PAOK eliminated from Conference League after 3-2 loss to Brann

PAOK has been eliminated from the UEFA Conference League following a 3-2 defeat against Brann in Norway. Despite a strong comeback in the second half, a penalty scored by Brann's Niklas Castro in the 86th minute secured the victory for the hosts, resulting in a 4-3 aggregate score in favor of Brann.

Brann took a 2-0 lead through goals from Noah Holm and Kristoffer Ingebrigtsen. PAOK responded with goals from Serif Didic and Christos Zafiris to level the match at 2-2 before the late penalty. The decision has sparked significant controversy, with PAOK coach Alessio Lisci and club officials criticizing the refereeing, specifically the penalty award and a perceived lack of VAR intervention on earlier incidents.

Financially, the elimination means PAOK misses out on substantial revenue from the Conference League League Phase, which would have included a 3.17 million euro participation prize. Additionally, the club's recent transfer activity has been impacted, with reports suggesting the deal for Ruben Sanchez has been delayed due to the European exit.