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APOEL FC

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APOEL FC
File:Apoel logo.gif
Full name
Aθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Eλλήνων Λευκωσίας Athletic Football Club of
Greeks of Nicosia
Founded1926
GroundNeo GSP Stadium,
Nicosia, Cyprus
Capacity23,404
ChairmanCyprus Kyriacos Zivanaris
ManagerGreece Marinos Ouzounidis
LeagueCypriot First Division
2006-071st

APOEL FC (Greek: ΑΠΟΕΛ; Aθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Eλλήνων Λευκωσίας, Athlitikos Podosfairikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias, Hellenic Athletic Football (Soccer) Team of Nicosia) is a Cypriot multisport club, based in Nicosia, Cyprus. With an overall tally of 19 league plus 18 cup titles APOEL is one of the most successful football teams in the country.

History

Founded on November 8, 1926 as POEL (standing for Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias, or, Football Club of the Greeks of Nicosia), the club is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Federation. The club's formation came about when a group of forty people, with a common vision, met and set the foundations for creating a football club that would represent all the Greeks of the capital and whose base would be in Nicosia. The meeting took place at a traditional confectionery, owned by Charalambos Hadjioannou, down town in Ledra Street and the first president of the club was Giorgos Poulias.

After a journey to the football (soccer) club in Alexandria, Egypt in 1927 the General Assembly of 1928 decided the players showed that they were not just good footballers but also excellent track and field athletes. Hence it was decided to create a track and field team in addition to the football team. The name APOEL was adopted to reflect this, with the 'A' standing for 'Athletic'.

In 1934, APOEL played a constructive role and helped immensely in setting up the Cyprus Football Association and was one of the founding members. Two years later the APOEL football team celebrated its first championship title of the official Cyprus football league, the first of many trophies APOEL would celebrate in the years ahead. Politics, however, would soon spark conflict within the team and in 1948 the club was divided over its position regarding the Greek Civil War. This led to the withdrawal of certain members and athletes of the club who went on to create Omonia Nicosia Football Club in 1948. This newly created team was to become the arch rival of APOEL and until today there has been a traditional animosity between the fans of the two teams.

More conflicts led to further struggles for APOEL. Athletes belonging to the club frequently participated in national clashes. During the 1955-59 national up-rise against the British, many of APOEL's athletes and members of the club were active members of EOKA (the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), the most outstanding example being Michalakis Karaolis who was hanged by the British colonial authorities. It was during this period that the APOEL football team had their closest brush with relegation as most of their football players were actively taking part in the national struggle.

The football team were quickly back to full strength, however, and made their debut appearance in European Competitions (the first not only for APOEL but for any Cypriot team) in 1963, when they faced the Norwegian team Gjovik Lyn in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Two victories for APOEL over both legs (6-0, 1-0) marked APOEL's successful European debut, as they became the first Hellenic team to progress in a European Competition.

Other triumphs followed in the early 1970s. In 1973 the domestic double was achieved with coach Panos Markovic. The following year APOEL became the first Cypriot team to avoid relegation from the pan-Hellenic Greek Championship (Until the mid-1970s the champions of Cyprus played in the Greek Football League the next year). From 1974 till today APOEL counts 8 Championships (1980, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2007), 10 Cups (1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005) and 6 Super Cups (1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2002). From 1936 till 2005 APOEL counts 45 titles: 19 Championships, 18 Cups and 8 Super Cups.

1973 also saw triumphs for the basketball side of APOEL, who gained their first trophy by winning the national cup. Three years later in 1976 they succeeded in winning the first basketball championship. The volleyball side of the club experienced their most successful period between 1979 and 1985 when they won six championships and five cups. APOEL achieved a celebratory double in 1995/96, the season of their 70th anniversary, by winning the national championship, finishing unbeaten in the process, as well as winning the basketball championship. Most recently, in 2002, the football team embarked on an impressive European run, playing ten games before being knocked out, an impressive feat for a Cypriot club.

