the away goal advantage, but Olimpija Ljubljana would then score three goals to end their European campaign. They are one of 17 Greek clubs to ever win a European match.

Kastoria 1980 (Kastoria FCA First Division):

1980-81 European Cup Winners’ Cup - First Round- Leg 1: 0-0 vs Dynamo Tbilisi

After stunning all of Greece to win the 1979-80 Greek Cup, Kastoria was automatically placed into the European Cup Winners’ Cup. They had no luck in the draw however, as they were set to play then Soviet Dynamo Tbilisi. They managed to pull out a scoreless draw in the first in Thessaloniki in front of 15,000 fans which, other than the Cup Final, is easily the biggest result in their history. They then traveled to Georgia to play in front of a crowd of 80,000, where they fell 2-0 and were eliminated. Dynamo Tbilisi would go on to win the tournament, but the fact that Kastoria were once playing in front of 80,000 people at one point in time is insanity. Especially considering the club was dissolved in 2021. They returned under the name Kastoria 1980, which was named after the team pictured above. 

Athinaikos (Athens FCA First Division):

1991-92 European Cup Winners’ Cup - First Round - Leg 1 : Manchester United (0-0)

In what is undoubtedly the strangest matchup that a Greek club has ever been involved in, yes; Athinaikos, a club who, up to that point, had spent a total of one season in the Alpha Ethniki, who were in local divisions just 12 years prior, traveled to Old Trafford and played Manchester United in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Athinaikos qualified for the European Cup Winners’ Cup by reaching the Greek Cup Final in 1990-91, the same year they made their debut in the top flight. They were drawn against Manchester United, who were the defending champions of this particular tournament. Athinaikos managed to hold them scoreless at the Leoforos in the opening leg, and traveled to Old Trafford with everything to play for. Again, after 90 minutes, Athinaikos held the English giants scoreless, even creating many scoring chances of their own. Manchester United would eventually break through however in the 109’ and 111’ minutes, giving them the 2-0 victory. For Athinaikos, they went from local divisions in 1979, Gamma Ethniki in 1980, Beta Ethniki in 1984, Alpha Ethniki in 1990, Old Trafford in 1991, Delta Ethniki in 2003, to the local divisions where they are now. 

Ionikos (Super League Greece 2):

1999-00 UEFA Cup (Europa League) - First Round: Nantes (1-4 agg.)

Ionikos’ best seasons in their history came right at the end of the millennium, where they finished 5th in the Alpha Ethniki, and reached the Greek Cup Final. Their 5th place finish qualified them for the UEFA Cup, where they faced Nantes in their first ever European appearance. They lost the home leg 1-3 and the away leg 0-1, making Ionikos the only Greek club to participate in Europe and fail to draw or win a match. Still, they are one of twenty Greek clubs to appear in a UEFA competition.

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