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| Full name | PAE Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos (Athletic Union of Constantinople F.C.) |
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| Nickname(s) | Enosis (Union) Dikefalos Aetos (Double-Headed Eagle) Kitrinomavri (Yellow-Blacks) |
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| Founded | 13 April 1924 | |||
| Ground | Olympic Stadium Athens, Greece (Capacity: 71,030 (all-seated)[1]) |
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| League | Super League Greece (Σούπερ Λίγκα Ελλάδα) |
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| 2008-09 | Super League Greece, 4th in regular season, 3rd after play-offs | |||
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 Current season |
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AEK F.C. (Greek: AEK - Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως – Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos), the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Athens, Greece.
Established in Athens on 13 April 1924 by Greek refugees from İstanbul in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War, AEK has grown to become one of the most successful clubs in Greek football, winning 29 national titles (including 11 Championships, 13 Greek Cups, 1 League Cup, 1 Pre-Mediterranean Cup and 3 Super Cups) providing the Greek National Football Team with many of its star players, and continuously appearing in European (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League) competitions, having participated in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1977. AEK is also a member of the European Club Association.[2] The club currently competes in the Super League Greece.[3]
Contents |
History
The large Greek population of Constantinople (now Istanbul), not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Enosi Tataoulon (Ένωση Ταταούλων) from the Tatavla district, Megas Alexandros (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) of Vathyriakos, and Hermes (Ερμής - Ermis) of Pera existed to promote Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals.
On 13 April 1924, a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them athletes from Pera Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) met at the athletic shop of Emilios and Menelaos Ionas on Veranzerou Street, in the center of Athens and established AEK.
The founders of AEK established the club with the intention of providing athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni etc). AEK’s first game was a 2-0 win against Aias Athinon.
Not possessing a football ground, AEK played most of its early matches at various locations around Athens, including the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.
AEK’s first president, (1871-1941), a journalist and associate of the then Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, petitioned the government to set aside land for the establishment of a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfia that was originally set aside for refugee housing was donated as a training ground for the refugees.[4] AEK began using the ground for training (albeit unofficially) and by 1930 the property was signed over to the club. Venizelos soon approved the plans to build what was to become AEK’s home ground for the next 70 years, the Nikos Goumas Stadium.[5] The first home game, in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiacos that ended in a 2-2 draw.
In 1931, won their first Greek Cup title, beating Aris Thessaloniki F.C. 5-3 in the final. The team boasted a number of star football players in Kostas Negrepontis (a veteran of the original Pera Club of Constantinople), Kleanthis Maropoulos, Tryfon Tzanetis, Michalis Delavinias, Giorgos Mageiras and Spyros Sklavounos. The club’s mixed success during the 1930s was highlighted by the first Greek Championship-Cup double in 1939 and the second consecutive championship in 1940.
AEK was Cup winner in 1949, 1950 (when was also Athens champion) and 1956.Thence, took the championship in 1963, with Nestoridis to be the top scorer of 1st division for 5th consecutive time. The club followed up with Cup victories in 1964 and 1966, championship in 1968 and became the first Greek football club to reach the quarter-final of European Champions Cup in 1969.[6]
In addition, AEK was champion in 1971 (for second time at the last four years). Loukas Barlos took over the presidency of AEK in 1974, and with the help of Czech-Dutch coach Frantisek Fadrhonc built one of the finest teams in the club’s history. The Barlos “Golden Era” saw some of the greatest players ever to have played for AEK.[7]
Captained by Papaioannou, 1976-1977 saw AEK reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup competition, the first Greek football club to do so. Beating FC Dynamo Moscow 2-0, Derby County FC 2-0 and 3-2, Red Star Belgrade 2-0, and Queens Park Rangers 3-0 and 7-6 on penalties, AEK were eventually eliminated by Gianni Agnelli’s Juventus FC. Juventus went on to win their first European title.
AEK was champion and cup winner in 1978 (double) and again champion 1979.
