Europe - how was it for you?

European football got under way properly this week, with what is pretty much the annual poor showing by Greece's representatives.

Olympiakos threw away the lead in their opening home Big Cup fixture to lose 4-2 to Valencia, whilst AEK continued their dismal run in the Champions League by losing again. Apparently they are yet to win a game in the competition ever. Mind you, this time, their opening game was away to convicted match fixers A.C. Milan, so what other result would you expect?

In Euro Vase, Atromitos of Athens lost 2-1 at home to Sevilla. Skoda Xanthi also lost at home - sharing seven goals with Dinamo Bucharest in a match that I saw some of. Xanthi actually came back from 3-1 down to draw level at one point, but let in a late goal.

I also saw a bit of the Panathinaikos match, where they let slip a 1-0 lead against unfancied Metallurg Zaporizhzhya, who ended up with ten men.

In fact, the only positive result for Greek football in Europe was in an away fixture - Iraklis sneaking a 1-0 win over Wisla Krakow in Poland.

I don't expect the UEFA Cup to be troubling my Greek TV screen for long.