Luka Jovic is set to face Real Madrid with AEK Athens, where the Serbian forward has found a more productive spell after a difficult period in Spain and Italy. He joined the Greek side in 2025, having previously played for Fiorentina and AC Milan.
Real Madrid paid €63 million to sign Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019. He scored only three goals for the club over two and a half seasons. Two came in the closing stages of comfortable wins, against Leganés and Osasuna, while the third came in a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad. The club eventually let him leave in 2022 without a transfer fee.
Jovic later said he had been too young and unprepared for some of the challenges at Madrid. He also cited the coronavirus pandemic and injuries, and said his career might have gone better had he taken an intermediate step between Eintracht and Madrid. He returned to the German club on loan for the second half of the 2020-21 season, then moved to Fiorentina and Milan. Madrid received half of the €500,000 Milan paid for him, having retained 50% of his rights.
At AEK, Jovic has scored 21 goals and helped the club win the Greek league last season. He has added seven more this season, though none in the Champions League. Coach Marko Nikolic, who is also Serbian, said Jovic had contributed greatly and that the team was pleased with him.
Jovic has acknowledged that his seemingly detached manner on the pitch can shape how people view him. After joining AEK, he said he understood why some believed he did not care when he played, adding that at times he did not feel good about seeing himself that way. He has described his move to Athens as a choice for a calmer environment, rather than an attempt to escape pressure.
Sources: El País Deportes.