The Australian youngsters - mostly from the Premier Youth League in NSW - will play against AEK’s youth team and other Greek Super League U20 sides as part of a six-game schedule.

They’ll also practise at the club’s new training base and see  live Greek Super League matches while in Athens. And this Saturday the visiting Aussies will get a taste of Greek football first hand when they attend this weekend's Athens derby as AEK square off against Olympiakos.

Burns will also meet up with the players and give them an insight into life at the club during their stay.

With Burns set to play this weekend after recovering from injury and playing 90 minutes in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Kavala, it should be a spectacular introduction to the passion and colour of the Greek Super League.

Coach Dusan Bajevic has left AEK but former Sevilla coach Manolo Jiminez has since taken over and from all reports has maintained the technical approach of his predecessor.

AEK’s venture into the Australian youth development market – their first international academy – was born out of a successful visit to Australian in July for the Sydney Festival of Football.

The Greeks not only won the tournament (also featuring Blackburn, Sydney FC and Glasgow Rangers) but gave Greek football’s reputation a boost playing an eye-catching brand of football under coach and former club great Bajevic.

It also gave local fans a chance to see former A-League star and Socceroo Burns for the first time since his 2008 transfer to Athens.  And he didn’t disappoint,  scoring a cracking goal against Rangers and playing well enough to earn a recall to the national team shortly thereafter.

“We understand Australia is a unique sporting marketplace with intense competition among four football codes to attract the best young talent and we hope we can play a role in attracting young talent to our football code,” Adamidis said in July.

“Our partners have informed us that the FFA launched a national curriculum last year and we aim to work within those guidelines as we introduce the AEK youth coaching methodology.  Hopefully we can have more Australian players like Nathan Burns and past players like Jim Patikas wear the AEK jersey in the future.”

The AEK academy kicks off in February next year in Sydney and Melbourne. The players will train with academy coaches with one night a week for the year but will remain with their respective clubs.

HQ in Sydney is the refurbished Hensley Athletic Field at Pagewood in the city’s east. Last year the Federal Government stumped up over $2m to improve the facilities which now include a synthetic pitch and five a side ground.

“You can’t get the best out of kids with bad lighting and bad surfaces, that’s why we chose this facility,” Arthur Diles, a director of the local AEK academy, told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“For AEK it’s not about ‘how much money can we make’, it’s about can we get a player. One player in five years would be a huge success for them.

"We’ve got the backing of the club so it’s not like a franchise with kids paying up to $4000 a year.”

AEK are believed to have first refusal on any player at their Australian academy.

Costs are kept to a minimum at up to $750 for an entire year. AEK will also fund four players a year to visit the club and train in Athens.

Diles, who is taking his B coaching licence, said AEK plan to send coaches here and he’s already locked in local coaches such as former Young Socceroo hero Mark Koussas. AEK are also speaking with Pablo Cardozo.

AEK has a strong Aussie connection. Ex Sydney FC and Wollongong defender Alvin Ceccoli played for Enosis in 1999. The Socceroo also scored one of the season's best goals with a 35m rocket, although he left the club disillusioned with Greek football after a season in Athens.  

Former Socceroo Patikas played eight seasons for the Greek giant from the mid-80s and, as Adamidis notes, is still held in high regard.

AEK are currently fifth in the Greek Super League.

More information is at http://www.aekfcfootballacademy.com.au