A former Manchester City star recalled his experiences at AEK Athens, who are preparing for a Champions League clash against Enzo Maresca's side

Former Manchester City star Joleon Lescott will understand the demands being placed on AEK Athens better than most ahead of the team’s Champions League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. The defender had a brief stint with AEK later in his career and was shocked by what he experienced in Greece.

Lescott spent five seasons with City after joining from Everton in 2009 and was pivotal to the club’s success under Roberto Mancini. He helped the team lift the FA Cup in 2011 and made 31 league appearances as City claimed their first Premier League crown the following year.

After falling out of favour under Manuel Pellegrini, the centre-back had short spells with West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa before choosing to head abroad in 2016. The ex-England international was a veteran defender when he arrived in Athens but was still surprised by the level of expectation surrounding AEK, who are set to face Enzo Maresca’s side in the Champions League.

A knee injury limited Lescott to four appearances before his contract was ended by mutual consent after just three months. However, it proved to be enough time for the centre-back to understand the club divides within the Greek capital.

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“I remember when I was over there in Athens there were certain places in the city I couldn't go,” Lescott said on In The Mixer in 2025. “There was my AEK Athens and then there was Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in the city so you had to be divided.

“I was told not to live in certain areas and stuff like that. I live in Manchester now but there's nowhere I can't go because of United fans as much as they love their club. It's totally different and it works for them!”

Lescott witnessed the passion first-hand as AEK prepared for an early-season clash against Olympiacos. A subsequent 3-0 loss led to the sacking of former Newcastle United star Temur Ketsbaia and the situation left a lasting impression on the former City star.

Recalling the build-up to the Olympiacos clash, Lescott said: “I remember the night before the game, I'm in my room and the captain comes and knocks on the door and says, 'Oh, we've got to go downstairs. The fans are there.'

“I had a routine when I played and stuff and it was just like getting ready and going to ice and doing what I needed to do. I said, 'Yeah, no, I'll leave it.' He was like, 'No, no no, we have to go downstairs.'

“And we went downstairs and the ultras were in the reception with the flares and they were singing and it was going off. They were very passionate about the importance of the game and making us aware that we needed to win. We didn't win, we lost.

“As I said, we were top. It was a game before the international break and then the manager got the sack. He literally got the sack, and we were the top of the league. Just because we lost against Olympiacos. Crazy, isn't it? It's crazy. It's a different world."

While the results show the 46-year-old misremembers AEK being top of the league, the incident does highlight the pressure that Lescott faced during his spell at the club. The reigning Greek champions will hope to bounce back from their recent Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk and showcase their quality against City.

Maresca’s side will also be looking to get back to winning ways in Europe after their 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last week. City head into the AEK clash following a 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday.