Football League (Greece)

Football League Greece
Founded	2010–present; 1962–2010 (as Beta Ethniki)
Country	Greece
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	3
Promotion to	Super League 2
Relegation to	Gamma Ethniki
Domestic cup(s)	Greek Cup
Current champions	Trikala (5th title) ; (2019–20)
Most championships	Panachaiki (6 titles)
Top goalscorer	Ilias Chatzieleftheriou (152 goals)
TV partners	ERT3
Website	sl2fl.gr
	Current: 2020–21 Football League

The Football League Greece (Greek: Ελληνική Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) is the third highest professional football league in Greece, being a feeder-league to the second tier Super League 2.

History

As the Second National Division (1962–2019)

As the second tier of the Greek football league system, the Beta Ethniki was formally established in the fall of 1962, replacing the informal Greek FCA Winners' Championship, which at the time had tried various experimental formats towards establishing a second national football Division. All participating clubs had to disengage from their local football clubs associations' championships as a prerequisite for eligibility.

In its early years, the competition format was frequently altered each season. The competition was originally held in four groups of 14 clubs each until 1968–69, when the competition was reformatted to contain two groups. The following six years (1969–70 up to 1974–75), the competition was held with three Groups, whereas from 1975 to 1976 up to 1982–83 the league was again contested in two Groups, North and South. In the autumn of 1983, a single, pan-Hellenic League Table was established, a format that has been applied continuously until the 2012–13 season. When football in Greece became professional, the Hellenic Football Federation handed over the responsibility for the competition's organization to the Greek Professional Football Clubs Association (Greek: ΕΠΑΕ). In 2006, the Professional Football Association of the Second and Third National Divisions (Greek: ΕΕΠ Β΄ & Γ΄ Εθνικής) was set up, which replaced the Greek Professional Football Clubs Association as the governing authority of the Second and Third National Divisions.

In August 2010, the division's governing body decided to change its own, as well as the competition's distinctive title to Football League.^[1] The competition was contested as the Second National Division until 2019, when the Greek football league system was restructured and the Super League 2 was established as the new feeder league to the Super League.

As the Third National Division (2019–)

As of 2019, the Football League Greece replaced the Gamma Ethniki as the third tier of the Greek football league system.

Structure of the league

At present, there are 19 clubs that compete in the Football League, playing each other in a home and away series. At the end of the season, the bottom four teams are relegated to the Gamma Ethniki. The top two teams gain automatic promotion. Unlike the Super League, clubs in the Football League do not get relegated if the club fails to obtain a license. All teams in the Football League take part in the Greek Cup.

Current clubs

Niki Volos
Olympiacos Volos

Locations of the 2020–21 Football League clubs

The following 20 clubs are competing in the Football League during the 2020–21 season.

Club	Finishing position last season	Location	Stadium	Capacity
AEP Kozani	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 4)	Kozani	Kozani Municipal Stadium	4,000
Almopos Aridea	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 2)	Aridaea	Aridea Municipal Stadium
Apollon Pontus	12th in the Super League 2	Thessaloniki	Kalamaria Stadium	6,500
Aspropyrgos	12th	Aspropyrgos	Aspropyrgos Municipal Stadium	2,000
Asteras Vlachioti	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 7)	Vlachioti	Vlachioti Municipal Stadium	600
Egaleo	9th	Egaleo	Stavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium	8,217
Episkopi	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 8)	Episkopi	Gallos Stadium	1,500
Ialysos	11th	Ialysos	Economideio Municipal Stadium	2,000
Kalamata	13th	Kalamata	Kalamata Municipal Stadium	5,613
Kallithea	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 5)	Kallithea	Grigoris Lambrakis Stadium	4,200
Kavala	6th	Kavala	Anthi Karagianni Stadium	10,550
Niki Volos	5th	Volos	Panthessaliko Stadium	22,700
Olympiacos Volos	8th	Volos	Neapoli Volos Municipal Stadium	2,500
Panserraikos	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 1)	Serres	Serres Municipal Stadium	9,500
Pierikos	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 3)	Katerini	Katerini Municipal Stadium	4,995
Rodos	1st in Gamma Ethniki (Group 6)	Rhodes	Diagoras Stadium	3,693
Santorini 2020	2nd in Gamma Ethniki (Group 5)	Santorini	Kamari Stadium	1,500
Thesprotos	10th	Igoumenitsa	Igoumenitsa Municipal Stadium	3,500
Triglia	14th	Triglia	Triglia Municipal Stadium	5,000
Veria	7th	Veria	Veria Stadium	7,000