Under Loukas Barlos, the Nikos Goumas Stadium was finally completed with the addition of the iconic “Covered Stand”, or Skepasti (Σκεπαστή), which eventually became home to the most fanatic of AEK supporter groups, Original 21. The next generation of star players, fresh out of the AEK Academy, made their debut during this period – Stelios Manolas, Spyros Ekonomopoulos, Vangelis Vlachos and Lysandros Georgamlis
With new president Michalis Arkadis and Austrian head coach Helmut Senekowitsch, AEK won the 1983 Greek Cup, beating PAOK FC 2-0 in the newly-built Athens Olympic Stadium. Thomas Mavros and 21-year old captain Vangelis Vlachos were the goalscorers.
In 1989 AEK was champion and also Greek Super Cup winner.
After the 1989 triumphs, under Dušan Bajević, AEK built what was to become one of the most successful teams in its history. Led by Stelios Manolas, the team, which included Toni Savevski, Daniel Batista, Vaios Karagiannis, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Giorgos Savvidis, Alekos Alexandris and Refik Šabanadžović dominated the Greek league through the 1990s with three successive Championship titles (1992, 1993, 1994). AEK also won the Greek League Cup of 1990 (beating Olympiacos FC 3-2) and the Pre-Mediterranean Cup of 1991 (beating OFI Crete 1-0).
In 1994-1995 AEK was the first Greek football club that participated in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Scottish champions Rangers FC, AEK was eliminated by Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan, who made it to the final. With Michalis Trochanas as president and Dušan Bajević as coach, the club won the 1996 Greek Cup and Super Cup and also the 1997 Greek Cup. During seasons 1996-1997 and 1997-1998, AEK progressed to the Quarter-Final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
AEK was also Greek cup winner in 2000 and 2002 (for 4th time at the last seven years).
Despite AEK’s on-field successes, the period was best remembered for the return of Dusan Bajevic as coach in the summer of 2002, a move that sparked open hostility towards Bajevic from a section of AEK supporters. Modest performances, though, were not enough as more off-field dramas unfolded. Punctuated by the demolition of Nikos Goumas Stadium, home to AEK for over 70 years, Demis Nikolaidis was let on free transfer by mutual consent and signed for Atlético Madrid, Unable to cope with the negativity from a large section of AEK fans, Bajević resigned in 2004 during a season match against Iraklis FC.
By now, on the brink of bankruptcy, and losing most of its Euro 2004 stars and experienced players to other European clubs,[8] AEK needed a miracle to prevent it from being relegated to the Greek amateur leagues. Though both Kostas Katsouranis and Nikos Liberopoulos remained, Vassilis Borbokis, Grigoris Georgatos, Theodoros Zagorakis, Michalis Kapsis, Michalis Kasapis, Michel Kreek, Vassilis Lakis, Vassilis Tsiartas, and Ioannis Okkas all left the club in the wake of the troubles.
In 2004 Demis Nikolaidis, at the head of a consortium of businessmen, bought out the beleaguered AEK and became the new club president.[9] His primary task was to lead AEK out of its precarious financial position.[10] The first success was an arrangement through the Greek justice system to write off most of the massive debt that previous club administrators had amassed, and to repay any remaining public debts in manageable installments[11] . A key factor to the recent AEK FC revival was the dynamic fans' come-back.[12] AEK surprising many people finished 2nd, after media prediction had them to finish mid table. The following season Demis appointed Llorenç Serra Ferrer as head coach, and after a first successful season, finishing AEK in second and to within 1 point of a Last 16 spot in the Champions League, however during the 2007-08 season after unsuccessful signings and poor performances, he was sacked and replaced by Nikos Kostenoglou on a caretaker bases,[13] After the end of a decent season, The team initially finished in first place in the league, but after the court case between Apollon Kalamaria and Olympiacos for the illegal usage of a player in the 1-0 Apollon Kalamaria win earlier in the season, Olympiacos were awarded the 3 points in a court hearing, thus finishing 2 points ahead of AEK.[14] AEK president Demis Nikolaidis and several other managers and chairmen have been angered with the alleged court decision, stating that the Hellenic Football Federation knew about the usage of the illegal player prior to the game but didn't do anything about it. Giorgos Donis was appointed head coach on 14 May.[15] His reign at the club did not go well. It all began when AEK failed to surpass AC Omonia in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round, meaning their elimination from European competitions for the season [16]. Key player Rivaldo asked to leave the club to sign for the Uzbek team FC Bunyodkor on August 27 [17]. The league campaign started very well after a win over rivals Panathinaikos in the opening game of the season, but poor performances and results from then on left AEK in a difficult situation. Head coach Giorgos Donis was eager to leave the club, but president Demis Nikolaidis did not allow him to leave. Nevertheless, Nikolaidis left due to these disappointing results and after a controversy with the clubs supporters Original 21 [18], leaving the presidency to member of the D.C., Nikos Koulis and Takis Kanellopoulos [19].
