By: Peter Katsiris
UEFA Champions League hopefuls PAOK FC face Ajax AFC on Wednesday night (21:30 GR, Novasports1) knowing a strong showing at the Amsterdam Arena in the Dutch capital will inch them one step closer to realizing their dream of playing the group stage.
The Greek Super League side enter the competition's third qualifying round having not played in the competition proper since the 2004/2005 season. That year, two consecutive losses to Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv saw PAOK exit the tournament in the same round.
A win might not be expected of a PAOK side who recently fired coach Mario Beretta before replacing the Italian with his Greek successor Pavlos Dermitzakis. Like many Greek teams in European competition, away fixtures have been elusive towards success.
The latest example was a nightmare in Herenveen last season that paved the way for PAOK's exit from the UEFA Europa League, even though then PAOK coach Fernando Santos managed to eventually guide the Dikefale tou Vorra to top spot in the Super League play-offs at season's end.
PAOK supporters will be pleading for a fresh start under the new manager, who replaces his predecessor after he lasted just twenty-eight days on the job. Familiarizing himself with the system will likely take more than the five days he has been given by the PAOK board, but PAOK fans will be hoping a fresh start for the club will erase recent results from memory.
A woeful summer of preparation saw PAOK's tour of Germany end in disaster as the team from Greece's northern metropolis struggled in matches against Nuernberg and most notably against Kickers Offenbach.
Ajax, however, have enjoyed their summer preparations with their recent 3-1 defeat of Chelsea only boosting confidence. Martin Jol's men are favourites heading into the tie, and the former Premier League and Bundesliga manager has expressed the confidence he has in his players.
Missing out on the Eredivisie title by a slim margin again last year, the ever-experienced Luis Suarez is expected to lead the club to the group stages after multiple failures in recent seasons. The Uruguayan played a large part in his country's run to the semi-finals of the recent World Cup, and his pedigree as a scorer for his club suggests Ajax have the ability of making a run deep in the tournament too.
Then, it seems the only thing holding Ajax back is themselves. Certainly the Dutch giants have all the tools to make the most of their Champions League crusade this time out, but of course a sturdy PAOK side should pose the sort of challenge expected at this level.
Thus, it seems this tie is crucial for both sides as either club looks to rekindle the glory of days past. Ajax's numerous championships are forgotten memories for many now, while PAOK's slump in the Super League appears to be ending. A win for either club would lift the spirits of supporters desperately keen on success beyond domestic borders.
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