AC Omonia
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| Full name | Omonoia Athletic Club Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Kifines (male bees) Prasinoi (The Greens) | |||
| Founded | 1948 | |||
| Ground | GSP Stadium, Nicosia | |||
| Capacity | 23,500 | |||
| Chairman |  Miltiades Neofytou | |||
| Manager |  Takis Lemonis | |||
| League | Cyprus First Division | |||
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Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας). Omonoia AC is a professional football club that plays in the capital city of Lefkosia (Nicosia), Cyprus. Omonoia, (which means 'Unity' in Greek), has won 19 League Championships, 12 Cypriot Cups and 14 Super Cups and 5 domestic doubles - in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983 all since 1948, qualifying them as the most successful team in Cyprus in the last six decades, since the league was expanded. The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the Team of the 20th Century. Omonoia remains 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, Omonoia also has basketball, volleyball, futsal and cycling sections.
History
Omonoia was created after APOEL expelled certain players from the team for refusing to sign their allegiance to the Right-wing. Political turbulence between the Cypriot Left and Right wings was common in Cyprus during the Greek Civil War. In May of 1948, APOEL sent a letter based on political content to SEGAS (Greek Gymnastic-Athletic Clubs Association), stating that certain members violated the club's statute by refusing to pledge their allegiance to the Right. Those players that were not right-wing politically, were expelled from the team. After the letter was sent, several of those footballers of the club criticized their club for its uunjust ways. Determined to play again, those players, along with others, broke away from APOEL and established a new club which would also be based in Nicosia. Thus, Omonoia Nicosia was born.
In 1953, Omonoia, and other clubs that were originally members of the Cyprus Amateur Football Federation finally joined the Cyprus Football Association. Omonoia would finish seventh out of nine clubs in its first season participating in the Cypriot First Division. Omonoia would win its first league title in 1960-61.[1]. For the next six decades, Omonoia AC would remain a force to be reckoned with.
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 that remains unbeaten to this day. The club fielded Cypriot legends such as Sotiris Kaiafas, Spas Tsevizof, Christos Philippou (Skouloukos) and Gregory Savva. Omonoia would defeat teams with ease, defeating every team in its path.
Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win Europe's highest award, the European Golden Boot after finishing as Europe's top domestic scorer in 1976 with 39 goals.[2]. Sotiris Kaifas's achievements would not remain unrecognized. In 2004, the Cypriot Football Association named the legendary Kaiafas, the Greatest Cypriot Player of the Past 50 Years.[2]. During the 1980s the club won five consecutive titles between 1981 and 1985 and again in 1987 and 1989. It was during this time where Omonoia would not only leave its mark on Cypriot football, but also became the most beloved team in Cyprus. Omonoia was not only a team, but an idea. A legend was born.
1990s and 2000s
Omonoia would go on and win another title in 1992-93, however the decade would be dominated by Anorthosis Famagusta. The late 1990's however would see the birth of a new Omonoia legend with the arrival of German, Rainer Rauffmann in 1997. Raufman would lead the league in scoring for four consecutive years including representing the country on a national level on the Cypriot National Football Team, after gaining Cypriot citizenship.
The club would eventually win its 19th title in 2003. Since then, Omonoia has underachieved and been unable to win a title, even after putting together start-studded line-ups including some of Cyprus's most talented footballers such as Stathis Aloneftis, Michalis Konstantinou, Konstantinos Makrides, Ilias Haralambous, and Antonis Giorgallidis. Omonoia AC is also home to two of Cyprus youngest and brightest stars: Giorgos Efrem and Dimitris Christofi. As of the 2008-2009 Season, Omonoia is currently one title behind rival team APOEL for the most championships.[3] (even though Apoel entered the league 13 years prior to Omonoia).
Colours and badge
Omonoia's badge and logo is the shamrock. The shamrock represents the strength of Omonoia's founders. The color green represents hope. The founder of the badge and logo is Nicos Kyriakou.
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 largest and most active fan club in the country. 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, tens of thousands of loyal fans have followed the team throughout Europe and Asia.
The club's fanbase mostly consists those identifying with the left-wing politically and belonging to the "working class" or "blue collar". Supporters are commonly identified as being "Communist". Cypriot flags are consistently waved with pride by Omonoia fans, since left-wing Cypriots support an independent, non-aligned Cyprus. With this, Omonoia has grown from not only a club, but an ideal. In addition to Cypriot flags, banners with Che Guevara's image can be seen. Omonoia is also said to have close ties with other left-wing clubs throughout Europe including: Olympique de Marseille (France), Livorno Calcio (Italy), and St. Pauli (Germany). Having the largest fan base on the island, Omonoia is by far the most popular team in Cyprus.
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.
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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Players out on loan
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 Man)
Club officials
Board of Directors
| Position | Staff |
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| 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
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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
- ^ 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
- Official Website
- Omonoia on Shoot2score
- Stadiumguide.com Profile for Omonia future stadium
- national-football-teams
- Fans sites