AEK Athens F.C.
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| Full name |
Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως (Athletic Union of Constantinople) | |||
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| Nickname(s) |
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| Founded | 13 April 1924 | |||
| Ground |
Olympic Stadium Athens, Greece | |||
| Capacity | 69,618[1] | |||
| Owner | Union Friends of AEK[2] | |||
| President | Evangelos Aslanidis | |||
| Head Coach | José Morais | |||
| League | Superleague Greece | |||
| 2015–16 | Superleague Greece, 4th | |||
| Website | Club home page | |||
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| Active departments of AEK Athens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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AEK F.C. (Greek: ΑΕΚ ΠΑΕ, Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos, Athletic Union of Constantinople) abbreviated as AEK, known in European competitions as AEK Athens F.C.,[3] is a Greek association football club based in Nea Filadelfeia suburb of Athens.
Established in Athens, in 1924, by Greek refugees from Constantinople, in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922), its name is a direct reference to the origins of the founders. The club's emblem is the double-headed eagle, used by the Palaiologos dynasty and traditionally by the Byzantine Empire, as a remembrance of the Byzantine legacy and the historical ties of the club. AEK is one of the three most successful teams in Greek football (including Olympiakos and Panathinaikos), winning 30 national titles and the only to have won all the competitions organised by the Hellenic Football Federation (including 11 Championships, 15 Greek Cups, 1 League Cup and 3 Super Cups).[4]
They are one of the most popular Greek clubs with millions of fans in Greece and Cyprus, and in Greek communities worldwide, mainly in Australia, United Kingdom, and North America.
The club has appeared several times in European competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup), in which they are the second most successful Greek football club in terms of achievements. They were the first Greek team to compete in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in the early '90s, while they are until today the only Greek team which reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup (1976–77). They have also reached once the quarter-finals of the European Cup (1968–69) and twice the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1996–97, 1997–98). AEK is a member of the European Club Association.
Traditional rivalries of AEK are considered the matches against Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, the other two major clubs of the capital. PAOK is another of the club's rivalries.
History
Creation and first years (1924–1944)
The large Greek population of Constantinople, not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Enosis Tataoulon (Ένωσις Ταταούλων) and Iraklis (Ηρακλής) from the Tatavla district, Megas Alexandros (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) and Hermes (Ερμής) of Galata and Olympias (Ολυμπιάς) of Therapia existed to promote the Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals. These were amongst a dozen Greek-backed clubs that dominated the sporting landscape of the city in the years preceding World War I. After the war, with the influx of mainly French and English soldiers to Constantinople, many of the city clubs participated in regular competition with teams formed by the foreign troops. Taxim, Pera, and Tatavla became the scene of weekly competitions in not only football, but of athletics, cycling, boxing, and tennis.
Of the clubs in the city, though, football was dominated by Enosis Tataoulon and Hermes. Hermes, one of the most popular clubs, was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera (Galata). Forced to change its name to Pera Club in 1921, many of its athletes, and those of most other sporting clubs, fled during the population exchanges at the end of the Greco-Turkish War, and settled in Athens, and Thessaloniki.[5]
In 1920, a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them athletes from Pera Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) met at the athletic shop "Lux" of Emilios Ionas and Konstantinos Dimopoulos on Veranzerou Street, in the center of Athens, and created AEK.[6]
The founders of AEK established the club with the intention of providing athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni, etc.), and in other Greek cities, under difficult circumstances.
A.E.K. FC first team
GK: Kitsos, DF: Ieremiades, DF: Asderis, MF: Kechagias, MF: Paraskevas, MF: Dimopoulos, MF: Karagiannides, FW: Baltas, FW: Milas, FW: Iliades, FW: Georgiades. AEK played its first match against Aias Athinon in November 1924, winning 2–0.
AEK's football team grew rapidly in popularity during the 1920s, eclipsing the already-established Athens-based refugee clubs (Panionios, Apollon Smyrni etc.), thanks mainly to the large pool of immigrants that were drawn to the club, the significance of the name "Constantinople" for many refugees and Greeks, plus, in no small part, to the political connections and wealth of several of the club's board members. Not possessing a football ground, AEK played most of its early matches at various locations around Athens, including the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.
AEK's first president, Konstantinos Spanoudis (1871–1941), a journalist and associate of the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, petitioned the government to set aside land for the establishment of a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfeia that was originally set aside for refugee housing, was donated as a training ground for the refugees' sports activities. AEK began using the ground for training (albeit unofficially) and by 1930, the property was signed over to the club. Venizelos soon approved the plans to build what was to become AEK's home ground for the next 70 years, the Nikos Goumas Stadium. The first home game, in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiakos that ended in a 2–2 draw.[7]
In 1928, Panathinaikos, Olympiakos, and AEK, began a dispute with the fledgling Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), decided to break away from the Athens regional league and form an alliance called POK (from their initial letters, K was for AEK: Konstantinoupolis). During the dispute, POK organised friendly matches against each other and several continental European clubs. In 1929, though, the dispute ended and AEK, along with the other POK clubs, entered the EPO fold once again.