Results

Second Division champions

From 1962 to 1983

Season	Winner
1962–63	Edessaikos (1), Doxa Drama (1), Olympiacos Chalkida (1), Pagkorinthiakos (1)
1963–64	Panachaiki (1), Proodeftiki (1), Philippi Kavala (1)
1964–65	Panserraikos (1), Edessaikos (2), Egaleo (1), Vyzas Megara (1)
1965–66	Veria (1), OFI (1), Vyzas Megara (2)
1966–67	Panelefsiniakos (1), Kavala (1), Olympiacos Volos (1)
1967–68	Chalkida (1), Trikala (1)
1968–69	Panachaiki (2), Kavala (2)
1969–70	Apollon Smyrnis (1), Veria (2), Fostiras (1)
1970–71	Panachaiki (3), Trikala (2), Olympiacos Volos (2)
1971–72	Panserraikos (2), Kalamata (1), Atromitos (1)
1972–73	Apollon Smyrnis (2), Apollon Kalamaria (1), AEL (1)
1973–74	PAS Giannina (1), Kastoria (1), Kalamata (2)
1974–75	Apollon Smyrnis (3), Panetolikos (1), Pierikos (1)
1975–76	Kavala (3), OFI (2)
1976–77	Egaleo (2), Veria (3)
1977–78	Rodos (1), AEL (2)
1978–79	Doxa Drama (2), Korinthos (1)
1979–80	Panserraikos (3), Atromitos (2)
1980–81	Rodos (2), Iraklis (1)
1981–82	Panachaiki (4), Makedonikos (1)
1982–83	Egaleo (3), Apollon Kalamaria (2)

From 1983 to 2019

Season	Winner
1983–84	Panachaiki (5)
1984–85	PAS Giannina (2)
1985–86	Diagoras (1)
1986–87	Panachaiki (6)
1987–88	Doxa Drama (3)
1988–89	Xanthi (1)
1989–90	Athinaikos (1)
1990–91	Ethnikos Piraeus (1)
1991–92	Apollon Kalamaria (3)
1992–93	Naoussa (1)
1993–94	Ionikos (1)
1994–95	Paniliakos (1)

Season	Winner
1995–96	Kavala (4)
1996–97	Panionios (1)
1997–98	Aris (1)
1998–99	Trikala (4)
1999–00	Athinaikos (2)
2000–01	Egaleo (4)
2001–02	PAS Giannina (3)
2002–03	Chalkidona (1)
2003–04	Kerkyra (1)
2004–05	AEL (3)
2005–06	Ergotelis (1)
2006–07	Asteras Tripolis (1)

Season	Winner
2007–08	Panserraikos (4)
2008–09	Atromitos (3)
2009–10	Olympiacos Volos (3)
2010–11	Panetolikos (2)
2011–12	Panthrakikos (1)
2012–13	Apollon Smyrnis (4)
2013–14	Niki Volos (1)
2014–15	AEK Athens (1)
2015–16	AEL (4)
2016–17	Apollon Smyrnis (5)
2017–18	OFI (3)
2018–19	Volos (1)

Third Division champions

From 2019 to Present

Season	Winner
2019–20	Trikala (5)^[2]

References

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Πρωταθλητής ο ΑΟ Τρίκαλα – Οριστικό τέλος στο πρωτάθλημα της Football League". www.trikalanews.gr (in Greek). 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

External links

Football League at Soccerway
Football League at footballleaguenews.gr

[1] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] "Πρωταθλητής ο ΑΟ Τρίκαλα – Οριστικό τέλος στο πρωτάθλημα της Football League". www.trikalanews.gr (in Greek). 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

[1]

[2]

v t e 2023–24 Gamma Ethniki
Group 1	Aetos Varvara Anagennisi Epanomi Apollon Paralimnio Aris Avato Aris Peteino Chaniotis AO Doxa Drama Kavala Keravnos Angelochori Megas Alexandros Agia Marina Nestos Chrysoupoli Niki Evkarpia Orestis Orestiada Panthrakikos PAOK Kristoni Poseidon Nea Michaniona Thermaikos Veria
Group 2	Anagennisi Arta Asteras Petriti Asteras Stavrou Ethnikos Neo Keramidi Eordaikos Fiki Zakynthos Lefkimmi Kastoria Kileler Magnisiakos Volos Nea Artaki Pierikos Svoronos GAS Thesprotos Trikala Vataniakos
Group 3	Asteras Vari Ellas Syros Erani Filiatra Ermionida Ialysos Korinthos Marko Messolonghi Mykonos AE PAO Varda Panargiakos Panegialios Panelefsiniakos Pyli Kos Rodos Thyella Rafina Vyzas
Group 4	Agia Paraskevi Agios Nikolaos Almyros GPS Apollon Smyrnis Aris Petroupoli Atromitos Piraeus Atsalenios Ellopiakos Episkopi Ermis Zoniana Ethnikos Piraeus Fostiras Haidari Ilisiakos Panionios Peramaikos Proodeftiki Ypato
Category

v t e Second level Greek football league seasons
FCA Winners' Championship	1960 1961 1962
Beta Ethniki	1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
Football League	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19
Super League 2	2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

v t e Football in Greece
Overview	Hellenic Football Federation List of Unions Awards By number of titles List of clubs List of venues
National teams	Greece men U-23 U-21 U-20 U-19 U-18 U-17 Greece women W U–19 W U–17 Greece Beach Soccer men Military football team
League competitions	Super League 1 Super League 2 Football League (defunct) Gamma Ethniki Delta Ethniki (defunct) Local Championships FCA Winners' Championship Panhellenic Championship (defunct) Champions Youth Leagues Top goalscorers Super League Football League Women's top division
Cup competitions	Greek Cup Super Cup League Cup (defunct) Gamma Ethniki Cup Amateurs' Super Cup Amateurs Cup Women's Cup
Miscellaneous	P.O.K. Greek football clubs in European competitions