The match that matters most
Everything comes down to Sunday. PAOK travel to Leoforos to face Panathinaikos in what is, functionally, a final. A win, combined with Olympiakos dropping points, sends PAOK into the Champions League qualifiers (1) (28). That sentence alone captures what kind of week this has been: one defined entirely by a single fixture, and the calculations surrounding it.
Panathinaikos have nothing to play for in the table. Rafa Benitez's side sit outside the top four and the coach has already been managing expectations, telling reporters the club knew it would be difficult to break into the top four when they arrived (19). But Panathinaikos have their own motivation: Leoforos hosts its final match before the ground's farewell, and the club want to send it off with a win (34). Sentiment is a real force in football. PAOK cannot afford to treat this as a formality.
Lovren's return changes the equation
The biggest team news of the week was Zdenek Lovren's return to fitness. The experienced centre-back is available for the Panathinaikos match, giving Lucescu a significant defensive option he had been without (9) (11) (12) (20). His return matters beyond just personnel depth. PAOK need a clean sheet, or at least defensive solidity, to control a match where the pressure will be entirely on them to win. Lovren's leadership at the back could be decisive.
Panathinaikos, for their part, will be without Tetté, who is confirmed out of the squad (17) (18) (23) (25) (27). Renato Sanches, however, is available and travels with the group (25).
The Kalathes story: ambition made concrete
The Nick Kalathes story gathered real momentum this week. Multiple sources confirmed that PAOK are close to signing the Greek-American point guard as part of the club's basketball operation, with a deal expected soon (13) (14) (16) (29). One report framed it directly: you don't pay a player at that salary level for a Eurocup project (29). This is a statement of intent from PAOK's ownership. The football side is fighting for Champions League football. The basketball side is recruiting accordingly. The club is moving in one direction.
Women's team: a perfect ending
Amid all the noise around the men's fixture, PAOK's women's team delivered something worth celebrating properly. They hammered NPS Volos 6–0 at Toumba to close out an unbeaten title-winning season (35). The trophy ceremony was held on the pitch, and the numbers are remarkable: 23 wins across the season, zero defeats (2) (32). That is a dominant campaign by any measure, and it deserves more than a footnote.
What to watch for next week
The answer is simple: the scoreline from Leoforos, and whatever happens in the Olympiakos match simultaneously. If PAOK win and Olympiakos slip, the conversation next week shifts entirely to Champions League qualifying draws and squad planning for Europe. If not, a summer of difficult questions begins. Watch also for any official confirmation on Kalathes, and whether Lucescu signals any tactical shift in how he sets up without the pressure of a title race. The shape of PAOK's next season gets clearer by Sunday night.