Popular Greek singer Panos Kiamos praised AEK Athens following their victory against Bulgarian team Levski Sofia during an appearance on protothema.gr's sports program, The Football Show by Stoiximan.
Kiamos, who regularly attends home matches at the OPAP Arena in Nea Filadelfia, spoke about the club's progress over the past ten months and expressed excitement ahead of the upcoming UEFA Champions League draw.
He described AEK as an essential part of life for his family, calling the team a stress reliever and a source of pure joy that demands nothing in return.
Team performance and player ratings
When asked to select AEK's most valuable player from the recent fixture, Kiamos noted that choosing a single standout was difficult given the strong squad performance.
He highlighted forward Luka Jović for converting his first goalscoring opportunity and praised midfielder Lovro Majer for his exceptional passing accuracy.
Kiamos admitted that he initially harbored doubts about midfielder Kaan Kairinen during his early appearances, but acknowledged that the Finnish player had since demonstrated impressive development.
Ultimately, Kiamos selected head coach Marko Nikolić as his MVP, stating that the manager had prepared the squad mentally to chew iron on the pitch.
Matchday passion and musical links
Reflecting on the second leg victory over Levski Sofia, Kiamos said supporters at the stadium were confident before kickoff that the Bulgarian side had no chance of advancing from AEK's home ground.
In response to a viewer's comment referencing his music career, Kiamos compared AEK's performance to two of his own hit songs, describing the team's display as fire with fire and add more poison.
Management structure and family tradition
Kiamos commended the working relationship between manager Marko Nikolić and sporting director Javier Ribalta, stating that AEK is more complete than ever because management successfully executes its plans.
Attending matches remains a cherished family tradition for Kiamos, who attends home games alongside his father and his son.
He recalled watching matches at the OAKA stadium before AEK returned to Nea Filadelfia, adding that while the family often argues about football on the way to and from matches, they always reconcile afterwards.
Live broadcast dedication
During the live broadcast, host Grigoris Papavasileiou revealed that Kiamos is the favorite singer of both himself and his son.
Papavasileiou requested a live dedication, prompting Kiamos to perform the chorus of his hit song Everything Speaks of You on air.
Champions League draw expectations
Looking ahead to the UEFA Champions League draw, Kiamos expressed enthusiasm for facing Europe's biggest clubs while hoping for manageable opponents from the lower seeding pots to secure victories.
He outlined his ideal group stage scenario, wishing for an away match against Liverpool, a home fixture against Barcelona, an away trip to Aston Villa, and matches against either Roma or PSV Eindhoven.
Kiamos also named Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Slovan Bratislava, and LASK among his preferred draw opponents, while noting that he would fear facing the talented pairing of Giannis Konstantelias and Konstantinos Karetsas.
