AEK Athens Outclasses Aberdeen in Record 6-0 European Win

Aberdeen suffered their heaviest-ever defeat in European competition as they were crushed 6-0 by AEK Athens in the Europa Conference League group stage, halting their recent revival after back-to-back Premiership wins. The dominant Greek side took an early lead and maintained control throughout the match, with Aboubakary Koita scoring twice and other goals from Niclas Eliasson, Razvan Marin, Luka Jovic, and Derek Kutesa, leaving Aberdeen at the bottom of the group with no points and a goal difference of minus seven. Manager Jimmy Thelin took full responsibility for the comprehensive loss, acknowledging the superior performance of AEK and emphasizing the need for collective learning from the humbling experience. This defeat surpassed Aberdeen's previous worst European losses, including a 5-1 loss to Sigma Olomouc in 2009 and 4-0 to Liverpool in 1980, highlighting the severity of the setback. The match was marked by a hostile atmosphere in Athens and a tough evening for the traveling fans, with the players showing little resistance after AEK's early dominance. Aberdeen now face the challenge of recovering from this demoralizing result as they prepare for upcoming fixtures, including a trip to Cyprus to play Larnaca and a domestic match against Hibernian.