In 1932, AEK won their first Greek Cup title, beating Aris Thessaloniki 5–3 in the final. The team boasted a number of star football players like Kostas Negrepontis (a veteran of the original Pera Club of Constantinople), Kleanthis Maropoulos, Tryfon Tzanetis, Michalis Delavinias, Giorgos Mageiras, and Spyros Sklavounos.
The club's mixed success during the 1930s was highlighted by the first Greek Championship and Greek Cup (making the Double) in 1939. Under former player Kostas Negrepontis as coach, AEK won also the Greek Championship of 1940.
After WWII (1944–1959)
With English coach Jack Beby at the reins of AEK, veteran players Maropoulos, Tzanetis, Delavinias and Mageiras, along with new blood Kostas Poulis, Giorgos Goulios, and Pavlos Emmanouilidis, won the Greek Cup competitions of 1949 and 1950, beating Panathinaikos 2–1 and Aris 4–0.
AEK won also the Athens regional championship of 1950, but the playoff games for the Pan-Hellenic title were not played, due to many players being called up for a prolonged training camp for the national team.
The early 1950s saw the addition of the next generation of star footballers in Giannis Kanakis, Andreas Stamatiadis, and goalkeeper Stelios Serafeidis. Along with Kostas Poulis, and Pavlos Emmanouilidis, AEK again won the Greek Cup title in 1956. In the final, they beat Olympiacos 2–1 at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium to win its fifth cup. The year 1957 saw the debut of one of the greatest forwards of the era and one of the most notable players in the club's history, Kostas Nestoridis. Having joined AEK from Panionios in 1956, Nestoridis was forced to sit out the 1956 season because of a dispute between the two clubs over his transfer. In 1958 and 1959, he finished top goal scorer in the league, but it wasn’t enough for AEK to win any title. On both occasions they finished second in the league behind Olympiakos.
New successes (1960–1974): Nestoridis-Papaioannou era
With Kostas Nestoridis scoring goals aplenty in the early 1960s, (top goalscorer for 5 seasons in row, from 1958 to 1963), and the timely signing of attacker Mimis Papaioannou (all-time top goalscorer and appearances recordman of the club) in 1962, AEK went on to win the 1962–63 championship. Known affectionately as "Mimis" by the AEK supporters, Papaioannou scored twice in the 1963 playoff against Panathinaikos, levelling the scores at 3–3 and giving AEK its first post-war championship on goal aggregate. Coached by Hungarian-German Jenő Csaknády, the championship team also consisted of Stelios Serafeidis, Miltos Papapostolou, and Andreas Stamatiadis. Youngsters like Alekos Sofianidis, Stelios Skevofilakas, Giorgos Petridis, and Manolis Kanellopoulos, also played a significant role in the victorious 1963 campaign.
The club followed up with Cup victories in 1964 and 1966. With the return of Csaknady to the coach's position in 1968 and with the addition of some great players like Kostas Nikolaidis, Giorgos Karafeskos, Panagiotis Ventouris, Fotis Balopoulos, Spyros Pomonis, Alekos Iordanou, Nikos Stathopoulos and Andreas Papaemmanouil, AEK easily won the championship of 1967–68.
European Champions Cup quarter-finals
In 1968–69 season AEK, with new coach, Serbian Branko Stanković, became the first Greek football club to reach the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup, but was eliminated by the Czechoslovakian Spartak Trnava.
The addition of goalkeeper Stelios Konstantinidis, and Apostolos Toskas, reinforced the team and allowed AEK to take its fifth championship title in 1971.
AEK also won the unofficial SuperCup of 1971, beating Olympiacos 4–2 on penalty kicks after 2 draws (2–2 at Piraeus and 1–1 at Nea Filadelfeia). Mavros, Eleutherakis, and Ardizoglou were part of the AEK outfit that dominated the Greek league in the late 1970s.
The Great AEK of Barlos (1974–81)
Loukas Barlos, a successful industrialist, took over the presidency and financial support of AEK in 1974, and with the help of coach Frantisek Fadrhonc built one of the finest teams in the club's history. The Barlos "Golden Era" saw some of the greatest players ever to have played for AEK. Christos Ardizoglou, Giorgos Dedes, Giorgos Skrekis, the Germans Walter Wagner and Timo Zahnleiter, Dionysis Tsamis, Pantelis Nikolaou, Petros Ravousis, Dušan Bajević, Takis Nikoloudis, Stefanos Theodoridis, Christos Itzoglou, Nikos Christidis, Stelios Manolas, and many more.
UEFA Cup semi-finalists
Captained by Papaioannou, in 1976–1977 season, AEK reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup competition, the first Greek football club to do so. Beating FC Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 2–0, Derby County F.C. (U.K.) 2–0 and 3–2, Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia) 2–0, and QPR (U.K.) 3–0 and 7–6 on penalties, AEK were eventually eliminated by Gianni Agnelli’s Juventus. Juventus went on to win their first European title.
Thomas Mavros: a goal-machine
It was during this period that AEK signed one of Greece's finest strikers, Thomas Mavros, a real goal-machine who is the all-time top goalscorer in the Greek Championship with 260 goals. During the following years, he and Dušan Bajević formed a frightening attacking duo for AEK.
He was an integral part of the team that reached the UEFA Cup final in 1976, but it was his devastating form (top goal scorer of 1978 and 1979 – 22 and 31 goals, respectively) that helped AEK to win the 1977–78 Championship, and the Cup, making the Double. The addition of former Panathinaikos stars Domazos and Eleutherakis to the AEK roster, the following year, saw the club cap off their most successful decade to-date by winning the 1979 Championship.
Under the leadership of Loukas Barlos, the Nikos Goumas Stadium was finally completed with the addition of the iconic covered stand, or Skepasti (Σκεπαστή), which eventually became home to the most fanatic of AEK supporter groups, "Original 21". The next generation of star players, fresh out of AEK's Academy, made their debut during this period: Stelios Manolas, Spyros Ekonomopoulos, Vangelis Vlachos, and Lysandros Georgamlis.
1981–1999
With new president Michalis Arkadis and Austrian head coach Helmut Senekowitsch, AEK won the 1983 Greek Cup, beating PAOK 2–0 in the newly built Athens Olympic Stadium. Thomas Mavros and Vangelis Vlachos were the goalscorers.
AEK also chased the elusive Championship title and it finally came in 1989. Coached by former player Dušan Bajević, AEK clinched the title after a winning a crucial match 1–0 against Olympiakos at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Takis Karagiozopoulos scored the goal that gave AEK its first Championship after ten years. AEK won also the Greek SuperCup of 1989, beating Panathinaikos on penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw.
The "Golden Team" of Bajević: 3 consecutive Championships
After the 1989 triumphs, under Bajević, AEK built what was to become one of the most successful teams in its history. Captained by Stelios Manolas, the team, which included Toni Savevski, Daniel Batista, Vaios Karagiannis, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Giorgos Savvidis, Alekos Alexandris, Vassilios Tsiartas (one of the best players in AEK's history), Michalis Kasapis, Refik Šabanadžović, and Vassilios Borbokis, dominated the Greek league through the 1990s with three successive Championship titles (1992, 1993, 1994). Temur Ketsbaia and Christos Kostis were later added to this group. AEK won the only Greek League Cup ever organised in 1990 (beating Olympiakos 3–2).
First Greek presence in the UEFA Champions League group stage
In 1994–1995, AEK was the first Greek football club that participated in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Scottish champions Rangers FC; AEK was eliminated by Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan, who made it to the final. With Michalis Trochanas as president and Dušan Bajević as coach, the club won the Greek Cup in 1996.
Former player Petros Ravousis took over the coaching position when Dušan Bajević defected to Olympiakos at the end of 1996. Ravousis led the team to its second SuperCup in 1996, and its eleventh Cup title in 1997, beating Panathinaikos in both finals.
By far AEK's most successful run with titles, the period also saw AEK sign young talented players like Demis Nikolaidis, Christos Kostis, Vassilis Tsiartas, Christos Maladenis, Andreas Zikos, and Michalis Kasapis. Nikolaidis, in particular, an AEK fan since childhood, declined more lucrative offers from Olympiakos and Panathinaikos to sign for his beloved club. During the 1996–97 and 1997–98 seasons, AEK progressed to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where they were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain and FC Lokomotiv Moscow.
In 1999, ex-president Dimitris Melissanidis organised a friendly match against FK Partizan in Belgrade, during the height of the NATO bombing of Serbia. As a gesture of compassion and solidarity towards the embattled Serbs, the AEK players and management staff defied the international embargo and traveled to Belgrade for the match. The game ended 1–1, when after 60 minutes thousands of Serbian football fans invaded the pitch to embrace the footballers.
21st century
AEK won its twelfth Cup title in 2000 under coach Giannis Pathiakakis, defeating Ionikos 3–0 in the final. The club continued its consistency in the Championship of 2001–02 finishing second, by goal aggregate to Olympiakos, and beating Olympiakos in the Greek Cup final.
2002–03 UEFA Champions League unbeaten run
Dusan Bajevic returned as coach in the summer of 2002, a move that sparked open hostility towards Bajevic from a section of AEK supporters. A strong team, called Dream team by the fans, was created with players like Kostas Katsouranis, Ilija Ivić, Dionisis Chiotis, Vassilis Borbokis, Grigorios Georgatos, Theodoros Zagorakis, Walter Centeno, Michalis Kapsis, Michalis Kasapis, Michel Kreek, Vassilis Lakis, Vassilis Tsiartas (who returned from Sevilla), Ioannis Okkas, Nikos Liberopoulos, and Demis Nikolaidis.
