PAOK FC
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| Full name | Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κώνσταντινουπολητων | ||
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| Nickname(s) | (Double-Headed Eagle) "Δικέφαλος Αετός" | ||
| Founded | 1926 | ||
| Ground | Toumba Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 28,701 | ||
| Chairman |  Theodoros Zagorakis | ||
| Manager |  Fernando Santos | ||
| League | Super League Greece (Σούπερ Λίγκα Ελλάδα) | ||
| 2007-08 | Super League, 9th | ||
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PAOK FC (Greek: ΠΑΟΚ - Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών - Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton), Pan-Thessalonikan Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans, is a Greek association football club located in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Formed in 1926 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War, PAOK has grown to become the greatest football club in Macedonia.
The club currently competes in the Super League Greece.
History
The Foundation & 1930s
PAOK is the historical continuation of the Hermes (Greek: Ερμής - Ermis) Sports Club, which was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera, a district of Constantinople. It was the need of Constantinople’s Greek residents to express and support their Greek spirit within Turkey that led to the creation of this club. 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 PAOK which translated means the Panthessalonikan Athletic Club of Constantinople. A two headed Eagle combined with mourning black and white, 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 PAOK one of Greece’s oldest athletic clubs.
The club’s first charter was approved on 20 April 1926 by means of decision of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822).PAOK's first emblem adopted in 1926 was a four-leaved clover and a horseshoe. The leaves were green with the letters PAOK marked on each of them, a symbol devised by Kostas Koemtzopoulos (president of Pera Club) who took the idea from a packet of cigarettes he smoked.
The club’s founding members were:
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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 first match of the club was a win against Iraklis Thessaloniki on 26 July 1925 by 2-1. Two weeks later PAOK lost 5-2 to their worst rivals, Aris.
The vision of the club’s founders and the whole PAOK community of establishing a home ground became reality in 1928 following much effort and thus on December 12 1930 the Syntrivaniou Football Ground was officially opened. This was followed by a friendly match against Aris with PAOK winning 2-1.
The first professional contract was a document of historic importance. It was signed by the Club on 5th 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 singed by Dr. Meletiou (PAOK Chairman) and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, Hon. Secretary.
Until March 20 1929 the two clubs were rivals, competing against each other although both had been established by refugees from Constantinople. It was the Chairman of AEK Thessaloniki's which had been established in 1924-25 by the first wave of refugees who had come to Thessaloniki from Constantinople in 1922, Dr. Musa, who brokered the merger between Thessaloniki’s two refugee teams.
Following the merger with AEK Thessaloniki's in 1929, PAOK changed its emblem. The new emblem became the Double-headed eagle, which it remains to this day, and symbolizes the arrival of the club and the return to the roots and heritage of the refugees (Byzantium and Constantinople). The Double-headed eagle holds a sword and a crown, with its two heads looking East and West. The difference between this emblem and that of AEK Athens, (which is also the symbol of the Eastern Orthodox Church), is that PAOK’s emblem has its wings folded and the colours are black and white (as opposed to AEK Athens Spread wings in yellow and black, signifying mourning for expulsion from the homeland.
The first foreign coach in the history of the team was the German Rudolph Ganser, who served with PAOK for the 1931-1932 season.
1940s, 1950s &1960s - First accomplishments
In the background: Urban Areas of Toumba, Triandria, Eptapyrghion
Following World War II and the German Occupation of Greece, the team known as the ‘Two-Headed Eagle of the North’ entered upon a shining chapter in its career starting at the beginning of the 1950s. Willi, an Austrian coach (1950-1952) who had worn the PAOK jersey in 1931-1932 established a young talent academy within the club which gave rise to leading names who later left their mark such as Leandros, Symeonidis, Giannelos, Margaritis, Giorgos Havanidis, and others.
