The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws occurring next week, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs participating in Europe for the 2024/25 season are discussed.
In these articles, we will provide analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding, in that country’s case.
The 47th article in this coefficient series puts all the attention on Greece. Can the country pick up from where they left off in late May? Here is what to expect from the Greek clubs in Europe for the 2024/25 season.
Greece in Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 11.000 (10th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 31.625 (15th) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 26.625 (15th) |
Greece had a record-breaking season in 2023/24. Olympiakos became the first club from the country to win the Conference League, beating Fiorentina in the final. They were not the only Greek side to go far in Europe, as PAOK reached the UECL quarterfinals. Panathinaikos and AEK Athens also partook in the group stages, but just missed out on the knockout rounds.
Olympiakos’ win in the final saw Greece steal 15th spot from Denmark in the five-year coefficient ranking at the death. That is also the position where they will start in this season. It is now a matter of whether the four Greek clubs can consolidate last season’s excellent showing, or collapse and drop out of the top 15 once more.
Greece in Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| PAOK Thessaloniki | Domestic Champion | UCL Q2, CH Path | 43 | UECL Quarterfinals | 37.000 | 10.400 (32.99%) |
| Olympiakos | UECL Titleholder | UEL League Phase | 59 | UECL Winner | 46.000 | 14.150 (46.15%) |
| Panathinaikos | Cup Winners | UEL Q2 | 53 | UEL Group Stage | 6.305 | 1.225 (3.89%) |
| AEK Athens | Domestic Runner-up | UECL Q2, Main Path | 47 | UEL Group Stage | 10.000 | 2.650 (8.41%) |
PAOK retook the lead in the Greek Super League title race on the penultimate day, holding on in the final round to claim their fourth Greek title. They also made the quarterfinals of the UECL for the second time, making it a very successful season for them. They will enter the UCL at Q2, but will be seeded throughout qualifying. That could come in handy down the road.
Greece’s first club to win a European trophy is Olympiakos, as they won the Conference League. Regulars in Europe, the side from Piraeus finally lived up to their potential, with the 2023/24 season being the first time they made a European semifinal. They will have to step it up in the Europa League, where they will likely have a massive target on their backs.
Panathinaikos won the cup, giving them a spot in UEL Q2. The former European Cup finalists fell on the last day to Maccabi Haifa in the UEL last term, which cost them a place in the knockout round. They will have it incredibly tough to make a league phase from there, worse as an unseeded team. But, if they can pull if off, then it could be an extremely good year for Greece.
AEK Athens rounds out Greece’s European representatives. Like Panathinaikos, AEK also lost on the final day of the Europa League group stage last December, eliminating them from Europe. Making the Conference League proper will not be so easy for AEK, as they will likely be unseeded in that round.
Greece’s Season Ambition
Greece should be striving for 11th/12th, because they have all the tools to do so. After last season’s impressive showing, it will be very challenging to better it, let alone match it, in 2024/25. A place in the top 15 has to be the absolute minimum for Greek football, as anything less would be a very disappointing showing.
Moreover, Greece realistically should be striving for 10.000 or more points as well. They earned 11.000 points a year ago, and could go up to 15.000 or even more if the clubs play their cards right. So, the target has to be 10.000 points, as anything less is a failure for Greece, given their situation.
What a Good Season Would Look Like for Greece
A good year for Greece is finishing in the top 15, especially after last term. An even better season would see them end up in the top 12. As previously mentioned, the country could not have asked for a better quartet than this. So, this is the year where they will have to make a serious challenge for 15th place.
As for the coefficients expected, Greece should feel happy if the total is in double digits again. Going lower than 9.000 is a poor end to the season. Hitting 12.000 points should be seen as a very good campaign for Greek football as, and that looks quite possible.
What to Expect From Greece in 2024/25
Greece had a phenomenal 2023/24 season. The thing is: can they repeat it in 2024/25. Greek football expert Stephen Kountourou thinks so. “It’s possible,” he says when asking whether Greece will finish in the top 15. “What Greek football has to do now is build on last season’s success and get all four clubs into the group stages of UEFA competitions again. Only then can we start talking about the possibility of Greece cementing its place in the top 15 of the UEFA coefficient.”
Panathinaikos and AEK Athens will play a key part to the coefficient as they start in qualifying. However, Kountourou seems confident. “Panathinaikos and AEK must reach the league stages too,” he points out. Considering the quality of both squads and the experience they gained from their excellent runs in the qualifiers last season, I am confident they can do they same in 2024/25 too, so long as they don’t get a tough draw in their respective playoff ties should they reach that point.”