Aberdeen’s heaviest European defeats as AEK Athens break record in Greek tragedy

As hundreds of Aberdeen fans make their way back from Greece in a state of disbelief, there will be plenty looking to forget what they witnessed at the OPAP Stadium.

AEK Athens proved too good for the Dons as they scored three goals in each half to land a thumping 6-0 Conference League victory and leave Jimmy Thelin’s team at the foot of the 36-team league table.

It’s a brutal defeat that leaves the Reds manager with the unenviable task of trying to rally the troops for Sunday’s visit from Hibs at Pittodrie.

There’s plenty of games to go to try and revive their hopes of reaching at least the play-offs for the knockout phase, but the damage was done in emphatic fashion by AEK.

And while there’s not been too many sore results down the decades in Europe for Aberdeen, a handful standout from way back in the 1970s to Thursday’s humiliation.

Here’s a look at the five heaviest defeats Aberdeen have endured on the European stage.

AEK Athens 6-0 Aberdeen – 2025

Marko Lazetic cuts a frustrated figure as AEK run riot in the first-half -Credit:SNS Group

Thelin’s men had endured a tough start to the campaign but finally found a winning rhythm with back-to-back league victories, and came painfully close to pulling off a big result against heavy-spending Shakhtar Donestk in the first league phase clash.

But on a warm night in the Greek capital, the players were pulled apart by a far superior AEK side that ripped the midfield open and left the defence scrambled.

Aboubakary Koïta’s first-half brace and Niclas Eliasson’s strike put the hosts three goals up at the break, with Thelin desperately trying to stop the flood.

Răzvan Marin’s overhead kick made it 4-0 before former Real Madrid star Luka Jovic came off the bench to rifle in the fifth, and Dereck Kutesa slotted in the sixth to hand the Reds their biggest European defeat in their history.

Painful lessons will have to be learnt, but for fans eager to savour the ongoing Conference League campaign, plenty will be desperate to forget this night ever happened.

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Sigma Olomouc 5-1 Aberdeen – 2009

Sigma Olomouc hit Aberdeen with five goals at Pittodrie in their heaviest home European defeat -Credit:SNS Group

After pushing Bayern to the limit at Pittodrie the year previously, things went disastrously wrong when they came up against Czech outfit Sigma Olomouc on home turf.

Mark McGhee’s men had been looking to advance from the third qualifying round and reach the newly-reformatted Europa League.

But things went horribly wrong for the men in red at Pittodrie as the visitors handed Aberdeen their biggest ever home defeat in Europe.

A Charlie Mulgrew goal did little to add some shine to the aggregate score, as Michal Hubnik opened the scoring before Lukas Bajer’s free-kick restored their lead after the Dons defender’s equaliser.

Then they collapsed as Jakub Petr, Michal Ordos and Tomas Horava then cracked in fine strikes to take a 5-1 lead back to Czechia for the second leg.

They followed up their Pittodrie rout with a 3-0 victory to complete an 8-1 aggregate victory and dump the Reds out of Europe, and while the AEK Athens scoreline was worse, this result remains arguably even more painful.

Bayern Munich 5-1 Aberdeen – 2008

Aberdeen couldn't stop Bayern from running riot in front of goal in 2008 — Aberdeen couldn’t stop Bayern from running riot in front of goal in 2008 -Credit:SNS Group

A bonkers UEFA Cup clash under the leadership of the late Jimmy Calderwood ensued when Bayern and Aberdeen were drawn together in the third round in February 2008.

It had finished 2-2 at Pittodrie in the first leg, as Josh Walker and Sone Aluko sparked pandemonium in the stands with their goals against the German giants.

But there was little hope of similar joy at the Allianz Arena against a side eager to right their wrongs from their visit to north-east Scotland.

Lucio opened the scoring before Daniel Van Buyten put the hosts 4-2 up on aggregate, and a quick-fire double from Lukas Podolski put the game to bed in the second-half.

Steve Lovell gave Aberdeen fans something to cheer with his consolation goal, but Mark Van Bommel wrapped up a 5-1 win on the night, 7-3 on aggregate.

Calderwood’s team did the Red Army proud in their UEFA Cup run that season, but ultimately it was once again a case of coming undone against a side with quality players, and there would be no repeat of the triumph over the Germans in 1983 en-route to Cup Winners’ Cup glory.

Liverpool 4-0 Aberdeen – 1980

Kenny Dalglish storms past Alex McLeish during Aberdeen's 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield — Kenny Dalglish storms past Alex McLeish during Aberdeen’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield -Credit:Eamonn McCabe/Popperfoto via Getty Images

Even the all-conquering team crafted by Sir Alex Ferguson felt the wrath of a four-goal defeat, and that came on the back of the legendary boss guiding his side to league title glory.

Facing Liverpool in the 1980s was a task no one wanted – they were without a doubt the team to beat across the continent that was littered with stars.

Willie Miller was left frustrated by what he watched in Athens on Thursday night, but he will have felt far more fury at the performance his side put in at Anfield in November 1980 in the second round of the European Cup.

Bob Paisley’s side picked up a 1-0 victory in the first leg at Pittodrie after Terry McDermott’s goal in the fifth minute, but the bruising defeat came on Merseyside.

Miller’s own-goal added to their woe before Phil Neal doubled their lead just before the break, with Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen adding the extras in the second-half.

There was no shame in losing 4-0 however, as it was without a doubt the best team in Europe they had taken the fight to, as Liverpool went on to beat Real Madrid in Paris to win the trophy – their third European Cup in an era littered with trophies.

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Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Aberdeen – 1973

Plenty of Dons fans hold a fondness for Spurs today, but they too have handed Aberdeen a heavy defeat in Europe.

Tottenham were the first English side the Reds would face in Europe when they met in the UEFA Cup second round in November 1973.

And despite Drew Jarvie getting on the scoresheet, Spurs bagged four of their own to seal their place in the next round with goals from England World Cup hero Martin Peters and Jimmy Neighbour, with Chris McGrath adding a brace to seal victory.

It had finished 1-1 at Pittodrie in one of the final occasions that the Granite City’s famous stadium had hosted a crowd in excess of 30,000 fans.

But things came unglued at White Hart Lane, and for Dons legend Miller, this would be his first taste of a sore defeat in Europe as a young centre-back, but his career turned out just fine in the years that followed.

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