The Order of the Lion
by Stel Stylianou
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In 1941, AEL Limassol won the first of its six league titles, marking a decade since their inaugural official match. A year later, The Order of the Lion of Finland was founded to recognise diverse forms of merit in the actions of both military personnel and civilians.
Toni Koskela's confident declaration after a hard-fought 2-1 triumph against Othellos in his debut as AEL head coach undoubtedly lifted the morale of a fan base that has experienced a tumultuous range of feelings since the team's last championship victory in 2012.
“Our goal is to be in the top six and win the cup.”
The Cypriot championship titles have mostly been divided between Nicosia's APOEL and Omonoia, but the Protathlima trophy has spent the last two seasons in Limassol, thanks to Apollon and Aris' successes. In contrast, AEL has faced significant challenges, both on and off the field. This has included financial troubles, ownership disputes, two unsuccessful takeover attempts, poor performances, high-wage players, injuries, a cup final defeat and frequent managerial changes. To say it has been disastrous would be an understatement.
Since Pambos Christodoulou led AEL to their sixth league title in 2012, a total of thirteen head coaches have come and gone. The most recent head coach to secure silverware for the club was Dusan Kerkez in 2019, when AEL clinched a 2-0 cup final victory over APOEL. AEL came agonisingly close to winning their seventh championship in 2014, with the title being decided on the final game of the season. APOEL secured a 1-0 victory with a goal from Cillian Sheridan, although the match was not without controversy. Initially, the game was played behind closed doors at the neutral Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium due to crowd disturbances that led to the abandonment of the original fixture. However, the Cyprus Football Association's disciplinary committee, acting as an appeals board, unanimously overturned the CFA council's decision to replay the championship final and instead awarded the match to APOEL with a 3-0 score.
Koskela has unquestionably left a swift impression on the club, as journalist Savvas Pilakoutas elaborates.
"AEL's roster hasn't performed as poorly as their recent string of results might suggest. It's possible that the previous head coach had an overly defensive approach.
While AEL may not possess the same depth and strength as their city rivals, Apollon and Aris, they do boast several attack-minded players such as Makris, Papafotis, Morsay, and Henty.
Under Koskela's guidance, there's a gradual boost in the team's confidence, as evidenced by their victory over Othellos. Players have been putting in hard work and showing aggressive pressing over extended periods of the game. Makris' goal celebration clearly conveyed the significance of the win to the players; it seems there has been a shift in the team's psychology. However, it's essential for this change not to be a one-time occurrence; it must be sustained."
Koskela's initial move has been to abandon the laborious 4-1-4-1 system and introduce a more open and aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation.
Against Othellos, the full-backs Tsouka and Djalma demonstrated their attacking intentions, creating havoc whenever they ventured forward. Tsouka contributed an assist for the first goal, while the Brazilian left-back, Djalma, who was twice denied a goal by the Othellos goalkeeper in the first half, appeared revitalised after Koskela released him from the constraints imposed by the former head coach Charalambous.
Despite having only a limited number of training sessions before his inaugural match in charge, Koskela instilled a newfound confidence in AEL. The team displayed improved ball control, frequently engaged in passing triangles, and sought shooting opportunities early, which gave fans a renewed sense of hope.
The level of effort and dedication displayed in Koskela's debut match as head coach undoubtedly reflects what fans would anticipate, as former AEL striker Stefan Scepovic informs us:
“Fans expect to see AEL playing nice football and gain as many points as possible – but they also want to see commitment from the team. Of course, playing beautiful football is important for them but they want to see players give it their all. If the results aren’t good but fans see effort from the players, they won’t say anything.
Players need to give more than 100% and in football, as you know, sometimes the better team doesn’t win.
They expect the team to fight until the end. AEL’s nickname is “The Lions” so fans expect players to fight until the end, just as lions do.”
AEL aim to secure all six points in the upcoming matches against Nea Salamina and Karmiotissa before facing the challenging prospect of three consecutive derbies: APOEL, AEK Larnaca, and Aris.
While securing a top 6 finish for AEL is not out of the realm of possibility, the high calibre and competitiveness of the teams above them make it an even more challenging task for Koskela to achieve one of his two objectives. In the previous season, AEL concluded the regular season 18 points behind the eventual champions, Aris. Their overall finish was 3rd in Group B, with a 14 point gap from Anorthosis, who led a mini league where only survival and pride were at stake.
In spite of a challenging league campaign, AEL's appearance in the cup final filled their supporters with a renewed sense of optimism and hope. The lead-up to the game created a festive atmosphere in Limassol, as thousands of fans came together in a demonstration of unity and pride.
Koskela has made a favourable first impression, not just among the fan base but also with sports journalists who reported on the Finn's scouting mission during the recent Nea Salamina game. Furthermore, reporters are showing increased interest in Koskela's training sessions, and AEL's social media channels are closely watched for interviews with the coach.
The Order of the Lion of Limassol has been bestowed upon only Christodoulou and Kerkez in the years since the new millennium began. It remains to be seen if Koskela will merit such an honour in the future.