1953 marked the beginning of PAOK’s golden age. During the summer transfer period, Kouiroukidis, Petridis, Progios, Geroudis, Kemanidis, Hourvouliadis, Hasiotis and Angelidis all joined the club. PAOK became all-powerful, winning the Thessaloniki championship for 3 successive years and becoming a worthy representative of Greece’s second largest city in the national championship. The legendary trio Yientzis, Kouiroukidis and Papadakis went down in history!
During 1957 the club managers envisioned a new football ground worthy of the team’s performance since the old ground had been annexed by the state. The search for a site led to the choice of a piece of land belonging to the National Defence Fund in the Toumba neighbourhood of eastern Thessaloniki, which in addition to offering unlimited free space was also an area closely associated with refugees from Asia Minor. A total area of 30,000 x2 was acquired by PAOK for a significant price, and construction of the new football ground began. Lottery tickets were even issued to aid construction of the new stadium, which was eventually opened on 6 September 1959 by the Minister of National Defence, Mr. G. Themelis. Before the first kick off an Air Force plane dropped a ball on a fly-past as a symbolic donation from the armed forces. Thanks to its new, large football ground, PAOK was ready to start a brilliant career which has lasted to this day, starting with the 1st Division established in October 1959.
At the opening of the 1st Division’s first championship on 25 October 1959 PAOK welcomed the Katerini team Megas Alexandros beating them 3-1. The team line-up was as follows: Zarko Michailovic (Yugoslavian) and Progios, Hasiotis, Raptopoulos, Giannelos, Kemanidis, Havanidis, Leandros, Kiourtzis, Kouiroukidis, Salousto and Nikolaidis.
The success of the 50s was followed by a decade during which PAOK had an average performance. One could say that it was as if it were building up its strength in the 60s to unleash it during the 1970s.
1970s - Rise of the Double-Headed Eagle of the North
The team became established as one of the best ever to play at Greek football grounds with players whose names became legendary for the Greek football. It was a team which set several records. During that time, when the democratic political system had collapsed (1967-1974), PAOK was not only a football power, but it also became an antidictatorship power and Toumba stadium a place where the citizens-fans used Anti-junta slogans. PAOK managed to strike a blow to the traditional football powers of Athens, winning the Championship in 1976 and the Cup twice, in 1972 and 1974. In Europe, PAOK made their best performance ever, qualifying for the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1973-74, where they were knocked out by the Italian team A.C. Milan.
1980s and 1990s - Golden years and slow decline
PAOK’s excellent performance continued during the 1980s with very few unsuccessful seasons. The high point came mid-decade when the team won its second Greek Championship in 1985, its first title since Greek football turned professional. Another characteristic of the '80's was the excessive fanaticism of the fans, which reached levels of Hooliganism never seen before yet began to move beyond Greece becoming a Europe-wide phenomenon. However, the obsession shown by fans also had a downside, translating in quite a few cases into episodes which entailed penalties being imposed on the club.
At European level, PAOK made a memorable appearance against Bayern Munich, where it was knocked out on penalties, possibly one of the best-ever performances by a Greek team in a European cup. The 1990s started well with PAOK firmly among the top three teams in Greece. However, it was stigmatized by an extremely average-to-poor team performance under the chairmanship of Thomas Voulinos, who came into direct conflict with the fan club following serious Hooliganism episodes during a PAOK – Paris St. Germain match in UEFA Cup, which led to PAOK’s exclusion from UEFA European competitions for 5 years and very soon to financial ruin. In 1996 the change long demanded by PAOK fans came about. Voulinos handed over the reins of the club to Giorgos Batatoudis and an air of optimism was tangible everywhere in Thessaloniki. Numerous transfers of well-known players such as Zisis Vryzas, Spyros Marangos, Kostas Fratzeskos and others took place from the first season under new management. In 1997 PAOK eventually found a place in the UEFA Cup and team coach Angelos Anastasiadis (a legendary PAOK footballer from the past) made his debut on the PAOK bench. The team’s reappearance at European level was marked by the team's appetite for wins. After the elimination of legendary team Arsenal FC with a 1-0 win in Toumba Stadium and a 1-1 draw at Arsenal's home ground historic Highbury stadium. PAOK was eliminated on the next round by the then powerful Atlético Madrid.
