Write off Aris at your peril, Whites
1:47pm Saturday 17th November 2007 in Sport By Gordon Sharrock
WANDERERS will be well advised not to under-estimate UEFA Cup underdogs, Aris Thessalonika, when they meet at the Reebok on November 29.
For while Megson's marauders were humbling mighty Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena last week, the Greeks were pulling off their own shock, beating Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) 3-0.
As a result, the Serbs - European Champions in 1991 and now bottom of Group F without a point from their two games - are on their fourth head coach in nine months following the resignation of Milorad Kosanovic, while Aris, lowest ranked of the five teams, have emerged as the dark horses.
But it was not such a surprise result considering the Aris coach, Dusan Bajevic, was a man on a mission.
He sensationally walked out on Red Star in the middle of a match last season when his relationship with the fiery fans hit rock bottom. Obviously he was not to know, when he pitched up at Aris in the summer, that he would come up against his old club in the UEFA Cup so soon.
He wasn't happy when the draw was made but he was delighted last Thursday when, with goals from Athanassios Papazoglou (2) and Sergio Koke, Aris sent Red Star home with their tails between their legs a fortnight after they'd snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by conceding two late goals to Bayern in Belgrade.
Bajevic might be a volatile character, judging by the fact that his controversal exit from Belgrade in March was not the first time he had walked out on a club in the middle of a game.
But he's a wily old campaigner and, although Bosnian-born, he has spent much of his career in Greece, where he won two league titles with AEK as a player then coached the Athens club to four championships. He upset AEK when he walked out to manage Athens rivals Olympiakos, where he collected more domestic honours and built a reputation in the Champions League.
They say you should never go back but he did twice - returning to AEK then bouncing back at Olympiakos - and on each occasion had a miserable time as he failed to get the good times rolling again.
He's a sensitive soul, though. When he stormed out on Red Star last season, he made it clear he would have no truck with barracking supporters.
"I do not want to give anybody a chance to abuse me," Bajevic said. "I have to protect my good name, my footballing reputation and all the other important things. I am leaving. I do not want to stay where come people at the club are not satisfied with my work."
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