Under Bajevic, AEK progressed through the qualifying rounds in the 2002 UEFA Champions League by eliminating APOEL FC. Drawn in Group A with AS Roma, Real Madrid, and Racing Genk, AEK with good performances drew all their games and were knocked out of the competition. They continued to UEFA Cup, eliminating Maccabi Haifa (4–0, 4–1) before being knocked out by Málaga CF.
Off the field, president Makis Psomiadis (today in prison) caused many problems for AEK and with his mismanagement overcharged the club. Also, with the assistance of his bodyguards, he allegedly assaulted captain Demis Nikolaidis and other players.
After the altercation, and partly due to the club's growing financial problems, Nikolaidis was let on free transfer by mutual consent to Atlético Madrid. Unable to cope with the negativity from a large section of AEK fans, Bajević resigned in 2004 after a match against Iraklis.
Demis Nikolaidis period
In 2004, Demis Nikolaidis and other significant AEK followers formed a supporters' club Enosis 1924 (Union 1924) in order to motivate all AEK supporters into taking up the club's shares and governance. The project was not fully realised because, in the meantime, various businessmen decided to buy shares and invest money in the club. However, to this date, Enosis 1924's chairman is member of the AEK FC board. The same year, Nikos Goumas Stadium, AEK's home stadium for over 70 years, was demolished.
In 2004, on the back of strong AEK fan support, Nikolaidis, at the head of a consortium of businessmen, bought out the beleaguered club and became the new president. His primary task was to lead AEK out of its precarious financial position. The first success was an arrangement through the Greek judicial system to write off most of the massive debt that previous club administrators had amassed, and to repay any remaining public debts in manageable installments.
Securing the club's existence in the Alpha Ethniki, Nikolaidis then began a program to rebuild AEK to its former glory. He appointed experienced former player Ilija Ivić as technical director and brought back Fernando Santos as coach. The AEK fans, emboldened by Nikolaidis's efforts, followed suit by buying season ticket packages in record numbers (over 17,000).
AEK recruited promising young players to strengthen a depleted team. Led by the experienced Katsouranis and Lymperopoulos, and featuring Brazilian Júlio César, the club made it to the Greek Cup final for the seventh time in 13 years, but finished second in the Championship, and in the process, secured a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. For the 2006–07 season, former Real Betis coach Llorenç Serra Ferrer was appointed to the coaching position after Fernando Santos's contract was not renewed.
By beating Hearts over both legs (2–1 in Scotland and 3–0 in Greece), AEK progressed to the group stage of Champions-League, the club obtained a total of 8 points, having beaten AC Milan 1–0, Lille 1–0, and managing two draws with Anderlecht (1–1 in Greece and 2–2 in Belgium). AEK finished second in the Greek Super League, qualifying again for the third round in the UEFA Champions League.
2007–2008 Championship
For the 2007/08 season AEK changed kit sponsors from Adidas to Puma.[8] They played with Sevilla FC in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. The first leg has been played on 15 August, away at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, where AEK was defeated by 2 goals,[9] and the second leg played on 3 September, at the Athens Olympic Stadium where AEK lost again by 1–4.[10]
AEK completed the signings of Brazilian legend Rivaldo, after he was let free from Olympiakos, Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Charis Pappas, and Argentine striker Ismael Blanco. Traianos Dellas was rewarded with a new contract, keeping him at the club until summer 2009.[11] On 25 August, the Super League and EPO decided to postpone the opening season's games due to the fire disaster in the Peloponnese.[12][13]
After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, AEK were drawn to play against FC Salzburg for the UEFA Cup. On 20 September, in Athens, AEK defeated FC Salzburg 3–0.[14] In the second leg, played in Salzburg on 4 October, AEK lost the match but still went through 3–1 on aggregate.[15] On 9 October, AEK were drawn in Group C in the UEFA Cup group stage along with Villarreal, Fiorentina, Mladá Boleslav, and Elfsborg.[16] On 25 October, AEK kicked off the group stage with a 1–1 draw away to Elfsborg.[17] On 29 November, AEK again drew 1–1, this time at home to Fiorentina.[18] On 5 December, AEK won Mladá Boleslav 1–0 away[19] and on 20 December, AEK was home defeated 1–2[20] by Villarreal CF, but finally booked a place in the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup by finishing third in the group. They were then drawn against Getafe CF in the third round (phase of 32). AEK advanced to the third round of UEFA Cup for the second consecutive season.
