Football League (Greece)

Football League
Organising body	A2 & Beta National Divisions Professional Football Association
Founded	1960; 65 years ago (informal); 1962; 63 years ago
First season	Atypi Beta Ethniki Katigoria, Greek: Άτυπη Β΄ Εθνική Κατηγορία, lit. 'Informal Second National Division' (1960); Beta Ethniki Katigoria, Greek: Β΄ Εθνική Κατηγορία, lit. 'Second National Division' (1962–63); Alpha Katigoria, Greek: Α΄ Κατηγορία, lit. 'First Division' (2000–01); Beta Ethniki Katigoria, Greek: Β΄ Εθνική Κατηγορία, lit. 'Second National Division' (2001–02); Football League / Beta Ethniki Katigoria, Greek: Φούτμπολ Λιγκ / Β΄ Εθνική Κατηγορία, lit. 'Football League / Second National Division' (2010–11);
Folded	2021; 4 years ago
Country	Greece
Confederation	UEFA
Number of clubs	20 (2020–21)
Level on pyramid	2 (1962–2019); 3 (2019–2021);
Promotion to	Super League 2
Relegation to	Gamma Ethniki
Domestic cup	Greece Cup
Last champions	Kalamata (1st title); Veria (1st title) ; (2020–21)
Most championships	Panachaiki (6 titles)
Top scorer	Ilias Chatzieleftheriou (152 goals)

The Football League (Greek: Φούτμπολ Λιγκ), also officially known as Beta Ethniki Katigoria (Greek: Β΄ Εθνική Κατηγορία, lit. 'Second National Division'), was second-tier professional men's association football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as Beta Ethniki and until 2019.^[1]^[2] It then served as a third-tier professional men's association football league after the creation of the Greek Super League 2 as the new second-tier professional men's association football league and it was eventually abolished in 2021 when the 2021–22 Super League 2 went from a 12 team to a 36 team league, absorbing most of the clubs from the Football League.

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 an informal format of second category. 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.^[3] 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 (2019–2021)

As of 2019, the Football League Greece replaced the Gamma Ethniki as the third tier of the Greek football league system. It was finally abolished in 2021 with most clubs being absorbed into the second tier Super League 2.

Structure of the league

There were 20 clubs that competed in the Football League until 2021, playing each other in a home and away series. At the end of the season, the bottom four teams were relegated to the Gamma Ethniki. The top two teams gained automatic promotion. Unlike the Super League, clubs in the Football League did not get relegated if the club failed to obtain a license. All teams in the Football League took part in the Greek Cup.

Results

Second Division champions (1960 until 2018–19)

From 1960 to 1962

Season	Winner
1960	Atromitos Piraeus (1), Fostiras (1), Thermaikos Thessaloniki (1)
1961	Egaleo (1), Panelefsiniakos (1), Niki Volos (1), Aspida Xanthi (1)
1962	Panegialios (1), Pierikos (1)

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 (2), 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 (2)
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 (2)
1975–76	Kavala (3), OFI (2)
1976–77	Egaleo (3), 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 (4), 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 (5)
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 (2)
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 (2019–20 until 2020–21)

From 2019 to 2021

Season	Winner
2019–20	Trikala (1)^[4]
2020–21	Kalamata (1), Veria (5)

References

^ "Super League 2 & Football League - Επίσημη Ιστοσελίδα". Super League 2 & Football League. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
^ "Νόμος 4809/2021 (Κωδικοποιημένος) - ΦΕΚ Α 102/19.06.2021". www.kodiko.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 21 August 2025.
^ "Football League – Football League 2". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
^ "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

Hellenic Football Federation (in Greek)

[1] "Super League 2 & Football League - Επίσημη Ιστοσελίδα". Super League 2 & Football League. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2025.

[2] "Νόμος 4809/2021 (Κωδικοποιημένος) - ΦΕΚ Α 102/19.06.2021". www.kodiko.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 21 August 2025.

[3] "Football League – Football League 2". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.

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

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