| Club: | AEK Athens |
| Season: | 1988–89 |
| Manager: | Dušan Bajević |
| Mgrtitle: | Manager |
| Chairman: | Stratos Gidopoulos |
| Chrtitle: | Chairman |
| League: | Alpha Ethniki |
| League Result: | 1st |
| Cup1: | Greek Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Round of 32 |
| Cup2: | UEFA Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | First round |
| League Topscorer: | Miroslaw Okonski (11) |
| Season Topscorer: | Miroslaw Okonski (11) |
| Highest Attendance: | 28,399 (vs Panathinaikos) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 4,053* (vs Olympiacos) *The match was held at Diagoras Stadium. |
| Average Attendance: | 15,676 |
| Largest Loss: | |
| Pattern La1: | _aek8889 |
| Pattern B1: | _aek8889 |
| Pattern Ra1: | _aek8889 |
| Pattern So1: | _3_stripes_white |
| Leftarm1: | FFCC33 |
| Body1: | FFCC33 |
| Rightarm1: | FFCC33 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | 000000 |
| Leftarm2: | 000000 |
| Body2: | 000000 |
| Rightarm2: | 000000 |
| Shorts2: | 000000 |
| Socks2: | 000000 |
| Prevseason: | 1987–88 |
| Nextseason: | 1989–90 |
The 1988–89 season was the 65th season in the existence of AEK Athens F.C. and the 30th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup and the UEFA Cup. The season began on 21 August 1988 and finished on 21 May 1989.
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One of the most important seasons in the history of AEK, with the team finally managing to win the championship after 10 rough years. In the summer of 1988, an important administrative change came to the team, since the major shareholder, Andreas Zafiropoulos stepped down, with the overwhelming majority of the fans against him and handed over the management of club to the nightclub owner, Stratos Gidopoulos. Dušan Bajević, now a manager, returned after years at AEK, where he was loved in the past as a footballer. Bajević, supported by the management and the people of the club, very quickly built a tight and well-worked team, which had the best defense in the league and knew how to get the results in most matches. Gidopoulos, for his part, in addition to the very successful transfers he achieved, brought for the first time after years a wind of optimism, as he knew how to cheer up the team and the crowd with his statements and in general he proved to be a very capable agent who had the means to the players and the people of AEK not to feel at a disadvantage against their much stronger financial rivals. That finally turned out to be a dream season, although few expected that to happen, since the team had to face much stronger financial rivals in the league. The big transfer of the Polish star, Mirosław Okoński took place, Stelios Manolas was convinced to stay, while in December, Stavros Stamatis and Toni Savevski also arrived, but AEK still seemed to be an outsider for winning the league.
The team played in the UEFA Cup, where they played against Athletic Bilbao in the first round. In the first leg in a full AEK Stadium, despite the pouring rain, AEK pressed from the start and managed to take an early lead with a very impressive header from Pittas. The game was very intense and particularly hard. The Basques pushed for an equalizer, but AEK also had chances to extend the score. In the end, the fluid 1–0 remained and the rematch was set for 14 days later in the Basque Country. In the second leg, in the packed San Mamès, AEK were stunned and concieded 2 quick goals by Uralde. By the 6th minute, Athletic had already a qualification score and the remaining 84 minutes went by with AEK looking for the goal. In the end, the "golden" goal never came, despite some tepid chances. A highlight of the match at San Mamès, the human wall erected by the Basque fans to protect those of AEK from the Spanish police, an unforgettable move that was duly appreciated by the Greek excursionists.[1]
In the Cup, AEK did not do well, after being eliminated in the second round by Levadiakos, with the yellow-blacks having major complaints from the referee in the second leg, with Gidopoulos as their main expressor.[2]
Clearly the most important moment of the year was the away match against Olympiacos on 7 May, for the penultimate matchday of the championship. A match which many considered the red and whites to be a sure winner and did not give AEK any chance, even though the draw was also in their favor. The atmosphere at the period of the preparation of the two teams before this match was heated, as the players of Olympiacos cut a celebratory cake with the inscription "Olympiacos-AEK 4–0" at the "tower" of their president Argyris Saliarelis in Aegina, while at the same time the AEK were working hard, doing a mini-preparation at Parnitha.[3]
At the Olympic Stadium the match started with Olympiacos pressing hard, but the defense and Ikonomopoulos held very well at the back. The pressure of the red and whites kept increasing but AEK did not concede a goal. The save by Manolas on the goaline with an amazing header after a header by Détári,[4] and in general the spirited play of the whole team kept them intact during the match. At the 83rd minute, in a counterattack Karagiozopoulos, who had come on as a substitute, after an unrepeatable "1-2" with Okonski, scored the amazing "golden" goal which gave AEK the historic title victory.[5]
The star of the team were Mirosław Okoński, Stelios Manolas, Giorgos Savvidis, Toni Savevski and Spyros Ikonomopoulos, who had an incredible performance, giving valuable points to the team with 3 crucial penalty kicks saves during the season and was given the nickname "Mr. Championship 1989" by the fans.[6] The team's top scorer in the league is Miroslaw Okonski with 11 goals.[7]
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NOTE: The players are the ones that have been announced by the AEK Athens' press release. No edits should be made unless a player arrival or exit is announced. Updated 21 May 1989, 23:59 UTC+3.