On 12 February, AEK parted company with Llorenç Serra Ferrer after a poor run of form and un-successful signings[21] and replaced him with former player Nikos Kostenoglou, on a caretaker basis. The team initially finished in first place in the league, but after the court case between Apollon Kalamaria and Olympiakos for the illegal usage of a player in the 1–0 Apollon Kalamaria win earlier in the season, Olympiakos was awarded 3 points, thus finishing 2 points ahead of AEK.[22]
President Demis Nikolaidis and several other managers and chairmen were angered with the court's decision, stating that the Hellenic Football Federation knew about the usage of the illegal player prior to the game and had indeed issued a registration (blue card), but didn't do anything about it. Panathinaikos also challenged the result at the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) with no success, as the Hellenic Federation did not support the claim. Rivaldo had stated his intention to leave Greece if the ruling went in favour of Olympiakos and AEK were not declared champions. He stated, "a team that was not good enough to win the title on the pitch does not deserve the trophy."[23]
Giorgos Donis was appointed head coach of AEK on 14 May.[24] His reign at the club did not go well. It all began when AEK failed to surpass AC Omonia in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round, which meant their elimination from European competitions for the season.[25] Rivaldo asked to leave the club to sign for Bunyodkor on 27 August.[26]
The league campaign started very well after a win over rivals Panathinaikos in the opening game of the season, but poor performances and results from then on left AEK in a difficult situation. Head coach Donis was eager to leave the club, but president Nikolaidis did not allow him to leave. Nevertheless, Nikolaidis left due to disappointing results and after a controversy with the club's supporters, Original 21,[27] leaving the presidency temporarily to the members of the D.C., Nikos Koulis, and Takis Kanellopoulos.[28]
Financial problems and relegation
However, the series of disappointing results continued, bringing anger and insecure situations for everyone on the team. The first to be hit by this wave of disappointment and with the council of the team upset, was coach Donis, who was asked to leave the team.[29] On 21 November 2008, AEK hired Dušan Bajević as head coach for third time.[30] However, after a while, Takis Kanellopoulos left the club, as he sparked a rivalry with Bajević.
On 4 February 2009, Nikos Thanopoulos was elected as the 41st president of AEK FC.[31] Bajevic brought some much-needed stability to the club, and performances on the pitch improved vastly towards the end of the season, culminating in AEK's progression to the Greek Cup final against Olympiakos which was played on 2 May 2009, at Athens Olympic Stadium.[32] AEK lost in the final 14–15 on penalties.[33] AEK finished the regular season in fourth position, thus qualifying for the season's playoffs, in which they eventually finished second, just missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification.
In the summer transfer period of 2010, AEK, despite being low on budget, managed to reinforce its ranks with many notable players. Club idols Nikos Liberopoulos and Traianos Dellas signed the last one-year contracts of their careers, and many new and experienced players signed to AEK, the most notable of whom were Papa Bouba Diop, Cristian Nasuti, and Christos Patsatzoglou. AEK qualified for the 2010–2011 Europa League group stage after defeating Dundee United 2–1 on aggregate.
On 7 October 2010, Manolo Jiménez agreed to a two-year deal and took over for Bajević.[34]
On 30 April 2011, AEK won the Greek Cup for the 14th time, defeating 3–0 Atromitos FC at the final.
To compensate the departures of Nacho Scocco, Papa Bouba Diop, Sebastian Saja, and Ismael Blanco in the summer of 2011, AEK signed the captain of Iceland Eiður Guðjohnsen, and Colombian international Fabián Vargas. Due to financial problems, on 25 June 2012, AEK's legend Thomas Mavros took the club's management and on 1 August 2012, became president in an effort to save the club from financial disaster. Many other AEK former players like Vassilis Tsiartas, Mimis Papaioannou, Kostas Nestoridis, Christos Kostis, Vangelis Vlachos, Christos Arvanitis, and Giorgos Karafeskos were hired to help the club return to its previous glory days. Due to the bad results, on 30 September 2012, Vangelis Vlachos was fired and Ewald Lienen hired as AEK's head coach. On 9 April 2013, Lienen was fired after disappointing results and AEK hired Traianos Dellas as head coach with Vassilis Borbokis and Akis Zikos for assistants.
On 19 April 2013, a Super League disciplinary committee voted to dock AEK 3 points and award Panthrakikos a 3–0 win, after fans stormed the pitch and chased players from the field during the AEK-Panthrakikos match on 14 April 2013. As a result, AEK were relegated from the Super League to the Football League for the first time in their history. In addition, AEK started their Football League campaign with minus 2 points.[35]
Fresh new start: Melissanidis era
On June 7, 2013, during an AEK council, it was decided that AEK F.C. would become an amateur club and they would not participate in the Football League division for the season 2013–14. The club "self"-relegated and would participate in the amateur Football League 2 division. On the same day Dimitris Melissanidis, the old president of the club, became administrative leader of AEK, aiming to save the club, under the supervision of the amateur A.E.K. (sports club). Later, together with other notable AEK fans and old players, they created the non-profit association "Union Friends of AEK" (Enosi Filon AEK) which took the majority stake of the football club.[36]
AEK managed to easily be crowned as the champions of the sixth group of the amateur Football League 2 division with a record of 23 wins, 3 draws, and only one defeat. Thus, AEK participated in the Football League (Greece) division for the season 2014–15, where they once again, outplayed every team and managed to earn the first spot, having only 2 draws and no defeats. However, the only league defeat came in the promotion playoffs in the opening game against Iraklis. AEK successfully finished first in the playoffs and gained promotion back to the top tier, the Super League.