The following year Anastasiadis was dismissed and Oleg Blokhin took his place only for a few months, as fans demanded the urgent return of Anastasiadis. He stayed for a season, was then succeeded by Ari Haan and then in December by Dusan Bajevic who took over the reins.
2000s up to 2006
PAOK had firmly established its position among the teams that play in Europe every year but that was no longer enough. A place in the UEFA Champions League was the next target. The team’s next steps were taken in 2001 with a win in the Greek Cup after 25 years in an unforgettable final against Olympiacos. Playing at Nea Philadelphia, Athens, PAOK thrashed the then champions 2-4.
However, financial problems continued to plague the club and the team started to underachieve. Angelos Anastasiadis returned to the PAOK bench as coach in the summer of 2002. The season led to winning of yet another Cup (the second in the last three years) at the Toumba Stadium by defeating arch-rivals Aris 1-0.
Nevertheless, the following season PAOK - under the excellent management of Anastasiadis and although in accordance to a tight financial policy (in order to decrease it's debts) many key players left over the summer (Georgiadis, Okkas, Kafes) - managed to secure it's participation in the qualifying rounds of following year's Champions League by finishing third in the championship.
Despite great optimism among PAOK fans, the team failed to qualify for the 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League group stage, as they were knocked out by Maccabi Tel Aviv after the Greek club fielded a suspended player (Liassos Louka, a Cypriot midfield player who was still serving a two-match ban for his sending-off in a UEFA Intertoto Cup tie for former club Nea Salamis FC against FK Austria Wien on 8 July 2000) during the 1-2 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first-leg defeat by the Israeli team. PAOK was punished with 3-0 loss and didn't manage to "turn the tables" in the second leg match (4-0 aggregate loss). After several more bad results, manager Anastasiadis resigned.
2007 - A New Beginning
In the summer of 2007, Theodoros Zagorakis became the new chairman of the club replacing the hated Yiannis Goumenos and thus ushered in a new era. One of the first actions was to create a plan for tackling PAOK's massive crippling debts and bring in an established manager in the form of Fernando Santos. In addition to that Zisis Vryzas decided to retire in the middle of the 2007-08 season and on January 6 2008 played his last game. On the following day Vryzas became the Technical Manager of PAOK FC.
European Campaigns
PAOK FC have played in the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup on many occasions, and made a name for themselves, both for their fanatically obsessed fans, and for eliminating a handful of European teams.
PAOK's best Cup Winner's cup performance was in the 1973/74 season, when PAOK reached the quarter finals of the competition. Eliminating Legia Warsaw and Olympique Lyonnais on the way, PAOK were finally eliminated by A.C. Milan. After a 3-0 defeat at the San Siro,PAOK was confined to a thrilling 2-2 draw at Toumba Stadium. Milan would later reach the final, only to lose it to 1. FC Magdeburg.
PAOK's most memorable appearance in the UEFA cup was on September the 30th, 1997, when PAOK managed to qualify to the second round at the expense of Arsenal FC. Having won by a single goal in Thessaloniki, PAOK was facing the prospect of going into extra time with 10 men and in foreign ground, with Arsenal leading 1-0 in Highbury with an early goal by Dennis Bergkamp. Yet three minutes from the end, a great individual effort from Zisis Vryzas provided the equaliser and PAOK qualified by 2-1 on aggregate. Yet the club was eliminated in the second round by Atletico Madrid (5-2 in Madrid and 4-4 in Thessaloniki) in a tie that was marked by the two spectacular free-kicks scored by PAOK's specialist, Kostas Frantzeskos, both home and away.