However, the series of disappointing results continued, bringing anger and insecure situations for everyone in the team. The first to be hit by this wave of disappointment and with the council of the team upset, was the coach Giorgos Donis, who was asked to leave the team [20]. On 21 November 2008, AEK hired Dušan Bajević as head coach for the third time [21]. However, after a while, Takis Kanellopoulos left the team, as he sparked a rivarly with Bajević. Up until now, there is no serious improvement to the club's negative running. Greek billionaire Georgios Kintis bought AEK for € 75 Million and became the team's new president shortly after [22] On 4 February 2009, Nikos Thanopoulos was elected as number 41 president of AEK FC [23]. Bajevic brought some much-needed stability to the club, and performances on the pitch improved vastly towards the end of the season, culminating in AEK's progression to the Greek Cup final against Olympiacos which will be played on 2 May 2009 at Athens Olympic Stadium [24]. AEK lost in the final 14-15 on penalty's [25]. AEK finished the regular season in 4th, thus qualifying for the seasons playoff's. AEK finished 2nd in the playoff's just missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification. Instead AEK will compete for the first time in the newly founded UEFA Europa League [26].
Colours and crest
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| AEK's first home colours, used from 1924 until c.1927. |
The colours of yellow and black were adopted from AEK's connections with Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.[27]
AEK have always worn predominantly yellow shirts (striped or plain), black shorts, and yellow or black socks. The only exception has been in the unusual, but notable, Kappa kits of the 1990s (which featured a double-headed eagle across the kit), or in recent years, mainly in European competitions, when the club has worn an all-yellow kit.
AEK's traditional away colours are all-black or all-white; on a few occasions, the club has introduced a light blue, a grey, and even a dark scarlet kit as a third kit.
AEK's current kit is manufactured by Puma, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2007 to 2011. Their previous kit manufacturer were Diadora, Kappa, Nike and Adidas. AEK's first shirt sponsor was Citizen (1982-83), followed by Nissan (1984-85), Ethniki Asfalistiki and Phoenix Asfaleies (1988-96), Geniki Bank (1996-98), Firestone (1999), Marfin (1999-2001), Alpha Digital (2001-02), Piraeus Bank (2002-04), which caused controversy because it was situated in Pireaus - home of fierce rivals Olympiacos, TIM (2004-06) and LG (2006-09). AEK's current shirt sponsor is Diners Club.
In 1924, AEK adopted as their emblem the image of a double-headed eagle (Δικέφαλος Αετός - Dikefalos Aetos). When AEK was created by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the years following the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent population exchange, the emblem and colours (yellow & black) were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club's historical ties to Constantinople.
AEK's main emblem underwent numerous minor changes between 1924 and 1989. The design of the eagle on the shirt badge was often not identical to the design of the eagle depicted on official club correspondence, merchandise and promotional material. All designs were considered "official" (in the broadest sense of the word), however, it was not until 1989 that an identifiable, copyrighted design was established as the club's official, and shirt, badge. The emblem design was changed again in 1993 to the current shield design.