On 20 October 2015, Traianos Dellas was forced to resign as a result of a dispute between him and the board, and a heavy 4–0 loss to Olympiacos F.C. Stelios Manolas was named interim coach and later Gus Poyet was appointed as new head coach. On 19 April, Poyet resigned, leaving Stelios Manolas be interim coach for another time. Manolas managed to guide AEK to a 3rd-place finish in the league qualifying for the play off round and also to their first piece of silverware since the 2010-11 season by lifting the Greek Cup, defeating Olympiacos in the final 2-1.[37] With the postponement of the final on two separate occasions and the congested fixture list of the play off round, it meant AEK were to play a fixture every three days, which evidently took its tole on the players, they managed to finish 3rd and qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round. The first season back in the top flight was considered a success with a trophy and qualification for European football next season, a return after a 5-year hiatus.
Badge & team colours
Kit and colours
The colours of yellow/gold and black were adopted from AEK's connections with Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.[38]
Kit evolution
First
         1924–27
|
    1931–32
|
    1962–63
|
    1979–81[39]
|
   1982–83[40]
|
 1983–85[41]
|
1985–86[42]
|
   1988–89[43]
|
    1991–92[44]
|
   1993–96
|
 1995[note 1]
|
     1999–2000
|
    2002–04
|
   2015–17
|
International matches
     1994–95
|
   1996–97
|
    1997–98[46]
|
    1999–2000
|
Alternative
  1993–94
|
  1993–95[47]
|
 2000–01
|
   2000–02
|
    2002–04[48]
|
    2005–06
|
 2015–16
|
International matches
     1997–98
|
    1999–2000
|
AEK have always worn predominantly gold or yellow shirts and black shorts. An exception has been the unusual, but notable and popular among the fans, Kappa kits of the '90s which featured a big two-headed eagle motif across the kit.
AEK's traditional away colours are all-black or all-white; on a few occasions, the club has introduced as a third kit a light blue, a silver, and even a dark red, or a tyrian purple (porphyra), a type of reddish purple, inspired by the war Byzantine flag[49] and used also by the imperial dynasties of the Byzantine empire (Eastern Roman empire).
Crest
In 1924, AEK adopted as their emblem the image of a double-headed eagle (Δικέφαλος Αετός). When AEK was created by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the years following the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent population exchange, the emblem and colours (yellow and black) were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club's historical ties to Constantinople. After all, the double-headed eagle is featured in the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose headquarters are in Constantinople, and served as Imperial emblem under the Palaiologos dynasty.
AEK's main emblem underwent numerous minor changes between 1924 and 1982. The design of the eagle on the shirt badge was often not identical to the design of the eagle depicted on official club correspondence, merchandise, and promotional material. All designs were considered "official" (in the broadest sense of the word), however, it was not until 1982 that an identifiable, copyrighted design was established as the club's official, and shirt badge. The emblem design was changed in 1989, and again in 1993, to the current shield design.
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
Since 2007, AEK's kit has been manufactured by Puma, who also supplied kit from 1975–77. Previous manufacturers have been Adidas (1974-5, 1977–83, and 2005–07), Zita Hellas (1983–89), Diadora (1989–93), Basic (1993–95), Kappa (1995–2000), and Nike (2000–04).
Starting in 2014, the club's main shirt sponsors are Jeep. Previous shirt sponsors have been Citizen (1982–83), Nissan (1983–85), Ethniki Asfalistiki (1985–93 and 1995–96), Phoenix Asfaleies (1993–95), Geniki Bank (1996–98), Firestone (1999), Marfin Investment Group (1999–2001), Alpha Digital (2001–02), Piraeus Bank (2002–04), TIM (2004–06), LG (2006–08), Diners Club (2009–10), and OPAP (2010–14).
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1975 | Adidas | — |
| 1975–1976 | Puma | |
| 1976–82 | Adidas [50] | |
| 1982–1983 | Citizen | |
| 1983–1985 | Zita Hellas | Nissan |
| 1985–1989 | Ethniki Asfalistiki | |
| 1989–1993 | Diadora | |
| 1993–1995 | Basic | Phoenix Asfaleies |
| 1995 | Kappa | Ethniki Asfalistiki |
| 1995 | Diadora [51] | — |
| 1995–96 | Kappa | Ethniki Asfalistiki |
| 1996–1998 | General Bank of Greece | |
| 1999 | Firestone | |
| 1999–2000 | Marfin Investment Group | |
| 2000–2001 | Nike | |
| 2001–2002 | Alpha Digital | |
| 2002–2004 | Piraeus Bank | |
| 2004 | TIM | |
| 2005–2006 | Adidas | |
| 2006–2007 | LG | |
| 2007–2009 | Puma | |
| 2009–2010 | Diners Club | |
| 2010–2013 | Kino | |
| 2013–2014 | Joker | |
| 2014–2015 | Jeep | |
| 2015– | Nike | Pame Stoixima |
Financial information
Loukas Barlos, a successful industrialist, was owner and president since 1974, and was in charge when Greek football turned professional in 1979. In 1981, due to health problems, he passed his shares to Andreas Zafeiropoulos. In 1982 the business shipping magnate Michalis Arkadis became president, aiming to reinforce the financial support, with Zafeiropoulos holding the majority stake. In 1988, Zafeiropoulos placed Efstratios Gidopoulos in the presidency and AEK managed to win their first championship in ten years.
