How Greek Media Have Reacted to Anthony Martial’s Start at AEK Athens

After a hesitant start to life away from Manchester United, it finally appears as though Anthony Martial is playing with a smile on his face again over in Greece after scoring and assisting in his first four games.The Frenchman left Old Trafford in the summer after his contract expiration, and ended up inking a three-year deal AEK Athens aiming to revive his career and halt its decline.

Upon signing with the 13-time Greek champions, Martial secured a £2.9 million-per-year contract, making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history. This was undoubtedly a risky move for AEK Athens, who would have been made fully aware of the 28-year-old’s struggles to justify the £36 million fee paid by Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United back in 2015.

But the club and the player have embarked on a mutual quest to reclaim their former glory, offering hope that the partnership could prove fruitful. AEK Athens have struggled to maintain dominance in the Greek Super League, winning the title in 2022/23 but failing to defend it. Meanwhile, Martial, once a sought-after wonderkid admired across Europe, is eager to rediscover some of his early career form, and it’s clearly paying dividends, with the Greek media recently changing their tune on the marquee signing.

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Anthony Martial’s Rocky Start in Greece

The Frenchman’s comeback didn’t come without another setback along the way

Martial’s last appearance for Man United came on December 9, 2023, in a 3-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth. Following the game, Martial faced injuries that sidelined him for the remainder of the season, meaning he arrived in Greece having not played a competitive game for 10 months, and so, naturally, the notion was that the Frenchman’s revival wasn’t going to happen overnight.

This was certainly evident in his debut outing for his new club. Martial came on in the 76th minute against city rivals PAOK and was unable to convince his new supporters that he could refind his goalcoring touch. He had just four touches of the ball, lost possession once, and failed to win either of his duels.

While he did complete two accurate passes, the performance was far removed from the brilliance he once displayed, notably with his iconic solo goal against Liverpool in 2015 that announced his arrival at Old Trafford.

On that occasion, a journalist in Greece branded his first appearance “colourless, odourless, and tasteless”, as per GOAL. Kostas Kafinas, writing for SDNA, also called for patience, though. He continued: “Obviously, they are all obliged to wait for the highly paid, but out-of-form footballer.”

The initial call for patience has proven to be insightful. After four more appearances in the yellow and black of AEK Athens, Martial has begun to win over both fans and the media.

Martial’s Upturn in Form

He’s started to win over his new supporters after a run in the team

It’s fair to say a lot has changed since Martial’s worrying debut cameo, as the Frenchman is quickly showing signs of his former glory to his new fans and critics. A recent report from the Gazzetta said that, although he hasn’t “put his foot on the gas”, he has “presented us with some first samples of his undeniable footballing quality.”

This is a judgement starkly different to the previous one made by a Greek journalist just a few weeks ago, and that is largely down to Martial’s dramatic uptick in form as of late. Hehas made five appearances and played on the left wing under Matias Almeyda, scoring his first goal in a cup win over Aris before providing what was described as a “terrific” assist in his most recent appearance – a 3-0 win over Asteras on 9 November before the international break. The same report continues:

Sport 24 also commented on Martial’s performance against Asteras, emphasising how he made “a big difference in the creation part.” He registered 61 actions with the ball, including seven key passes and three big chances created – both of which are records for this season’s Greek Super League.

Writer Thomas Tsouvaras described it as a “creative 90 minutes” for Martial, who will now look to build on this and maintain his form going forward. AEK Athens are currently second in the league after 11 games, level on points with league leaders Aris. Next up, they face third-placed Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium.