A Huge Week

By: Chris Paraskevas | May 30th, 2009

What a huge week it has been and could be, with the birth of a legend and hopefully the berth of a new era at AEK.

Perhaps the latter claim is a little bit premature given our current financial plight and the shambles that was this season but should Dusan Bajevic manufacture a win over Panathinaikos in the final game of the Greek Super League play-offs on Sunday, it would guarantee a chance of UEFA Champions League football next season.

That would bring with it a crucial financial windfall that might just help bankroll some summer spending and would present the Serbian manager with a true opportunity to rebuild the squad – and perhaps, the club – in his image, as well as sweetening AEK for any potential investors in the club (something it so desperately needs).

He will be boosted by the return of Sotiris Kyrgiakos, talisman and captain, to the heart of his defence; the former Panathinaikos player will need to bury the demons of a heartbreaking Greek Cup loss to Olympiakos and what better way to do it then with a crucial victory over his former club.

Birth Of A Legend

This week also brought with it news that goalkeeper Sebastian Saja had signed a new three year deal with the club, with whispers that he had even taken a pay-cut to stay as a result of AEK’s financial difficulties.

After the Argentine’s breakthrough season, one hopes that he will go on to become a legend at the club and his performances suggest a freakish ability – along with Scocco and Blanco, one of the shining lights of this season – and his signature is a massive coup for the club.

That same report of course, following up from reports all over Greece, have claimed that Panathinaikos have reached a deal with former AEK darling Kostas Katsouranis, now at Benfica.

It goes without saying that if he were to return to Greece wearing Green, it would not be taken lightly by AEKzites, with the club having apparently inserted a clause in his contract when he departed for Portugal that would ensure AEK were paid 5 million euro by Benfica if the player were to return to any other club in Greece.

Naturally, the Lisbon club have reportedly found a way around that clause, with AEK now taking the case to UEFA.

Watch this space during what should be a massive week.

PS. In a slightly more light-hearted tale, apparently Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost arrived late to an Inter Milan training session after a night out partying with fellow countryman and AEK defender Daniel Majstorovic (amongst some other rather colourful personalities…)