new-look side has familiar faces

Hearts’ Greek opponents are a rebuilt team, financed on expectations of Champions League football – expectations that really must be met, finds Stewart Fisher

AEK ATHENS travel to Murrayfield this Wednesday with a new-look side, but a triumvirate of their players would perhaps be more recognisable if they ventured over to Govan.

Their most recent recruit, on a six-month loan deal from Benfica, is Gustavo Manduca, a Brazilian-born attacking player who scored against Rangers for Maritimo in the Uefa Cup two seasons ago. Traianos Dellas, the mountainous centre-half who – along with Hearts full-back Takis Fyssas – inspired Otto Rehhagel’s Greek side to Euro 2004 victory and will marshall the Greek defence, was heavily linked with a move to Alex McLeish’s side last summer before deciding on Athens. Then there is Emerson Moises Costa, the Brazilian with the trademark dreadlocks who is enjoying his football again after a grim spell in Govan.

Emerson is now 34 but the former FC Porto, Deportivo la Coruna and Middlesbrough midfielder shows no signs of going quietly. Having scored in the Champions League for Rangers two seasons ago, against AEK’s Athens rivals Panathinaikos no less, he fancies another crack at Europe’s premier club competition this time around.

His rehabilitation period from an odd period at Ibrox, where he made just 14 appearances , saw him play for struggling Greek club Skoda Xanthi. He did enough in six months there to suggest he’d be a worthwhile acquisition for a club such as AEK Athens. Observers of the Greek league fully expect the Brazilian to keep his place in a midfield four against Hearts which includes Serbian Vladan Iviv and two Greek internationals – Panagiotas Lagos and Vassilis Lakis.

The club’s new coach, former Barce-lona and Real Betis boss, Llorenc Serra Ferrer benefited from his connection with former AEK coach Fernando Santos to bring in Manduca but he has not been so fortunate with all his transfer targets.

Former Chelsea midfielder Sam Dalla Bonna decided not to continue his career in the Greek league, while Argentinian Ariel Ibagaza couldn’t be persuaded to leave Atletico Madrid. With the Greek season yet to commence, AEK called upon Santos yet again – arranging a friendly match with Benfica, which the Greeks won 3-1 with two goals from Pantelis Kapetanos, who is likely to play up front alongside Nikos Lyberopoulos.

Elsewhere, the likely starting line-up includes the impressive Italian goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino, with countryman Bruno Cirillo lining up alongside Dellas at centre-half. Argentinian Martin Patuoso and Nikos Georgeas should play as the two full-backs.

Club president Demis Nikolaidis has hardly been reducing the pressure on his players prior to the game. The club have not been in the rudest financial health in recent years and Nikolaidis admits they have already spent budgets on the expectation that they would find a place in the Champions League group stages.

“If we don’t qualify then we could have financial problems,” Nikolaidis admitted. “We have already spent money that we don’t have so it is a big risk. But if we do qualify, everything will be OK again and our prestige will be high.

“I don’t know too much about Hearts and I don’t know who has the bigger chance to qualify.” he said. “I don’t know what they are thinking about this i n Scotland. They may be saying that AEK has more chance but that might be the strategy.”

Taken from the Sunday Herald