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1986–89 | Zita | Ethniki Asfalistiki |
| 1989–90 | Diadora | |
| 1990–93 | None | |
| 1993–95 | Basic | Phoenix Asfaleies |
| 1995–96 | Kappa | Ethniki Asfalistiki |
| 1996–98 | Geniki Bank | |
| 1999 | Firestone | |
| 1999-2000 | Marfin | |
| 2000-01 | Nike | |
| 2001-02 | Alpha Digital | |
| 2002-04 | Piraeus Bank | |
| 2004 | TIM | |
| 2005-06 | Adidas | |
| 2006-07 | LG | |
| 2007-09 | Puma | |
| 2009-11 | Diners Club |
Stadium
- Main articles: Olympic Stadium (Athens)
Since the demolition in 2003 of the Nikos Goumas Stadium – AEK’s home ground since 1930,[5] the club plays its home games at the 70,000-capacity "Spiridon Louis" (Athens Olympic Stadium) in Athens[28]. The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens, also known as OAKA, is one of the most complete European athletic complexes. The Main Olympic Stadium was designed in 1979 and inaugurated in 1982 at the 13th European Athletics Championship. The following years a number of other sport facilities surrounded the Main Olympic Stadium: the Olympic Velodrome (inaugurated in 1991), the Olympic Aquatics Center (1991), the Olympic Indoor Sports Center (1995), the Olympic Tennis Center (2004), as well as other supplementary sport facilities. The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1991, the World Championship in Athletics in 1997, the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final well as other important athletic and cultural events, the most significant of which remains the Athens Olympic Games in 2004[29].
On 6 September 2007 a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Greek Minister Finance and Economy, Giorgos Alogoskoufis and club Chairman Ntemis Nikolaidis that outlined the details of a development project for the construction of a new stadium at Ano Liosia. The Greek Government promised to provide for public land and access infrastructure, while the club will deal with the financing of the project.[30] Although the memorandum refers to the construction of a 50,000, 5-star stadium, further details including cost estimates, exact seating capacity and naming rights or name for the stadium are still forthcoming. For the time being, the stadium is referred by some as AEK Arena, which is the preliminary name given to an earlier attempt at a stadium by a previous ownership.
Feeder clubs
- AO Neas Ionias Link (greek)
- Anagennisi Karditsa
Current squad
As of 31 August 2009[31]
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- For recent transfers, see AEK Athens transfers in season 2009-10 and List of Greek football transfers summer 2009.
Foreign players
Up to five non-EU nationals can be registered and given a squad number for the first team in the Greek Super league. Those non-EU nationals with European ancestry can claim citizenship from the nation their ancestors came from. If a player does not have European ancestry he can claim Greek citizenship after playing in Greece for 7 years. Players such as Sebastián Saja are not registerd as non-EU because they have dual citizenship with a EU country.
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EU Nationals |
EU Nationals (Dual citizenship) |
Non-EU Nationals |
International players
Board
- President: Nikos Thanopoulos
- Vice Presidents: Nikos Notias, Pantelis Athinis
- Board Members : Nasos Thanopoulos, Michalis Dimarakis, Dimitris Hatzihristos (representing AEK Athens), Kyriakos Chinas (representing "Union 1924")[32][33]
Honours and achievements
Domestic
- Winners (11) : 1939, 1940, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994
- Winners (13) : 1932, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002
- Winners (1) : 1990
- Winners (2) : 1989, 1996
European
- Semi-Final (1) : 1977
Records
- Record home attendance - 74,473 v. Panathinaikos,23 May 1986
Managerial history
This is a list of the last ten AEK Athens managers:
| Name | Nat | From | To | Record | Honours | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | %W | |||||
| Giannis Pathiakakis |  |
9 January 2000 | 24 January 2001 | 59 | 37 | 10 | 12 | 143 | 70 | 62.71 | 1 Greek Cup |
| Toni Savevski* |  |
25 January 2001 | 15 June 2001 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 18 | 64.70 | – |
| Fernando Santos |  |
17 June 2001 | 9 May 2002 | 51 | 38 | 5 | 8 | 134 | 51 | 74.50 | 1 Greek Cup |
| Dušan Bajević |  |
20 May 2002 | 25 January 2004 | 82 | 45 | 23 | 14 | 166 | 78 | 54.87 | – |
| Ilie Dumitrescu |  |
2 February 2004 | 25 May 2004 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 20 | 50.00 | – |
| Fernando Santos | |
20 July 2004 | 13 May 2006 | 96 | 47 | 23 | 16 | 115 | 69 | 48.95 | – |
| Llorenç Serra Ferrer |  |
7 June 2006 | 12 February 2008 | 71 | 39 | 13 | 19 | 122 | 67 | 54.92 | – |
| Nikos Kostenoglou | |
12 February 2008 | 14 May 2008 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 35 | 19 | 55.55 | – |
| Giorgos Donis | |
14 May 2008 | 17 November 2008 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 30.00 | – |
| Dušan Bajević | |
21 November 2008 | Incumbent | 49 | 23 | 15 | 12 | 55 | 47 | 46.93 | – |
- Key
- * Served as Caretaker-manager.