In 1992, the club passed to new owners. The business shipping magnate and oil tycoon Dimitris Melissanidis, together with Yiannis Karras, took the majority stake and continued the successful and champion seasons.
After an unsuccessful season, in 1995, they passed their shares to Michalis Trochanas, and with his turn a percentage to ENIC Group investment company. In 1999, NETMED, a Dutch media company, took over management of the club. A crisis period followed with mismanagement and many changes in the presidency. In 2004, ex-AEK player Demis Nikolaidis made a plan in order to progress with the reorganization and financial consolidation and together with other investors (such as Nicholas X. Notias, Gikas Goumas, Takis Kanellopulos, a board member of Titan Cement, and others) took the majority stake.
The plan initially seemed to work, but the downfall continued. The team was relegated after the 2012–13 season for the first time in its history. In an effort to discharge the immense debt created by years of mismanagement, its directors chose for the team to compete in the third tier. On the same day Dimitris Melissanidis, the old president of the club, became administrative leader of AEK, under the supervision of the amateur A.E.K. (sports club). Later, together with other notable AEK fans and old players, they created the non-profit association "Union Friends of AEK" (Enosi Filon AEK) which took the majority stake of the football club.[36]
In March 2015, AEK FC became the first Greek company that was listed in the Elite programme of the London Stock Exchange, a pan-European programme for ambitious high-growth businesses that was launched in 2012 at Borsa Italiana and following its success was rolled out in the UK in 2014, and the first Greek football club quoted on a stock exchange. Raffaele Jerusalmi, executive director of the Board of Directors of LSEG, stated: "We are delighted to welcome AEK to Elite programme".[52][53] On 27 April 2015, AEK FC honorably was the selected company to open the session of the London Stock Exchange.[54]
Current sponsorships:
- Home Shirt Sponsor: Pame Stoixima
- Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer: Nike, Inc.
- Official Sponsor: Cosmote, Piraeus Bank, Nova Sports
Stadium
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The entrance of the historic Nikos Goumas Stadium
Nikos Goumas Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Nea Filadelfeia ("New Philadelphia"), a northwestern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of AEK Athens FC. It was named after one-time club president, Nicholas Goumas, who contributed to its building and later upgrading. It served as AEK's home ground since 1930.[55] The club now plays its home games in the 70,000-capacity "Spiridon Louis" (Athens Olympic Stadium) in Athens.[56] The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens, also known as OAKA, is one of the most complete European athletic complexes.
The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1991, the World Championship in Athletics in 1997, the 1994 and 2007 UEFA Champions League Finals, as well as other important athletic and cultural events, the most significant of which remains the Summer Olympics in 2004.[57]
| Stadium | Capacity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Nikos Goumas Stadium | 27,729 | 1928–03 |
| Athens Olympic Stadium | 69,618 | 2004–17 |
| Hagia Sophia Stadium | 31,527 | 2017– |
Attendance records
| Year | Attendance | Stadium | Competition | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23/5/1986 | 74,473 | Olympic Stadium | Superleague Greece | Panathinaikos |
| 7/11/2004 | 63,129 | Olympic Stadium | Superleague Greece | Olympiacos |
| 21/11/2006 | 56,203 | Olympic Stadium | Champions League | AC Milan |
| 11/3/2015 | 64,256[58] | Olympic Stadium | Greek Football Cup | Olympiacos |
Training facility
The training complex used by AEK is located in Spata. Owned by Nicholas X. Notias, it is the most expensive (with a total cost around 25 million euros[59]) and one of the three biggest training centers in Greece. There are three regular pitches and one synthetic grass. The main building of the center hosts offices of the club, a press room, and the players' rooms. The training ground is used by the first team and youth teams. The Sports Center includes state-of-the-art facilities, a fitness and health center with weight-training and fitness rooms, a cryotherapy center and more. There are also plans for an AEK Museum, hotel, aquatic center and two more soccer fields. AEK moved to the complex in November 2010. Since 2014, the official name of the ground is "OPAP Sports Center".[60]
Supporters and rivalries
Supporters
AEK has a large fan base across Greece and they are well known for their anti-fascism ideology. The majority of AEK supporters are refugees or of refugee descent from Constantinople and the forced population exchange of the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922. Original 21 is the largest AEK Athens supporters club. The first attempt to organise AEK supporters was Gate 21 (formed in 1975), which took its name from the gate in the Nikos Goumas Stadium, Nea Filadelfia, where the most hardcore fans gathered. AEK also have many supporters worldwide, most of them Greek emigrants, in places as North America, United Kingdom, Australia and Cyprus. On September 13, 2015, AEK supporters brought with them in the game against PAS Giannina F.C. at the Olympic Stadium of Athens refugees from Syria and upraised a banner saying "ΑΕΚ ΜΑΝΑ ΟΛΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΣΦΥΓΩΝ" meaning "AEK the mother of all refugees". AEK has a large fan base among highly educated people including artists, musicians and actors due to team's distinctive culture.
