Panathinaikos European football and water polo qualifiers

Panathinaikos is navigating multiple European qualification campaigns. In water polo, the club prepared for the LEN Champions League qualifying rounds, with the draw in Nyon, Switzerland, determining the groups for 11 competing teams.

In football, the club successfully achieved its goal of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League League Phase. Following the submission of a revised squad list to replace the injured Pavlos Pantelidis with Davide Calandria, the team secured a 2-1 victory against CFR Cluj. The decisive moments came from substitute Nigerian forward Cyril Desers, who scored a header in the 72nd minute and later won a penalty in the second half of extra time to finalize the score.

While the qualification met the club’s stated “vital necessity” for financial stability and UEFA ranking points, the team’s performance was described as inconsistent. This has led to calls for the coaching staff to resolve tactical issues ahead of their domestic match against Levadiakos. To manage player fitness during this period, the club had previously intended to exercise its ‘Joker Right’ to postpone its Super League match against Kifisia.