† Served as caretaker manager before being appointed permanently.
Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shootouts are not counted.
As of 9 November 2009.
Notable former managers
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Chairmen history
Notable former players
For former AEK players with a Wikipedia article see Category:AEK Athens F.C. players
Notable stats
Notes:
- Bold signals active players
- Correct as of 2009-08-27
Club anthem
AEK's club anthem was composed by Stelios Kazantzidis, and sung by Mimis Papaioannou. AEK Club Anthem
| Greek | Greek Transliteration | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| First stanza | ||
|
ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ Της Ένωσης οι αετοί τα δίχτυα κοματιάζουν |
AEK, AEK, AEK Tis Enosis i aeti ta dihtia komatiazoun |
AEK, AEK, AEK The Union's eagles tear the nets |
| Chorus | ||
|
Εμπρός της ΑΕΚ παλικάρια Τα δίχτυα σκίστε |
Embros tis AEK palikaria Ta dihtia skiste |
Go AEK's lads Tear the nets |
| Second stanza | ||
|
ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ |
AEK, AEK, AEK |
AEK, AEK, AEK |
| Chorus | ||
|
ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ |
AEK, AEK, AEK |
AEK, AEK, AEK |
| Chorus | ||
See also
References
- ^ "Stadium Layout". stadia.gr. http://www.stadia.gr/oaka/oaka-f.html. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ^ "Agreement heralds new era in football". uefa.com. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/keytopics/kind=4096/newsid=648350.html. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ^ "Super League Greece teams". superleaguegreece.net. http://www.superleaguegreece.net/season2008/teams/aek.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ "Birth through the ashes". aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=357. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
- ^ a b "Nikos Goumas Stadium info". stadia.gr. http://www.stadia.gr/ngoumas/ngoumas.html. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ "The first achievements". aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=358. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ "Loukas Barlos Golden Era". aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=361. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "5 more leave AEK". uefa.com. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=209140.html. Retrieved 2004-07-21.
- ^ "Demis Nikolaidis buys AEK". uefa.com. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=183409.html. Retrieved 2004-05-29.
- ^ "Nikolaidis makes first moves". uefa.com. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=206697.html. Retrieved 2004-07-11.
- ^ "Appeal victory keeps AEK afloat". uefa.com. http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=258940.html. Retrieved 2004-11-19.
- ^ "Life starts again at 80". aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=367. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
- ^ AEK call time on coach Serra Ferrer
- ^ "Legal Dispute". uefa.com. 2008-04-20. http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=16/newsid=685259.html. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ Giorgos Donis - Head Coach of AEK FC
- ^ Omonia keep the party going in Nicosia
- ^ Rivaldo leaves club (greek)
- ^ Nikolaidis Resigns
- ^ Kanellopoulos and Koulis take charge
- ^ Donis's brief tenure at AEK is over
- ^ AEK FC sign Dusan Bajevic
- ^ Giorgos Kintis is AEK's new president
- ^ Thanopoulos is new AEK president
- ^ AEK qualify for final
- ^ Olympiakos win epic final 15-14 on pens
- ^ AEK qualify for Europa League
- ^ "Colours info". aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=319. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ OAKA Stadium
- ^ Athens Olympic Stadium
- ^ "AEK finalise stadium project" (PDF). aekfc.gr. http://www.aekfc.gr/media/Documents/mnimomio1.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ AEK FC Squad
- ^ AEK Board
- ^ AEK Technical Staff
- ^ League Titles
- ^ Greek Cup titles
- ^ League Cup Titles
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AEK FC |
- AEK FC (Official website)(Greek) (English)
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