| Player | Nat. | Position(s) | Date of birth (Age) | Signed | Previous club | Transfer fee | Contract until | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| Antonis Minou | GK | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | ₯50,000,000 | 1991 | |||
| Spyros Ikonomopoulos (Vice-captain) | GK | June 30, 1989 | 1978 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1989 | ||
| Fanis Kofinas | GK | June 30, 1989 | 1982 | Pelopas Kiato | Free | 1992 | ||
| Defenders | ||||||||
| Makis Chatzis | RB / LB | June 30, 1989 | 1984 | Apollon Athens | ₯6,750,000 | 1989 | ||
| Takis Karagiozopoulos | CB / DM / ST | June 30, 1989 | 1981 | Veria | Free | 1991 | ||
| Stelios Manolas | CB / RB | June 30, 1989 | 1979 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1993 | ||
| Giorgos Peppes | CB | June 30, 1989 | 1986 | Ethnikos Piraeus | Free | 1992 | ||
| Christos Vasilopoulos | RB / LB | June 30, 1989 | 1986 | Panachaiki | ₯8,000,000 | 1991 | ||
| Georgios Koutoulas | CB / LB | June 30, 1989 | 1987 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1999 | ||
| Dimitris Volonakis |  | LB / CB | June 30, 1989 | 1987 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1990 | |
| Michalis Karousis | CB | 1988 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1989 | |||
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| Dimitris Pittas | AM / CM | June 30, 1989 | 1986 | PAOK | Free | 1991 | ||
| Mirosław Okoński |  | AM / ST / SS | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Hamburger SV | ₯220,000,000 | 1990 | |
| Pavlos Papaioannou |  | DM / RB / RM | June 30, 1989 | 1983 | Rodos | ₯10,000,000 | 1993 | |
| Giorgos Savvidis (Captain) |  | AM / RM / RW / SS / ST | June 30, 1989 | 1987 | Omonia | ₯20,940,600 | 1992 | |
| Lampros Georgiadis | AM / LM / LB | June 30, 1989 | 1986 | Anagennisi Arta | ₯12,000,000 | 1991 | ||
| Toni Savevski | CM / LM / DM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Vardar | Free | 1991 | ||
| Jim Patikas | | RM / LM / RW / LW / SS | June 30, 1989 | 1985 | Sydney Croatia | ₯5,000,000 | 1991 | |
| Stavros Stamatis | DM / CM / CB / RB / LB / AM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Charavgiakos | ₯22,000,000 | 1995 | ||
| Giorgos Famelis | CM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | AO Vouliagmenis | Free | 1991 | ||
| Charalampos Zarotiadis | CM / AM / SS | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | AEK Athens U20 | — | 1989 | ||
| Giorgos Papakostoulis | CM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Atromitos Agioi Anargyroi | Free | 1993 | ||
| Forwards | ||||||||
| Dimosthenis Batalis | | ST | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Sydney Olympic | Free | 1990 | |
| Frank Klopas |  | SS / ST / AM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Chicago Sting | Free | 1994 | |
| Georgios Christodoulou | ST / SS / LW | June 30, 1989 | 1985 | Akratitos | Free | 1992 | ||
| Left during Winter Transfer Window | ||||||||
| Polyvios Chatzopoulos | CB / DM | June 30, 1989 | 1985 | Panionios | ₯10,400,000 | 1990 | ||
| Sotiris Mavrodimos | CB / RB / LB / DM | June 30, 1989 | 1986 | Kozani | ₯5,500,000 | 1991 | ||
| Theodosis Kokotos | LB | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Panetolikos | ₯6,000,000 | 1989 | ||
| Giannis Dintsikos | ST / SS / RW / LW / AM | June 30, 1989 | 1981 | Kastoria | ₯20,000,000 | 1991 | ||
| Henrik Nielsen | ST / SS | June 30, 1989 | 1987 | B93 | ₯7,000,000 | 1990 | ||
| Giannakis Ioannou | | ST | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | New York Pancyprian | ₯5,000,000 | 1993 | |
| Michalis Manginas | RW / RM | June 30, 1989 | 1988 | Ethnikos Nea Makri | ₯1,700,000 | 1990 | ||
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | From | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Fee | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Contract Until | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panathinaikos | ₯50,000,000 | 30 June 1991 | [8] | ||||||||
| AEK Athens U20 | Promotion | 30 June 1989 | |||||||||
| Panetolikos | ₯6,000,000 | 30 June 1989 | [9] | ||||||||
| AEK Athens U20 | Promotion | 30 June 1989 | |||||||||
| AO Vouliagmenis | ₯3,000,000 | 30 June 1991 | |||||||||
| Atromitos Agioi Anargyroi | Free transfer | 30 June 1993 | [10] | ||||||||
| Hamburger SV | ₯220,000,000 | 30 June 1990 | [11] | ||||||||
| Ethnikos Nea Makri | ₯1,700,000 | 30 June 1990 | [12] | ||||||||
| Acharnaikos | Loan return | 30 June 1992 | |||||||||
| Fostiras | Loan return | 30 June 1989 | |||||||||
| New York Pancyprian | ₯5,000,000 | 30 June 1993 | [13] |
