Athlitikos Syllogos Aris Thessalonikis, means Athletic Club Aris Thessaloniki (), is a major Greek multi-sport club founded on 25 March 1914 in Thessaloniki.
Aris Thessaloniki are nicknamed "The God of War, was one of the strongest Greek clubs during the Interwar period winning national championships in football, basketball and water polo. As of 2026, the club maintains a long-standing presence in Greek basketball, and played a significant role in the development of the sport in Greece with the players like Nikos Galis and which was voted the best Greek team of the 20th century in a poll conducted by Ethnos.
Departments
Aris is considered to be one of the most important Greek sport clubs and today maintains departments in many sports, including:
Honours
Football
- Super League Greece
- Winners (3): 1927âÂÂ28, 1931âÂÂ32, 1945âÂÂ46
- Runners-up (3): 1929âÂÂ30, 1932âÂÂ33, 1979âÂÂ80
- Greek Cup
- Winners (1): 1969âÂÂ70
- Runners-up (9): 1931âÂÂ32, 1932âÂÂ33, 1939âÂÂ40, 1949âÂÂ50, 2002âÂÂ03, 2004âÂÂ05, 2007âÂÂ08, 2009âÂÂ10, 2023âÂÂ24
- Greater Greece Cup (Defunct)
- Winners (1): 1971
Basketball
Winners (10): 1929âÂÂ30, 1978âÂÂ79, 1982âÂÂ83, 1984âÂÂ85, 1985âÂÂ86, 1986âÂÂ87, 1987âÂÂ88, 1988âÂÂ89, 1989âÂÂ90, 1990âÂÂ91
Runners-up (8): 1928âÂÂ29, 1957âÂÂ58, 1958âÂÂ59, 1964âÂÂ65, 1965âÂÂ66, 1975âÂÂ76, 1981âÂÂ82, 1983-84
Winners (8): 1984âÂÂ85, 1986âÂÂ87, 1987âÂÂ88, 1988âÂÂ89, 1989âÂÂ90, 1991âÂÂ92, 1997âÂÂ98, 2003âÂÂ04
Runners-up (6): 1983âÂÂ84, 1992âÂÂ93, 2002âÂÂ03, 2004âÂÂ05, 2013âÂÂ14, 2016âÂÂ17
Winners (1): 1986
Winners (1): 1992âÂÂ93
Runners-up (1): 2005âÂÂ06
Winners (1): 1996âÂÂ97
Winners (1): 2002âÂÂ03
Volleyball
Greek Volleyball League:
- Winners (1): 1996âÂÂ97
- Runners-up (2): 1993âÂÂ94, 1995âÂÂ96,
Greek Super Cup:
Waterpolo
- Greek League
- Winners (4): 1927âÂÂ28, 1928âÂÂ29, 1929âÂÂ30, 1931âÂÂ32
- Runners-up (1): 1930âÂÂ31
Weightlifting
- 2 Greek championships, Women: 1994, 1995
Ice Hockey
Korfball
- 1 Greek Championship:2007
- 1 Greek Cup: 2007
- 1 Beach Korfball Championship: 2008
Ball Hockey
- 1 Greek Championship: 2009
Roller Hockey
- 1 Greek Championship:2009
- 3 Greek Cups: 2007, 2008, 2009
- 1 Balkan Cup: 2009
Swimming
- 1 Greek Championship, Women: 1994
Boxing
- 1 Greek Championship, Men: 1972
Athletics
- 1 Greek Indoor Championship, Women: 1991
- 1 Greek Cup, Women: 1988
- 2 Greek Cross Country Championship, Women: 1961, 1962
Anthem
The hymn of Aris or Aris Niketes (Ares Victorious) is the anthem of the club. It was written in 1926. The lyrics were written by Georgios Kitsos and the music by Secondo Poselli, son of the famous architect Vitaliano Poselli. The orchestration was made by the famous classic composer Emilios Riadis.
