PAOK
Encyclopedia
| Full Name | Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans |
| Official Emblem | |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Nicknames | Dikefalos tou Vorra (Doublehead eagle of the North) |
| Club colours | Black and White |
| Chairman | Thanasis Katsaris |
| Website | acpaok.gr |
The Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans (. Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Kostantinopolitón), abbreviated P.A.O.K. , is a Macedonian
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The club is home to several teams, including football, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and weightlifting. P.A.O.K. was founded in 1926. Because of its crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
, it is also known as the "Two-Headed Eagle
Double-headed eagle
The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. It is most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and...
of the North", in contrast with AEK Athens
Athletic Union of Constantinople
The Athletic Union of Constantinople , more commonly referred to as AEK or in European competitions as AEK Athens, is a sports club based in the city of Athens, Greece.The club was founded on 13 April 1924 in Athens by Greek refugees from...
, the "Two-Headed Eagle of the South".
History
P.A.O.K. is the historical continuation of the ‘Hermes’ Athletic and Cultural Association from Constantinople established by Greek residents of the city in 1875 in the very heart of the city in the Pera area. The need of Constantinople's Greek residents to express and support their Hellenism within Turkey was what led to the creation of this club. In 1923 following the failed Greek invasion of Asia Minor and the agreed population swap between Greece and the newly established Turkish republic, the Greeks of Constantinople renamed their club Peraclub in line with the new constitution adopted by Kemal Atatürk. Despite this blow to Hellenic culture in Turkey, which was forced to take the path of the refugee and to abandon its traditional home, Peraclub continued its sporting struggle, promising to continue to do so as long as there were Greeks left in Constantinople. The club won cup after cup proving that although the Greeks were a minority they continued to have a strong presence in the sporting sector. However, that situation did not last long and most players were forced to flee, leaving behind a team consisting of residents of Constantinople renamed Politakia. Those who fled settled in Thessaloniki and in 1926 established P.A.O.K., retaining the symbols of their ‘Greekness’, the twin-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire combined with mourning black to symbolize the tragic history of the Greeks in Turkey and white, the color of optimism, a window onto the future, symbolizing their struggle for tomorrow and the victories they intended to win. This club history stretching back to the 19th century in effect makes P.A.O.K. one of Greece's oldest athletic clubs but also means that it shoulders a heavy historical burden.The club's first charter was approved on 20 April 1926 by means of decision of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822).
The club's founding members were A. Angelopoulos, A. Athanassiadis, K. Anagnostidis, M. Ventourellis, F. Vyzantinos,V.Karapiperis, A. Dimitriadis, D. Dimitriadis, N. Zoumboulidis, M. Theodosiadis, T. Ioakimopoulos, P. Kalpaktsoglou, T. Kartsambekis, D. Koemtzopoulos, K. Koemtzopoulos, P. Kontopoulos, K. Kritikos, M. Konstantinidis, P. Maletskas, I. Nikolaidis, L. Papadopoulos, F. Samantzopoulos, T. Tsoulkas, M. Tsoulkas, S. Triantafyllidis, T. Triantafyllidis (who was also its first Chairman).
P.A.O.K.'s first Board of Directors serving between 1926 and 1927 consisted of :
- T. Triantafyllidis (Chairman),
- P. Kalpaktsoglou (1st Vice-Chairman),
- A. Athanassiadis (2nd Vice Chairman),
- V. Karapiperis (3nd Vice Chairman),
- K. Kritikos (Hon. Secretary),
- M. Tsoulkas (Secretary),
- T. Ioakimopoulos (Treasurer),
- A. Angelopoulos (Football Steward),
- M. Konstantinidis (Director) and
- S. Triantafyllidis (Director).
After 2 months of preparation by the team following the club's establishment it was decided that the team should compete against the other teams in Thessaloniki. The desire to see the new team compete led many to the Iraklis Football Ground on 26 July 1925 where it won 2-1.
The vision of the club's founders and fans of the team of establishing a home base became reality in 1928 following much effort and thus on 12 December 1930 the Syntrivaniou Football Ground was officially opened. This was followed by a friendly match against Aris with the home team winning 2-1.
The first professional contract was a document of historic importance. It was signed by the Club on 5 September 1928. The contract stipulated that the footballer Etien who had come from the Constantinople club Peraclub would be paid 4,000 drachmas per month. The contract was signed by Dr. Meletiou (P.A.O.K. Chairman) and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, Hon. Secretary.
Football
- Total Titles: 6
- Greek ChampionshipsSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
: 2- 1976Alpha Ethniki 1975-76-Standings:Pts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;*NotesAtromitos had -3 points-Match table:...
, 1985Alpha Ethniki 1984-85-Standings:Pts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;-Match table:-External links:* * * *... - Runners-up: 1937, 1940, 1973Alpha Ethniki 1972-73-Standings:Pts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;*Notes-Match table:Match changes:* * *...
, 1978Alpha Ethniki 1977-78-Standings:Pts = Points Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference;*NotesVeria had -10 points-Match table:...