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | From | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Fee | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Contract Until | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charavgiakos | ₯22,000,000 | 30 June 1995 | [14] | ||||||||
| Vardar | ₯34,000,000[15] | 30 June 1991 | [16] | ||||||||
| Chicago Sting | Free transfer | 30 June 1994 | [17] | ||||||||
| Sydney Olympic | ₯20,000,000 | 30 June 1991 | [18] |
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | To | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Fee | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panionios | Contract termination | [19] [20] | |||||||
| Olympiacos Volos | ₯6,500,000 | [21] | |||||||
| align=center colspan=2 | Retired | [22] | |||||||
| Panionios | Contract termination | [23] [24] | |||||||
| Free agent | Contract termination |
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | To | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Fee | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagoras | ₯4,000,000 | [25] | |||||||
| Olympiacos Volos | ₯5,000,000 | [26] | |||||||
| Kastoria | Contract termination | [27] | |||||||
| Iraklis | ₯30,000,000[28] | [29] |
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | To | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Fee | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Until | Option to buy | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kallithea | Free | 30 June 1989 | [30] | |||||||||
| Kallithea | Free | 30 June 1989 | [31] | |||||||||
| Olympiacos Chalkida | Free | 30 June 1989 | [32] |
Notes
a. plus ₯30,000,000 if the player stays for 3 years.[33]
b. the money went to the player's previous club, Pezoporiakos.
b. plus Panagiotis Savvidis (from the reserve time).[34]
| width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Date | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | Former Exp. Date | width=150 style="background:#FFDE00 | New Exp. Date | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 November 1989 | 30 June 1993 | [35] | |||||||
| 30 June 1988 | 30 June 1993 | [36] | |||||||
| 30 November 1988 | 30 June 1991 | [37] | |||||||
| 30 November 1988 | 31 December 1991 | [38] |
Summer: ₯285,700,000
Winter: ₯76,000,000
Total: ₯361,700,000
Summer: ₯6,500,000
Winter: ₯39,000,000
Total: ₯45,500,000
Summer: ₯279,200,000
Winter: ₯37,000,000
Total: ₯306,200,000
See main article: 1988–89 Alpha Ethniki.
See main article: 1988–89 Greek Football Cup.
See main article: 1988–89 UEFA Cup.
! colspan="11" style="background:#FFDE00; text-align:center" | Goalkeepers|-! colspan="11" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Defenders|-! colspan="11" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Midfielders|-! colspan="11" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Forwards|-! colspan="11" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Left during Winter Transfer window|-|}
| Rank | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Alpha Ethniki | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Greek Cup | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | UEFA Cup | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||||||
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |||||||
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |||||||
| 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |||||||
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||||||
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| Own goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Totals | 45 | 7 | 1 | 53 |
The list is sorted by competition order when total clean sheets are equal and then alphabetically by surname. Clean sheets in games where both goalkeepers participated are awarded to the goalkeeper who started the game. Goalkeepers with no appearances are not included.
| Rank | width=200 style="background:#FFDE00 | Player | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Alpha Ethniki | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Greek Cup | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | UEFA Cup | width=120 style="background:#FFDE00 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 19 | ||||||
| Totals | 16 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
|-! colspan="17" style="background:#FFDE00; text-align:center" | Goalkeepers|-! colspan="17" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Defenders|-! colspan="17" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Midfielders|-! colspan="17" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Forwards|-! colspan="17" style="background:#FFDE00; color:black; text-align:center;"| Left during Winter Transfer window|}