Notable athletes
- Football: Nikolaos Aggelakis, Kostas Vikelidis, Nikiphoros Vikelidis, Nikos Kitsos, Argyris Argyriadis, Kleanthis Vikelidis, Kostas Veliadis, Manolis Keramidas, Takis Loukanidis, Alketas Panagoulias, Konstantinos Drampis, Giorgos Zindros, Stelios Papafloratos, Theodoros Pallas, Alekos Alexiadis, Dinos Kouis, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Apostolos Liolidis, Traianos Dellas, Angelos Charisteas, Avraam Papadopoulos, Sergio Koke, Darcy Dolce Neto, Javito, Vangelis Platellas
- Basketball: Manthos Matthaiou, Faidon Matthaiou, Anestis Petalidis, Michalis Romanidis, Vangelis Alexandris, Charis Papageorgiou, Nikos Filippou, Stojko VrankoviÃÂ, Vassilis Lipiridis, Lefteris SubotiÃÂ, Giannis Ioannidis, Panagiotis Giannakis, Nikos Galis, Miroslav Pecarski, Roy Tarpley, Harold Ellis, Walter Berry, José Ortiz, Charles Shackleford, Dinos Angelidis, Panagiotis Liadelis, Giorgos Sigalas, Will Solomon, Nestoras Kommatos, Jeremiah Massey, Bryant Dunston, Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, Sasha Vezenkov
- Volleyball: Lyubomir Ganev, Plamen Konstantinov, Michalis Alexandropoulos, Giannis Melkas, Thanassis Moustakidis, Dimitris Modiotis, Kostas Prousalis, Nikos Smaragdis, Riley Salmon, Clayton Stanley
- Water polo: Stelios Dimitriou, Agisilaos Zografos, Fotis Zografos
European honours
Notable supporters
- Arthur Abrahamian, President of the Armenian Community of Thessaloniki
- Vangelis Alexandris, basketball player and coach, former Aris captain
- Anthimos Ananiadis, actor
- Lelos Arouch, prominent member of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki
- Loukas Barlos, entrepreneur, former AEK president
- Albert Bourla, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pfizer
- Yiannis Boutaris, entrepreneur, fmr. owner of Aris basketball club, fmr. Mayor of Thessaloniki
- Angelos Charisteas, footballer, member of the UEFA Euro 2004 winning team, scorer of the winner in the Final
- Spyros Charitatos, journalist
- Kostas Chrysogonos, jurist, Member of the European Parliament
- Giannis Dardamanelis, Mayor of Kalamaria
- Dimos Dasygenis, knitting entrepreneur, whom the Aris training center ("Dasygenio") was named after
- Serafeim Dedeoglou, significant entrepreneur, creator of luxury hotels in Thessaloniki
- Georgios Delizisis, footballer, former Aris captain
- , fmr. SYRIZA MP
- Efstratios Evgeniou, Chalkidiki Flour Mills SA's Chairman & CEO
- B.D. Foxmoor, rapper and hip hop producer
- Giorgos Foiros, football player and coach, former Aris captain
- Christos Galileas, artistic director of Thessaloniki Concert Hall
- Nikos Galis, member of the FIBA Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1987 European champion
- , fmr. Minister of Internal Affairs
- Dimitris Goulielmos, entrepreneur, owner of Aris basketball club
- Evangelos Grammenos, president of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO)
- Aris Grigoriadis, world aquatics champion
- Giannis Ioannidis, basketball player and coach, Greek Champion with Aris, fmr. Aris captain, fmr. Deputy Minister of Sport
- Paris Kalimeridis, former sports journalist
- , Mayor of Panorama
- , actor
- Merkouris Karaliopoulos, boyhood fan, former Aris footballer
- Vassilis Kechagias, President of the Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK)
- Georgios Koltsidas, former Aris footballer and captain
- Lambros Konstantaras, journalist
- Giorgos Konstantopoulos, President of the Greek Exporters Association (SEVE)
- Dinos Kouis, footballer, former Aris captain
- , actor, former Aris youth basketball player
- Zoe Laskari, actress
- Nikos Laskaris, entrepreneur, former Aris basketball club owner
- Katerina Laspa, journalist, TV host
- Michalis Leanis, journalist
- , journalist, TV host
- Giannis Logothetis, emblematic sports commentator
- , actress
- , singer
- Apostolos Mangiriadis, journalist
- Marinella, singer
- Rodolfo Maslias, Head of TermCoord of the European Parliament
- Faidon Matthaiou, basketball player and coach, FIBA EuroBasket Bronze medalist, the "Patriarch" of Greek basketball
- , singer
- , actor
- Giorgos Moukidis, composer and songwriter
- Fanis Mouratidis, actor
- Thomas Nazlidis, footballer, former Aris player, team manager
- Alexandros Nikolaidis, Olympic medalist in Tae Kwon Do
- Alketas Panagoulias, fmr. US and Greece national football team manager, Aris player and coach
- , Mayor of Strovolos, Cyprus
- Elena Papadimitriou, journalist
- Charis Papageorgiou, top scorer and champion in basketball
- Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, 100 metres athlete, European champion, fmr. Mayor of Thessaloniki
- Evelina Papoulia, actress
- , former Aris footballer
- , basketball player and coach, longest-serving Aris coach, the Patriarch of the basketball department
- Akis Petretzikis, celebrity chef
- Ntinos Pontikas, footballer, youngest ever hat-trick scorer
- Secondo Poselli, composer of the Hymn of Aris Thessaloniki, son of Vitaliano Poselli
- , politician, former MP
- Emilios Riadis, significant composer and poet
- Konstantinos-Christoforos Rodokanakis, physician and essayist
- Thomas Rompopoulos, former MP with PASOK
- , actor
- Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the Hellenic Republic
- Nikolaos Sakellaropoulos, fmr. VP of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece
- Trifon Samaras, celebrity hairdresser, hair stylits
- Margaritis Schinas, vice-president of the European Commission
- Thanasis Papazoglou, international footballer
- Nikos Dabizas, fmr. international footballer, technical director
- Marios Siampanis, footballer, fmr. Aris goalkeeper
- Panagiotis Spyrou, pioneer cardiac surgeon
- , singer
- Nikos Tachiaos, Chairman of Attiko Metro SA
- Kyriakos Thomaidis, journalist, TV host
- , actor
- Nicholas Trimmatis, London based real estate entrepreneur
- , actor
- Vassilis Tsitsanis, leading composer of rebetiko
- Vasilis Tsivilikas, actor
- Nikos Valergakis, fmr. President of Thessaloniki Bar Association
- , singer
- Kleanthis Vikelidis, footballer, former Aris captain, Greek champion and topscorer
- Michalis Zorpidis, President of the Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki (EETH)
AC ÃÂris Thessaloniki Presidents
Gallery
See also
References
External links
Press
Fans