| PART V
The Era of Professional Football
PAO was to get new management in the Vardinogiannis family. For this there were positives and negative. Positive because the clubs finally had the funds to challenge for the best players but negative because Giorgos Vardinogiannis, did not have the experience to run the club. For the first 4 years of Pro-football the Pireans won all the leagues with PAO narrowly missing out in 1980-1981 after they lost to Olympiakos in a play-off by 2-1. PAO in the meantime manages to get some silverware by winning the Greek Cup twice.
A thrashing Brings Changes
In 1982-1983 PAO met Olympiakos in the semi final of the Greek cup. PAO won the 1st leg, 1-0 and in the second the score was the same but this time in the "Red's" favor. The game went into extra time and a rampaging Olympiakos scored another 3 goals. This 4-0 thrashing could not be tolerated. Many plays were told to leave the club and others retired. A new coach was brought in. Jasek Gmoch who was assistant of Gorski in Poland's World Cup Campaign in 1978. The 1st thing he said was that he wanted to 1st build a team for the future that would play well and then in time win silverware. PAO though, with a team which had an average age of 24 wins the league the next season in everyone’s surprise!
The Arrival of Velimir Zaec and Dimitris Saravakos
PAO had just won the league title for 1983-1984 and wanting to strengthen even further brings in Saravakos from Panionios who was being tipped for great things and the captain of Yugoslavia, Velimir Zaec from Dynamo Zagreb. With the two of them PAO would reign for the next few years winning 2 championship in 4 years along with 3 Greek cups and two good runs in Europe. Zaec's (short visionary passing) game complimented that of Juan Ramon Rocha (long distance passing) and along with Saravakos' execution they planted fear in defenses not only in Greece, but Europe also.
PAO began their European run in the Champions Cup in 1984-1985 beating Linfield of Northern Ireland 4-3 on aggregate after a brief scare in Belfast when the Greens where down 3-0 in the 16th minute. PAO though fought back equalizing 3-3 and qualifying. Next opponent was Feyenood of Holland which featured a 22 year old by the name of Ruud Guillit. PAO drew in 0-0 in the De Cuip but won 2-1 in Athens to go through. Next up, was Gothenburg of Sweden who the previous season had won the UEFA Cup. PAO them beat 1-0 away and drew 2-2 in Athens in a tense match and with Saravakos equalizing from the penalty spot with 7 minutes to go. Next was to be the Great Liverpool in the semi-final. PAO lost 4-0 at Anfield, but had complaints because they scored a legitimate goal which was wrongly disallowed by the East German, Kaiser. The return leg was not going to be easy and the Merseysiders ran out winners by 1-0.
It was a good run. Many people shortly after, wished PAO had qualified. The "Heysel disaster" was to occur just a month later. PAO was also unfortunate to lose the league by 1 point to PAOK.
The year after that was a route for PAO as they won the league by 7 points, leaving Olympiakos in 5th position. The capping came in the Cup final. PAO completed the double thrashing their arch enemies Olympiakos by 4-0 with Saravakos scoring an amazing 4th goal after he had just missed a penalty.
The club after that year went into a mini slump which was to last until the 1989-1990 season when the Greens would win the next two Greek leagues.
In 1987 though PAO had an excellent run in the UEFA Cup beating Auxerre 4-3 on aggregate. They then met Juventus. In the 1st leg PAO won 1-0 with a Saravakos missile outside the box. In Turin, everyone was expecting PAO to be annihilated as 3 days before the return leg they had lost 6-3 to OFI Crete at home and many were asking for Vassili Daniel's head. A spirited PAO though, managed to go through on away goals after losing 3-2 with Saravakos again proving a nuisance to the Italians.
In the 3rd round PAO was drawn against Honved of Hungary. PAO were down 5-0 until Saravakos gave PAO a lifeline by scoring 2 goals in the last 15 minutes. In Athens, PAO took it's blood back winning 5-1 and going through 7-6 on aggregate. After that a few weeks later, PAO were to lose their midfield general Velimir Zaec who had his leg broken. He was to return in the return leg of the quarter final against Club Brugge with PAO needing to win or draw at least 2-2 which was the result of the first leg in Athens. Zaec was not match fit though and could not really help the team as they lost 1-0.
Success and Failure
After the 1990-1991 season AEK would be the team to win 3 consecutive titles. PAO would come back after with a team that was made by Bosnian Ivica Osim and then taken over by old player Juan Ramon Rocha and PAO would win the two next titles starring Argentine Juan Jose Borelli and Pole Krystof Warzycha. A team which was to reach the semi final of the Champions league in 1995-1996, only to bow out to Ajax by 3-1 on aggregate.
The league title of 1995-1996 is the last one PAO has won up to today. Since then, PAO's big rival Olympiakos has won 6 in a row.
PAO had also had a good run in Europe in the 1991-1992 season reaching the quarter finals of the 1st experimental Champions league, but also the quarter finals of the 2001-2002 season.
~(Many Thanks to Evergreen, Phantis)~  |