AEK Athens head coach Marko Nikolic has insisted his team will give everything to reach the Champions League ahead of Tuesday's play-off first leg against Levski Sofia.
The Greek champions travel to the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia for the 22:00 kick-off on August 18, with the return leg scheduled for Athens six days later as both sides compete for a place in the competition's League Phase.
AEK completed their final pre-match training session on the pitch in the Bulgarian capital shortly after Nikolic and Greek international right-back Lazaros Rota addressed reporters at the official press conference.
Nikolic pointed out that three months had passed since AEK's last official fixture against Olympiacos, leaving his side with just one official match under their belts compared to Levski's ten games this season.
The Serbian manager acknowledged that the Bulgarian champions possessed international players, a capable coach, fast transition play, and strong execution from set pieces and counter-attacks. He noted that Levski had recently ended the long-standing domestic dominance of Ludogorets to win the Bulgarian title and were currently enjoying their strongest period of the last decade. However, Nikolic insisted that AEK were seeking solutions rather than excuses.
Nikolic declared that his squad was in good condition with no injury concerns and was fully prepared for the encounter. While noting that peak match sharpness develops through official competition, he promised that his players would die on the pitch to secure qualification and expressed firm belief that they would succeed.
Champions League ambitions and budget talk
Only five or six players in the current AEK squad have previously featured in the Champions League. Nikolic noted that while the group possessed substantial experience in the Europa League and Conference League, reaching the main stage of Europe's premier club competition remained the ultimate goal. He added that AEK was the sole Greek club with the opportunity to bring Champions League football back to the country this season.
Addressing questions about who held the advantage, Nikolic dismissed the concept of favorites as a topic for supporters, stating that financial budgets do not determine outcomes on the pitch. He highlighted that by budget metrics alone, AEK would have finished fourth in Greece last season, yet they went on to win the championship and eliminate far more expensive opposition in European competition.
Comparing the level of competition, Nikolic stressed that the Champions League demanded far greater focus than the Conference League, referencing a previous European match against Anderlecht where AEK suffered a poor first half before producing a decent second-half response. He called on his team to take the match minute by minute and impose their own style of play in front of thousands of home supporters and 2,000 traveling AEK fans.
Player updates and squad depth
Nikolic also praised individual members of his squad during the press conference. He highlighted Georgiev as a highly talented player who provided crucial versatility by covering two positions for the team. He also expressed satisfaction with the signing of Grujic, describing him as an excellent person and a champion whose performance last season helped him return to a top level, wishing him success following the initial ties with AEK.
The head coach concluded by emphasizing that his sole focus was on the final result, stating that while the season would be long and the team's play would evolve, only securing qualification for the League Phase would satisfy him right now.
Players driven by childhood dream
Speaking alongside his manager, AEK right-back Lazaros Rota stressed that past matches held no relevance as every game presented a unique challenge.
The defender stated that playing in the Champions League and hearing its anthem was a dream shared by every player from childhood. Rota emphasized that the squad understood the gravity of the upcoming tie and needed to remain fully focused, committed, and ready to give their soul across both legs.