PAOK's last good UEFA Cup campaign was in the 2001/2002 season, reaching the third round, only to be eliminated at the hands of PSV Eindhoven. Having eliminated FC Kärnten (4-0 on aggregate) and FK Marila Příbram (4-3 on aggregate), PAOK managed to defeat PSV in Toumba by 3-2. Yet they were defeated 4-1 in the return leg at Eindhoven, leaving them two goals behind on aggregate, in a night that PAOK fans ponder as full of missed chances. This was the second time in two years that PAOK was eliminated in the competition by PSV.
PAOK FC holds the record for the most consecutive UEFA Cup appearances, having qualified for the UEFA Cup ten times in a row from 1995 to 2005. This record was broken in 2006, as PAOK were banned by UEFA from taking part in the 2006-07 season of the UEFA Cup, because of the club's long-unsettled debts.
Gate 4
The fans from Gate 4 are known for their ruthlessness and intense love for the club. They've caused many upsets in Greece and Europe making them one of the most feared fans in Europe. They have a bad reputation but this only motivates them even more. The incident with Paris St. Germain in the 1992-1993 UEFA cup season resulted in a ban from European competitions. This was one of many incidents surrounding Gate 4. They have a very close bond with the Grobari, the fans from Serbian side Partizan Belgrade. Helping each other in major clashes against rival clubs, the bond between the two groups surpasses friendship. They consider themselves to be Balkan-brothers.
Honours
Domestic
- Winners (2): 1976, 1985
- Runners-up (2): 1973,1978
- Winners (4): 1972, 1974, 2001, 2003
- Runners-up (12)*: 1939, 1951, 1955 , 1970 , 1971 , 1973, 1977 , 1978 , 1981 , 1983 , 1985 , 1992
(*) Record
| 1960s | Position | 1970s | Position | 1980s | Position | 1990s | Position | 2000s | Position |
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| 1959-60 | 7th | 1969-70 | 5th | 1979-80 | 5th | 1989-90 | 3rd | 1999-00 | 5th |
| 1960-61 | 10th | 1970-71 | 8th | 1980-81 | 8th | 1990-91 | 8th | 2000-01 | 4th |
| 1961-62 | 6th | 1971-72 | 5th | 1981-82 | 3rd | 1991-92 | 4th | 2001-02 | 4th |
| 1962-63 | 4th | 1972-73 | 2nd | 1982-83 | 4th | 1992-93 | 5th | 2002-03 | 4th |
| 1963-64 | 8th | 1973-74 | 4th | 1983-84 | 5th | 1993-94 | 5th | 2003-04 | 3rd |
| 1964-65 | 8th | 1974-75 | 3rd | 1984-85 | 1st | 1994-95 | 3rd | 2004-05 | 5th |
| 1965-66 | 6th | 1975-76 | 1st | 1985-86 | 10th | 1995-96 | 14th | 2005-06 | 6th |
| 1966-67 | 4th | 1976-77 | 3rd | 1986-87 | 5th | 1996-97 | 4th | 2006-07 | 6th |
| 1967-68 | 9th | 1977-78 | 2nd | 1987-88 | 3rd | 1997-98 | 4th | 2007-08 | 9th |
| 1968-69 | 5th | 1978-79 | 4th | 1988-89 | 8th | 1998-99 | 4th |
International Tournaments
| Season | Achievement | Notes | |
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| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | |||
| 1976-77 | last 16 | eliminated by Dynamo Kiev 4-0 in Kiev, 2-0 in Thessaloniki | |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | |||
| 1973-74 | Quarterfinals | eliminated by AC Milan 3-0 in Milan, 2-2 in Thessaloniki | |
Current squad
Official Squad Information (in Greek) Transfers 08-09In
Out
Notable players
Notable CoachesMany famous coaches both Greeks and foreigners have served PAOK throughout its rich history. Some of the most important and successful are the following:
Managerial ExecutivesPAOK Management Hierarchy
SponsorshipMain Sponsors
Facilities Name: Toumba Stadium Location: Toumba District, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece Year Built: 1959 Capacity: 28,701 seats Ownership: A.S. PAOK Thessaloniki
Interesting facts
External links
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