The Apoel Fc Academy is one of Apoel's biggest assets. It has produced many quality cypriot players. Some of them still remain in the team whilst more and more come through every season. Many of these players have also competed at international level with the Cyprus National Football Team.

Current Squad

Goalkeeper
1 Cyprus Michalis Morfis
12 North Macedonia Jane Nikolovski
35 Cyprus Tassos Kissas
60 Cyprus Kyriakos Ioannou
Defence
2 Cyprus Andreas Papanastasiou
4 Greece Michalis Kapsis
5 Romania Daniel Florea
8 France Bark Seghiri
15 Cyprus Marios Antoniades
18 Cyprus Demetris Daskalakis
19 Cyprus Marios Elia
24 Greece Christos Kontis
26 Portugal Nuno Morais
Midfield
6 Brazil Emerson
7 Peru Manolo
10 Portugal Ricardo Fernandes
11 Cyprus Marios Louka
17 Cyprus Marinos Satsias (captain)
20 Cyprus Constantinos Makrides
22 Greece Miltiadis Sapanis
23 Portugal Hélio Pinto
30 Cyprus Demetris Kyriakou
33 Cyprus Chrysis Michael
40 Cyprus Giorgos Oikonomidis
77 Cyprus Panayiotis Panayiotou
Strikers
9 Greece Nikos Machlas
14 Brazil Da Costa
21 Brazil Marco Tavares
28 Cyprus Sotiris Vourkou
31 Brazil Zé Carlos


Squad Changes for 2007/08 season

In
Portugal Nuno Morais - Signed in Summer Period from Chelsea FC
North Macedonia Jane Nikolovski - Signed in Summer Period from NK Slaven Belupo
Brazil Emerson - Signed in Summer Period from AEK Athens FC
Brazil Marco Tavares - Signed in Summer Period from Porto Alegre Futebol Clube
Brazil Da Costa - Signed in Summer Period from Porto Alegre Futebol Clube
Brazil Zé Carlos - Signed in Summer Period from SC Braga
Out
Costa Rica Rónald Gómez - Free in Summer Period - back with Deportivo Saprissa
Cyprus Marios Neophytou - Signed in Summer Period with AEK Larnaca FC
Cyprus Giannakis Sampson - Signed in Summer Period with AEL Limassol FC
Argentina Esteban Solari - Signed in Summer Period with UNAM Pumas
Cyprus Stelios Okkaridis - Signed in Summer Period with Apollon Limassol FC
Cyprus Panagiotis Kithreotis - Signed in Summer Period with ASIL Lisis FC


Players out on loan

Technical Team

  • Manager: Marinos Ouzounidis Greece
  • Assistant Manager: Loukas Hadjiloukas Cyprus
  • Goalkeeper Coach: Foto Strakosha AlbaniaGreece
  • Fitness Coach: Peter Papapetrou Cyprus
  • Team Doctor: Dr. Costas Shizas Cyprus

Selected Former Players

Selected Former Managers

Achievements

Football

  • Cypriot Championship (19 in total): 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1965, 1973, 1980, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2007
  • Cyprus Cup (18 in total): in 1937, 1941, 1947, 1951, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006
  • Cyprus FA Shield (8 in total): 1963, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2002,

Basketball

  • Cyprus Championships (8 in total): 1976, 1979, 1981, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002
  • Cyprus Cups (11 in total): 1973, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003
  • Cyprus Supercups (7 in total): 1972, 1976, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998

Volleyball

  • Cyprus Championships (7 in total):1971, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985
  • Cyprus Cups (5 in total): 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985

Records

UEFA Rankings

Current Club Ranking

  • 190 Denmark Esbjerg fB
  • 191 Denmark AaB Aalborg
  • 192 Cyprus APOEL FC
  • 193 Hungary MTK Budapest
  • 194 Cyprus Anorthosis Famagusta
  • Full List

Current Country Ranking

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