Supporters friendships
There is a strong relationship between AEK Athens, AS Livorno, and Olympique Marseille. AEK fans often lift banners and create choreography in support of the fellow teams. A so-called "triangle of brotherhood" has developed between the most heavily supported fan clubs of Olympique de Marseille, Livorno, and AEK Athens, namely between Commando Ultras 84, Brigate Autonome Livornesi 99, and Original 21.
On 25 April 2013, Fenerbahçe S.K. fans lifted a banner supporting AEK Athens, saying "AEK, ΚΡΑΤΑ ΓΕΡΑ", meaning "AEK, hold on tightly".[61] The clubs are also connected by Lefter Küçükandonyadis, who played for both teams. However, it is not confirmed whether the clubs have a brotherhood.
Club anthem
A.E.K.'s club anthem Empros tis A.E.K. pallikaria (Go on A.E.K. lads) was composed by Stelios Kazantzidis. The lyrics were written by Christos Kolokotronis. The current version of the anthem is sung by ex-football player Mimis Papaioannou.[62]
Anastenazun ta goalposts ke ta dokaria spazun
(The goalposts are sighing and the crossbars are being broken)
Tis Enosis i aeti ta diktia komatiazun
(The Union's eagles destroy the nets)
Empros tis AEK palikaria, sutarete ke spaste ta dokaria!
(Come on AEK's men, shoot and break the crossbars!)
Ta diktia skiste, ti Doxa kataktiste!
(Tear up the nets, conquer the Glory!)
Nikiste, nikiste, nikiste!
(Win, win, win!)
I kinigi sou keravni, vrachos i amina su
(Your forwards are thunders, your defense is a rock)
Ke tis Real to fovitro egine to onoma su
(And your name became the fear of Real Madrid)
Rivalries
AEK F.C.'s biggest rivalries are with Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Against neighbours Panathinaikos, they contest the Athens local football derby. The rivalry started not only because of both competing for the major titles, but also because of the refugee ancestry of a big part of AEK fans and, by contrast, that Panathinaikos was considered in general the classic representative of the Athenian high class society. The rivalry with Olympiakos stems from the rivalry between two of the most successful Greek football clubs. The rivalry was particularly inflamed after 1996, when AEK former star player and then-manager Dusan Bajevic moved to Olympiakos, and most recently after the controversial 2007-08 Superleague Greece which was awarded to Olympiacos.
Relationships with other clubs
A.E.K. has links with many football clubs in Greece and in other countries where Greek immigrants live, for example A.E.K. London Ontario and A.E.K. Olympians F.C. in Canada, A.E.K. Waverley Wanderers SC in Australia, A.E.K. Beloiannisz in Hungary, A.E.K. Kouklia in Cyprus, A.E.K. Archangelou, A.E.K. Chania, A.E.K. Argos, A.E.K. Patras, A.E.K. Kalamata, A.E.K. Kavala, A.E.K. Agiou Konstantinou,AEK.katsaba iraklion and A.E.K. Tripolis in Greece. The club also has a football academy in collaboration with Bankstown Berries F.C. in Sydney, Australia.
Also, during the last years, AEK usually organizes friendly summer games against AS Roma and Sevilla FC.
Honours
Domestic competitions
League:
- Super League Greece
- Football League
- Winners (1): 2014–15
- Football League 2
- Winners (1): 2013–14 (Group 6)
Cup:
- Greek Cup
- Greek Super Cup
- Winners (3): 1971, 1989, 1996
- Greek League Cup
- Winners (1) (record): 1990
- Pre-Mediterranean Cup
- Winners (1): 1991
International competitions
- UEFA Europa League
- Semi-Finals (1): 1976–77
- UEFA Champions League
- Quarter–Finals (1): 1968-69
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Balkans Cup
- Runners–Up (1): 1966–67
Regional
- Athens F.C.A. Regional Championship
- Winners (5): 1940, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1950
International record
Best seasons
Notes
- a. ^ Inter Milan were the eventual runners-up.
- b. ^ A.C. Milan were the eventual winners.
- c. ^ Real Madrid C.F. were the defending winners and the eventual winners again.
Players
Current squad
- As of 29 August 2016.[67]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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