AC Omonia
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| Full name | Athletic Club Omonia Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Kifines (Male bees) Prasinoi (The greens) | |||
| Founded | 1948 | |||
| Ground | GSP Stadium, Nicosia | |||
| Capacity | 22,859 | |||
| Chairman |  Miltiades Neophytou | |||
| Manager |  Takis Lemonis | |||
| League | Cypriot First Division | |||
| 2008-09 | 2nd | |||
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Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας) is a Cypriot football club that plays in the capital Nicosia and is considered one of the best teams of the country. Omonia ("Union" in Greek) has won 19 league championships, 12 Cypriot Cups and 14 Super Cups. domestic doubles - in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983.The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the team of the 20th century, remaining the only team to have won the Cypriot Cup 4 times in a row between the years 1980 and 1983.
The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953. As an athletic club, Omonia also has basketball, volleyball, futsal and cycling sections.
History
AC Omonoia was founded in 1948 as a result of political turbulence of that period and the ongoing conflict between the left-wing and right-wing in the Greek Civil War. In May 1948 APOEL sent a letter based on political content to SEGAS (Greek Gymnastic-Athletic Clubs Association), stating members violated the club's statute to not be involved in politics and those that where not right-wing where sent out from APOEL. After that letter, several footballers of the club criticized their club for its unfair ways which caused those players to be expelled from the team. Those players, along with others, established a new club which would also be based in Nicosia. The club would be named Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia. Omonia also has a Youth Team In England which is split into two halfs, The Whites and The Greens. Omonia Whites Traveled To Sardinia back in april 2009 where they won a Football Tournament and became European Champions.
In 1953, clubs that were members of the Cyprus Amateur Football Federation joined the Cyprus Football Association. Omonoia joined the Cypriot First Division in 1953 as well, finishing seventh out of nine clubs in their first season.[1] The club won their first league title in 1960-61.[1]
1970s and 1980s
The club was the dominant force in Cypriot football during the 1970s and 1980s, winning the league six consecutive seasons from 1974 until 1979. A record remains unbeaten. The club fielded Cypriot legends such as Sotiris Kaiafas, Spas Tsevizof, Christos Philippou (Skouloukos) and Gregory Savva. Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the Europe's highest achievement, the European Golden Boot after finishing as Europe's top domestic scorer in 1976 with 39 goals.[2] – such feats led the Cypriot football association to name him as the greatest Cypriot player of the past 50 years in 2004.[2]
During the 1980s the club won five consecutive titles between 1981 and 1985 They were champions from 1981 to 1985 and again in 1987 and 1989.
1990s and 2000s
Although Omonia won the title again in 1992-93, the decade was dominated by Anorthosis Famagusta. Rainer Rauffmann, who arrived at the club in 1997, was the league's leading scorer for four years and also played for Cyprus national football team after gaining Cypriot citizenship.
The club won their nineteenth title in 2003, and they are currently one title behind rival team APOEL for the most championships.[3]
Colours and badge
The club's badge is the shamrock. The shamrock supposedly represents the strength of the Omonia founders, and the green colour represents hope.
Stadium
Since 1999 the club has played at the 22,859-seat GSP Stadium, the largest in Cyprus, which they share with local rivals APOEL and Olympiakos Nicosia. There are plans for the club to build a 32,000-seat stadium,[4] located near Tseri, in the suburbs of Nicosia but CFA does not give clearanance for the new stadium to start building.
Previously Omonia had played at the old GSP Stadium (1953-1978) and the Makario Stadium (1978-1999). Both stadiums were also shared with APOEL and Olympiakos. Prior to 1953 the club had used the "Goal" Stadium.
The club's basketball team hosts its matches at the biggest indoor sport venue in the island, the Eleftheria Indoor Hall with a capacity of 6,800 seats while the volleyball team shares the Lefkotheo Indoor Hall which was built in 1980 with APOEL Nicosia. For the 2006–07 season, the futsal team uses the Indoor Hall of Melkonian institute which is a part of the institute complex and has capacity of 500 seats.
Supporters
There are two major fan clubs supporting the team, FAN CLUB. and Gate 9, which is the most active and biggest fan club. The club took its name from Costas Kaiafas's father, Sotiris Kaiafas, who won the European Golden Boot in 1976. Gate-9 was first organized in 1992. Since then, thousands of loyal fans have followed the team around the world. The club's fanbase largely comes from the working class and is identified with the Communist Party of Cyprus (AKEL). From the time of its creation in 1948, AC Omonoia was and is widely supported throughout Cyprus and it is by far the most popular team throughout the island.
In 2001, the club broke the record for ticket sales, selling 109,303 tickets. In 2003, they broke their own record with the improved figure of 140,740 and the record was broken again the following year with 143,033 tickets sold. Every year new records are shattered in ticket sales.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired number(s)
12 – Club Supporters (the 12th Player)
For recent transfers, see List of Cypriot football transfers summer 2009. Roberto Baggio
Club officials
Board of Directors
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Miltiades Neophytou
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| Vice-President | Christakis Giovanni
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| Director of Football Department | Christakis Giovanni
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| General Secretary | Andreas Leonidou
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| Governor of Football | Christos Tsangaris
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| Governor of Football | Sotiris Kaiafas
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| Governor of Football | Giorgos Antoniou
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| Governor of Football | Nicos Charalambous
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| Spokesman | Theodoros Kafkaridis
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| Marketing Manager | Pavlos Chrysanthou
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| Marketing Manager | Petros Petrou
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Last updated: June , 2009
Source: AC Omonia
Coaching Staff
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Notable former players
Listed according to when they made their debut:
Notable former managers
Igor Netto (1967)
Iontso Arsof (1988)
Helmut Senekowitsch (1991)
Dušan Galis (1999)- Asparuh Nikodimov (2000)
Arie Haan (2000)- Henk Houwaart (2000)
Toni Savevski (2002)
Franciszek Smuda (2004)
Ioan Andone (2006)
Dragomir Okuka (2007)
Ioannis Matzourakis (2007)
Giorgos Savvidis (2008)
Nedim Tutić (2008-2009)
Honours
Football
Cyprus Amateur Football Federation
Volleyball
- Cup:
- Winner (3): 1999, 2006, 2009
Club records
- Largest victory: 11-0 v Doxa Katokopia, Championship, 17 January 2004
- Largest European Victory: 6-1 v FA Red Boys Differdange, Champions Cup, Round 1, 3 October 1979
- Worst Defeat: 0-10 v Ajax Amsterdam, Champions Cup, Round 1, 24 October 1979
- Worst League Defeat: 1-7 v AEL FC, 1953-54
- Most League Points (2 for a win): 54, 1976-77
- Most League Points (3 for a win): 67, 1998-99
- Most League Goals: 91, 1960-61
- Most consecutive league matches unbeaten: 46, 29 January 1984 - 14 December 1985
- Most Appearances : 503 Andreas Kanaris
- Most Goals scored : 321 Sotiris Kaiafas
- Most Goals scored in a Match: 8 Rainer Rauffmann v Anagennisis Deryneia, 1998
- Most Goals scored in league season:: 44 Sotiris Kaiafas, 1976-77
References
- ^ a b Cyprus - List of Final Tables 1124-28 RSSSF
- ^ a b "Kaiafas famed for golden goals". UEFA. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ Cyprus - List of Champions RSSSF
- ^ Omonia Stadium StadiumGuide.com
External links
- Fans sites