, 2010
- 1976
- Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
: 4- 1972Greek Cup 1971-72The Greek Cup 1971-72 was the 30th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 5 July 1972. The match was contested by PAOK and Panathinaikos, with PAOK taking the title 2–1.-...
, 1974Greek Cup 1973-74The Greek Cup 1973-74 was the 32nd edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Nikos Goumas Stadium, Athens on 16 June 1974...
, 2001Greek Cup 2000-01The Greek Cup 2000-2001 was the 59th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 50 teams participated, 16 from Alpha Ethniki, 16 from Beta, and 18 from Gamma. It was held in 6 rounds, included final. An Additional Round was held between First and Second,...
, 2003Greek Cup 2002-03The Vodafone Greek Cup 2002-2003 was the 61st edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-First round:-Second round:-Third round:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:... - Runners-up: 1939Greek Cup 1938-39The Greek Cup 1938-39 was the 3rd edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Nikos Goumas Stadium, Athens on 28 May 1939...
, 1951Greek Cup 1950-51The Greek Cup 1950-51 was the 9th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens on 11 March 1951...
, 1955Greek Cup 1954-55The Greek Cup 1954-55 was the 13th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens on 12 June 1955...
, 1970Greek Cup 1969-70The Greek Cup 1969-70 was the 28th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Lysandros Kaftanzoglou Stadium, Thessaloniki on 28 June 1970...
, 1971Greek Cup 1970-71The Greek Cup 1970-71 was the 29th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 9 June 1971...
, 1973Greek Cup 1972-73The Greek Cup 1972-73 was the 31st edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 17 June 1973...
, 1977Greek Cup 1976-77The Greek Cup 1976-77 was the 35th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 22 June 1977...
, 1978Greek Cup 1977-78The Greek Cup 1977-78 was the 36th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 4 June 1978...
, 1981Greek Cup 1980-81The Greek Cup 1980-81 was the 39th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 58 teams participated, 18 from Alpha Ethniki and 40 from Beta Ethniki. It was held in 6 rounds, included final...
, 1983, 1985Greek Cup 1984-85The Greek Cup 1984-85 was the 43rd edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 76 teams participated, 16 from Alpha Ethniki, 20 from Beta, and 40 from Gamma. It was held in 7 rounds, included final...
, 1992Greek Cup 1991-92The Greek Cup 1991-92 was the 50th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 72 teams participated, 18 from Alpha Ethniki, 18 from Beta, and 36 from Gamma...
- 1972
PAOK is the best mofos
Basketball
- Total Titles: 7
- Greek ChampionshipsA1 EthnikiThe Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
: 2 - Runners-up : 1960, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000
- Greek Cups: 3
- Runners-up : 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991
- Cup Winners' CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
1- 1991European Cup Winner's Cup Basketball 1990-91-Standings:- Final : PAOKHead Coach: Dragan ŠakotaNotes - Pts:points ; Rebs:Rebounds; DNP:Did not played. CAI ZaragozaHead Coach: Manuel Comas...
- Runners-up: 1992, 1996
- 1991
- Korać CupKorac CupThe Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
:1- 1994
Handball
- 2 Greek ChampionshipsGreek Men's handball championship-endorsed by Hellenic Handball Federation:*1980 Ionikos Nea Filadelphia*1981 Ionikos Nea FiladelphiaA Ethniki*1982 Ionikos Nea Filadelphia*1983 Ionikos Nea Filadelphia*1984 Ionikos Nea Filadelphia*1985 Ionikos Nea Filadelphia*1986 Filippos Veria...
: 2009, 2010- Runner Up: 2011
Football Women
- 7 Women Greek Championships: 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- 1 Women Greek Cup: 2002
Rivalries
P.A.O.K.'s main rivals are the teams of OlympiacosOlympiacos CFP
----Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, , , transliterated Olympiakos Sindesmos Filathlon Pireos, is the most popular multisport club and the most successful in Greece, based in Piraeus....
, Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
, AEK
Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos
The Athletic Union of Constantinople , more commonly referred to as AEK or in European competitions as AEK Athens, is a sports club based in the city of Athens, Greece.The club was founded on 13 April 1924 in Athens by Greek refugees from...
and Iraklis. The biggest rivalry is against the arch-rival Aris
Aris and PAOK rivalry
The Derby of Nothern Greece, is a football and basketball rivalry played between Aris and P.A.O.K., clubs which are both located in Thessaloniki...
. The derby against Olympiacos is the fiercest, representing more than any other the animosity between Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. The rivalry started in the 1960s when Olympiacos tried, and failed, to sign Giorgos Koudas
Giorgos Koudas
Giorgos Koudas is a retired attacking football midfielder. Nicknamed Μεγαλέξανδρος of Greek football, he is considered one of the best Greeks ever to play the game, and the last of a marvelous generation, including Mimis Domazos, Thomas Mavros and others.Koudas was a virtuoso of the ball, but...
, one of the best players of his time, from P.A.O.K., through direct negotiations with the player.