Anthony Evgenidis

We have heard the phrase “the prodigal son returns” many a time. In the case of Dusan Bajevic we are talking about the most infamous manager perhaps in the history of Greek football. Bajevic is a manager with no equal in the Greek game considering his titles, prestige, and unwavering personality. He is at the top of every team’s managerial list whenever there is a vacancy, and his appointment alone has caused several ruckuses in the past. Having managed four of the top five clubs in Greece, Bajevic is no stranger to controversy or pressure. He is universally referred to by his well earned nickname “The Prince”.

How did Bajevic earn his title and the esteem in which he is held by so many in Greek football?

The year was 1977, and AEK, one of Greece’s powerhouses, had signed one of Europe’s best players in Dusan Bajevic. He wore the number “9” for the Kitrinomavri (yellow blacks), and in his five years brought the team two League Championships and one Greek Cup. He became a fan favourite almost immediately and his style of play remained well entrenched in the memories of the AEK faithful.   
   
Fast forward to 1988, AEK have gone 10 years since their last title and the team was playing second fiddle to the likes of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. AEK’s management looked to an old friend for help in its darkest hour, and that’s exactly what they got from Bajevic. AEK’s gamble paid off immediately as Bajevic unexpectedly won the 1989 League Championship in his very first season in charge. That magical first season would be the springboard for AEK’s fortunes in the years to come. The AEK teams of 1992, 1993 and 1994 were some of the very best teams Greek football has ever seen. Bajevic established the Athenian club as the number one team in Greece by winning three consecutive championships, and as a result received the nickname “The Prince”.

The year 1996 will go down as one of the most pivotal and controversial in Greek football history. AEK fails to win the league for the second straight season, losing out to Panathinaikos, but manage to win the cup in an impressive manner. Leading up to the cup final, there were rumblings that Bajevic was being heavily courted by Olympiacos owner Socratis Kokkalis. Bajevic stated to the AEK faithful that if the team won the cup that he would stay on. What would follow still to this day has not been completely clarified.

AEK won the cup and Bajevic left AEK in the summer for one of their bitterest rivals Olympiacos. Death threats, acts of vandalism and a livid fan base was the end result of the heavily disputed move. Bajevic from that point on was referred to by AEK fans as “The Traitor” and a sellout. In one of the most famous confrontations between a manager and a team’s fanatic group, Bajevic openly addressed the leader and members of “Original”. Bajevic stated that the threats to his family were over the top, and that he would find and kill the leader of Original. He also mentioned not being afraid of going to jail or dying for his family. “Original 21” is the largest and most dedicated AEK supporters. 

The 1996/97 season, and Bajevic’s first in charge at Olympiacos would change the pecking order of Greek football. Olympiacos entering that season had gone through 10 rocky years without lifting even one title, and saw in Bajevic the man to restore their past dominance. Bajevic did not disappoint by delivering the league crown to Kokkalis. He immediately became the most hated and popular manager in Greece because of his audacity and success.

Bajevic set up Olympiacos with a nucleus of players that would go on to win seven titles in a row. He also famously took Olympiacos to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 1999. This dominance made matters worse for the AEK fans because of the success that many understandably felt could have been theirs. The fact that Bajevic not only succeeded at Olympiacos, but created a dynasty for years to come only served to further irritate the AEK support. Unfortunately, for Bajevic he was not destined to enjoy the fruits of the entire dynasty, being forced out during the 1999/00 season after disagreements with team star Zlatko Zahovic.

It would not take Bajevic long to find work again, this time he joined PAOK Salonika. With PAOK he revived a team to become much more competitive in the league, and in 2000/01 brought PAOK its first Greek Cup in nearly 30 years. There was also a sting in the tale of this particular story, as Bajevic tasted revenge over his former club in the final, defeating Olympiacos. With this accomplishment, he had become the King of Northern Greece.

As the 2001/02 season came to an end Bajevic left PAOK after a successful spell. Panathinaikos and AEK were both interested in acquiring his services but it was AEK who was still in his heart, and so he made a famous return for the 2002/03 season. His return to AEK was not the smoothest of reunions due to fans being split between “pro and anti” Bajevic. Original of course was heading the anti Bajevic crowd heavily. AEK finished a close third in the league but really left its mark in Europe. Specifically, AEK managed 6 draws in its Champions League group fixtures. That is no small feat considering the group included the likes of Real Madrid (defending European Champions) and Roma (2001 Serie A Champions).
 
Fan pressure though began to build exponentially towards Bajevic, and during the 2003/04 season he mysteriously left at half-time during a home game against Iraklis. At that point it seemed as though all the bridges between Bajevic and AEK had been burnt for good.

The summer of 2004 brought with it a huge surprise for all fans in Greece. After missing out on the title for the first time in eight years, Olympiacos was heavily pursuing a popular French manager to take over the team reins. Newspapers flooded with quotes stating that the team was going to adopt the “French Approach” to the game and hire a Frenchman. Then shock, Olympiacos unexpectedly announced the return of Dusan Bajevic and madness ensued.

The return to Olympiacos served as further salt in the wound for AEK fans that were left in disbelief at history repeating itself. The AEK newspapers mocked the move by famously writing “The new French manager of Olympiacos is Bajevic”! Bajevic won the domestic double with Olympiacos, and lost out on qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League on goal difference. He only managed to last until the 2004/05 season ended though, after heavy disagreements with certain team stars.

Bajevic would manage Red Star Belgrade and Aris Salonika over the next three years, and each summer there were rumours of a potential move to Panathinaikos or a return to AEK. Consequently, Panathinaikos is the only top team in Greece that Bajevic has never managed, and that is still the case despite hard pressing from the Panathinaikos management over the years.

In July 2008, Bajevic left Aris after disagreements with the club management and all of Greek football took notice that “The Prince” was available on the open market leading into the season. This event put immense pressure on the top three managers in Greece because of the threat of being replaced by such a prestigious manager.

November 17th, 2008. Giorgos Donis is no longer AEK’s manager after overnight talks. AEK is officially in search of a new manager. Three days later Bajevic went on Greek radio and stated that he was finalising a deal to take over at another Super League club, Asteras Tripolis. That same night news leaked that Bajevic had withdrawn his name from the running for the Asteras Tripolis position and at that point it became clear as to why. People directly working with AEK reached out to him, pleading with him not to take the other job and to return to AEK. Long discussions at his house and other locations took place to reassure Bajevic that he would be protected from the angry crowd of fanatics. Money and interest in the team were never an issue at all. It did not take long for him to accept and make headlines everywhere for his third return to the AEK hotseat. It remains to be seen how this third spell will end, but if history has taught us anything it is that Bajevic will not go quietly.
 
A lot can be said about Dusan Bajevic such as being temperamental, difficult and intelligent but above all successful. His impressive accomplishments across Greece have rightfully earned him the nickname “The Prince”, and it can probably also be said that he fully deserves his other nickname “The Traitor”. There has never been and probably never will be such a polarising figure in Greek football again. His journey and reputation remain his curse.