Dusan Bajevic mulls quitting over team’s cash woes, fan abuse
AEK’s coach Dusan Bajevic, arguably the most respected figure in Greek football, is reportedly given serious thought to stepping down from his post. The Greek-Serb coach, who has fought stubbornly to keep his team’s roster intact amid financial difficulties that have prompted long-overdue player fees and continual departure threats by players, reportedly spent a tough night Wednesday considering his own withdrawal. Reports said that Bajevic, whose team, a pre-season title favorite that has fared disappointingly so far this season, felt very disillusioned following Wednesday’s 2-2 draw against second-division club Agrotikos Asteras. Last weekend, a group of AEK fans invaded the club’s VIP stand to get closer to Bajevic and call him a «traitor.» Certain fans have not forgiven Bajevic for abandoning AEK in 1996 following a long and successful career, both as player and coach, before returning two years ago to commence a second tenure. In between, he led Olympiakos to several league titles and PAOK to a Greek Cup triumph before returning to AEK. Yesterday Bajevic was absent from the club’s midday presentation of its latest signing, Brazil’s Davidson, from second-division team Apollon Kalamarias. He also missed the team’s training session later in the afternoon, but that absence was officially attributed to an Athens Municipality invitation for a function. A visit to Athens, also yesterday, by Toni Savevski, a former long-serving and popular player, who flew in from Cyprus where he is coaching, was shrugged off as coincidental by team officials.
