AEK Athens turned down the chance to clinch a spot in the Champions League preliminary rounds when they decided on Thursday they would not appeal against their loss to PAOK on Wednesday.
AEK said the appeal against the dozen PAOK players who played in the Super League contest in Athens with expired health booklets would be wrong. The players booklets had expired on 5 July, but they have since then apologised for this and renewed their booklets.
“AEK announces that it will not exercise the legal right of objection against the validity of its match with PAOK,” said the club. “The unshakable and time-honoured position of our team is that games are won and lost on the pitch and not on paper. Let’s hope that this small step of ours will turn into a leap towards the total change of direction of our football,” the AEK statement said.
AEK have 69 points and will face Olympiakos, 88, points while PAOK will play on their home turf against Aris.
Olympiakos has called for the referees to be punished for missing the expired booklets.