1971–72 AEK Athens F.C. season
The 1971–72 season was AEK Athens’ 48th year of existence and their 13th consecutive season in Greece’s top division. They played in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup, and the European Cup. The campaign ran from 29 August 1971 to 11 June 1972. After a period of intense pace in previous years, this season saw a transition to a new generation of players. Key signings included Giorgos Tanidis, Babis Psimogiannos, and Lakis Nikolaou. Branko Stanković was the manager and Kosmas Chatzicharalampous the chairman. Home games were played at the AEK Stadium.
In the league, AEK finished 3rd, six points behind champions Panathinaikos. They were strong at home but struggled away, winning 4 of 17 away games. Mimis Papaioannou was the top scorer with 12 league goals (13 in all competitions).
The Greek Cup saw changes in format that excluded amateur clubs; AEK reached the Round of 16 but were eliminated by Lamia after extra time.
In Europe, AEK faced Inter Milan in the first round of the European Cup. They lost 4–1 in Milan, then won 3–2 at home, but were eliminated 6–3 on aggregate. One memorable night came at home when AEK fought back from an early deficit to win 3–2, although it wasn’t enough to advance.
The season’s biggest wins were 5–0 against Olympiakos Nicosia and 5–0 against Pierikos; their biggest defeat was 4–1 to Inter. The highest home attendance was 30,267 for the match against Olympiacos, with an average home league attendance of 17,971.
Overall, it was a season of rebuilding and transition, as a new generation of players began to emerge while the club still competed strongly at home.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:15 (CET).