THE events which led to top flight football in Greece being suspended last season may have been extraordinary and without precedent. A club president running onto the field of play to confront the referee over a contentious late decision with a gun in a hip holster was hardly a regular occurrence. Nevertheless, Celtic can still expect a hostile reception there if they overcome Rosenborg in the coming days.
The Glasgow club’s reward for victory will be a meeting with an AEK Athens team which went undefeated in the Europa League last season, including against AC Milan and Dynamo Kiev, only to go out on away goals and who are, after winning their national title for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, determined to secure a place in the Champions League group stages.
Craig Brewster, the former Raith Rovers, Dundee United, Hibernian, Dunfermline and Aberdeen striker, spent five seasons playing for Ionikos Nikaias in Greece and came close to signing for AEK. He has fond memories of his time there. But he also witnessed the ugly side of the game in the Mediterranean country.
“In one Ionikos game against Olympiacos we conceded a goal in the last minute,” he said. “The Ionikos president ran onto a pitch and had a set to with the referee, there was an incident with the captain and coach, a fight broke out on the pitch, the trouble escalated and spread to the stands and the riot police waded in. It got so bad it ended up being shown on CNN.
“The Greek people are wonderful, but they can do stupid things. The Superleague was suspended last season after the PAOK Salonika president incident. The fans can also be rowdy. They are fanatical about their teams. I played in the Olympic Stadium on many occasions when I was over there. There is a running track around the pitch. But the supporters will certainly let Celtic know they are there.”
Brewster, the former Dundee United and Inverness Caley Thistle manager who has spent the last seven years down south coaching with Crawley Town and Plymouth Argyle, believes Celtic will have their work cut out beating AEK , who the winners of their tie against Rosenborg were drawn to face in the third qualifying round yesterday, if they can safely negotiate their forthcoming double header.
“AEK will be no mugs,” he said. “It will be a good test for Celtic. Olympiacos have been the top team in Greece for many years. All of sudden, AEK came out of nowhere and won last season. They will be plotting to join the best teams in Europe in the Champions League now. It will be an intriguing contest if Celtic get through.
“I played against the AEK manager, Marinos Ouzounidis, when I was over there. I think they will keep the ball, sit deep and try to frustrate Celtic. They won’t flood men forward. I think who scores the first goal will be important.
“It is a long time since I lived and played in Greece, but I still keep in touch with team mates and friends there. They have a talented squad with players from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Portugal and Spain. The standard is very good.
“AEK, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are the three big clubs in Greece. They have had their issues on and off the field in the past, but now they are more financially stable than they have been for some time and that is being reflected in how they are playing.”
“But Brendan Rodgers has done a great job with the Celtic team in the last two seasons. They are used to winning regularly. There is a lot of belief in the team. Plus, any team in the world is in for a game when they go to Parkhead no matter who they are. European nights there are special. It is an old cliché, but their fans are an extra man.”
Brewster certainly feels Celtic have the necessary strength in depth up front to overcome formidable opponents and secure a Champions League qualifying spot. They signed Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain for a club record £9 million fee during the summer and also have Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths on the books.
“As a manager, you need to deal with that situation, having three strikers who are all desperate to play,” he said. “But Pep Guardiola has done that quite well at Manchester City and I’m sure Brendan will do it well at Celtic. Who knows? They might end up playing all three of them on the pitch in some games.
“Having three players in the team who can score goals is massive for the whole team. They are the ones who can make a difference. If you don’t have that you will struggle. Look at Germany in the World Cup.
“Leigh Griffiths hasn’t been playing as much as he would have liked, but I still think he will be a key player for Celtic going forward. He is different to his team mates. He sniffs in and around the box and isn’t afraid to shoot from distance. He just loves scoring goals.
“The other two strikers at the club are more physical, more athletic. In certain games you might come up against more powerful centre backs and that might suit those kind of players. Competition like that is healthy for a striker. I am sure they will experience no issues scoring goals against AEK Athens if they get through with the players they have at their disposal up front.”
Brewster impressed so much during his time in Greece that AEK Athens were keen to sign him – but they refused to pay the £200,000 transfer fee that Ionikos demanded him and he ended up returning to Scotland to play for Hibs.
Ironically, the Edinburgh club ended up being drawn to play against AEK the following season. It turned out to be a turbulent fixture because of the 9/11 terror attacks. “The game was postponed by a week,” he said. “We ended up getting on the plane and then getting right back off again.
“When the tie eventually went ahead we didn’t progress even though we won the home game 3-2. But he atmosphere at Easter Road was electric. It was a great game to play in and I’m sure the fans who were there remember the game fondly even though we went out on away goals.
“I am looking forward to seeing the Celtic games if they get through against Rosenborg. I would definitely fancy Celtic to come out on top even though AEK are an excellent side.
“Under Rodgers, they are a formidable team themselves. It’s been great for Scottish football. It would be good to see them get to the Champions League group stages.”
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