What awaits Aberdeen in Athens?
One end of the stadium will be closed because of past fan behaviour
- Published
Conference League: AEK Athens v Aberdeen
Venue: OPAP Arena, Athens Date: Thursday, 23 October Kick-off: 17:45 BST
Coverage: Listen to match commentary on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds and follow live text updates on BBC Sport website & app
A quick look at the AEK Athens team lines might jangle some nerves, but should Aberdeen be cowed by the Greek outfit on Thursday?
Sure, the Dikefalos - or Double-Headed Eagle, for a literal translation - are one of the most successful clubs in Greek football, but only occasionally have they flitted onto the radar of most Scottish football fans.
There are some interesting names there, if you know your stuff: "Oh, is that where he's ended up?"
Among the European castaways, there's also a familiar name - former Heart of Midlothian left-back James Penrice, who joined in the summer for a reported £2m.
But should AEK strike fear into the hearts of Dons fans, or should their manager, Jimmy Thelin, be eyeing up some vital points in a tricky Conference League campaign?
Jovic, Joao Mario and... James Penrice
James Penrice made the switch from Hearts to AEK this summer
Yes, Athens was the surprise destination for much-coveted left-back Penrice when he departed Tynecastle in the summer after one storming season in Gorgie.
It was a brutal campaign for Hearts fans, but the 26-year-old was the silver lining in a bleak period, standing out time and again after arriving on a free from Livingston.
The Scot had to do some settling in, but he is now a regular start in the league fixtures and often comes off the bench in Europe.
He finds himself surrounded by players from all over the continent.
Serbian striker Luka Jovic cost Real Madrid a reported £52m in 2019 after a scorching season for Eintracht Frankurt.
It did not work out for him at the Bernabau, with just three goals in 51 appearances, and similarly barren spells at Fiorentina and AC Milan followed.
Albanian goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha was very highly thought of at Lazio before a failed move to Brentford. You may remember former Liverpool and Porto midfielder Marko Grujic, always threatening to make it big but not quite managing.
The long blond hair of defender Domagoj Vida will be recognisable from Croatia's runs to World Cup finals and semi-finals, while Argentine midfielder Roberto Pereyra sticks out from Watford's spell in the English Premier League a few years ago.
Joao Mario is another who the sticker collectors might remember, a constant in the Portugal squad over the last few years. He, however, is not in the squad.
From one transition to another
The last time AEK took on a Scottish team, it was when they knocked Celtic out of Champions League qualifying in 2018.
It was the first time Brendan Rodgers had failed to dine at Europe's top table amid background noise of his frustration at the board for a perceived reluctance to invest in the squad. Sound familiar?
Fast forward a few years to 2022 and the arrival of coach Matias Almeyda. AEK were returning to their Agia Sophia Stadium home but missing out on European competition for the first time in six years.
The former Argentina international immediately won the league title in his first year, as well as the Greek Cup. Not a bad start.
Two relatively successful seasons followed, until the play-offs last year. Heading into those final six fixtures, they trailed Olympiacos by seven points.
Instead of mounting a title charge, they lost every game and finished fourth. Almeyda was quickly dispensed with and former Lokomotiv and CSKA Moscow head coach Marko Nikolic was hired.
It was all going pretty well until last weekend. They were unbeaten in their first six league games but lost to PAOK on Sunday in the catchy 'Double-Headed Eagles Derby'.
AEK will be hurting from that and Thelin will have to be wary of a reaction from both players and supporters.
Aberdeen await Agia Sophia atmosphere
Aberdeen's 2-2 draw away to PAOK, a result that knocked them out of the Conference League, was marred by racial abuse aimed at then-Dons striker Pape Habib Gueye.
Defender Jack Milne remembers the atmosphere being "hostile" and "toxic", while fans have been told there will be bag searches and buses to the ground three hours before kick-off for their own protection.
One end of the stadium will be closed, as Uefa punishes AEK fans for an offensive banner that was displayed against Belgian opposition Anderlecht earlier this season.
In 2018, an AEK fan threw a petrol bomb into a section of the ground that housed Ajax supporters, while a Champions League qualifier between AEK and Dinamo Zagreb was postponed after a fan was stabbed to death.
Hopefully, there will be none of that on Thursday night. The focus should be on the football and not the stands.
On the pitch, this is one of the best sides in Greece against an Aberdeen side on the mend, buoyed by two good results - the 4-0 thrashing of Dundee and the narrowest of wins over St Mirren.
They will need another famous European night to take something away from Athens and perhaps something more than they showed in the brave 3-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.