AEK Athens suffered a 2-0 defeat to Celje on Thursday, but advanced to the Conference League quarter-finals thanks to a 4-0 victory in the first leg, a result boosted by a goal from Barnabás Varga. AEK Athens’ Serbian head coach, Marko Nikolics, expressed his frustration with his team’s performance after the home leg, a sentiment echoed in Greek media reports.
Fotó: X/AEK F.C. / X/
Why are Barnabás Varga and AEK Athens facing criticism?
AEK fielded a more reserve-heavy lineup against Celje – with Varga remaining on the bench throughout the match – and the impact was clear in their performance. According to Greek analyst Vangelis Arnautoglu, the Athens side underestimated their opponent following their dominant first-leg win, displaying a lack of intensity and concentration in the first half.
“This scenario seemed unthinkable until recently, but suddenly became a threatening reality, raising the possibility of a night no one could have imagined,” read a critique from the Greek press after Celje took a two-goal lead in the first half.
Fotó: AEK
AEK Athens reaches European quarter-final after nearly three decades
The criticism similarly highlighted that this wasn’t an isolated incident for AEK this season.
“AEK is showing this year that it is unable to handle situations that theoretically favor them, and What we have is worrying, unsettling and infuriating for the future.
The team has proven that when it is in trouble, it is capable of reacting, showing character, and achieving good results against stronger opponents, but when it needs to maintain an advantage, it often seems to lose its mental balance,” Greek media wrote.
Despite the setback, AEK earned praise for regrouping in the second half and reaching a European quarter-final for the first time in nearly three decades. The Greek side will face Spanish La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano in the next round, continuing their run in the Conference League.
