With a superb aggregate win against Ystads IF in the inaugural EHF European Cup Men, AEK Athens HC became just the second Greek winner of a European club competition after Diomidis Argous secured the Men’s EHF Challenge Cup in 2012.

After the last act of the EHF European Cup Men was postponed due to several COVID-19 cases, both games were played in Athens last weekend with AEK taking a convincing 54:46 aggregate win.

With players from nine different nationalities, including Spain, Denmark and Norway, and plenty of experience on their side, AEK duly took advantage and won the first leg of the final on Friday 30:26.

The Greek side never relinquished the lead they took in the first minutes of the game, with experienced Greek right wing Dimitrios Tziras leading the way with seven goals.

As Ystads could not count on their most experienced players, Kim Andersson and Dalibor Dodig, the Swedish side had little chance to improve in the second leg, played on Sunday.

They did take the lead three times, lastly in the beginning of the second half, but AEK mounted a superb comeback to seal the trophy in style with a 24:20 win.

WATCH: What. A. Moment. ??@aek_official receive the EHF European Cup Men trophy - as the second team from Greece after AC Diomidis Argous won (the Challenge Cup) in 2012.@ehfec @YIFhandboll pic.twitter.com/szBZ0K7uM0

— HomeofHandball (@HomeofHandball) May 30, 2021

Greek left back Christodoulos Mylonas scored five times, after putting six past Ystads in the first game, to help his side write history in European competitions.

Swedish right back Jakob Nygren, the top scorer of the competition with 43 goals, combined for 10 goals in the two legs, but could not stop AEK’s march to their first international trophy.

“It was a very difficult season. We did not play a lot of games, but we trained a lot and it was a difficult time for the players. Our work paid off and I am proud of my players,” said AEK’s coach, Dimitris Dimitroulias, after the Greek side lifted the trophy.

Greece becomes only the sixth country to win the third-tier European competition at least twice, joining Romania (seven times), Germany (six times), Portugal (three times), Sweden and Denmark (twice each).

For information about the competition, visit the EHF European Cup Men website.

Photo: AEK Athens HC