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P.A.O.K.

PAOK (, , ), commonly known as A.C. PAOK (), is a major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece. The club has several departments, including football, basketball, volleyball, handball, water polo, swimming, wrestling, ice hockey, and weightlifting. P.A.O.K was founded in April 1926. Because of its crest, it is also known as the "Double-Headed Eagle of the North", in contrast with AEK, the "Double-Headed Eagle". They are one of the most popular Greek sports-clubs with many fans all over the country (mostly, but not exclusively, in Northern Greece), and also among the Greek diaspora.

History

PAOK is closely linked with Hermes Sports Club (), which was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera, a district of Constantinople (Istanbul). The club was founded in April 1926 by Constantinopolitans who fled to Thessaloniki after the Greek defeat in the Greco-Turkish War (see Rum Millet).

The club's first memorandum of association signed on 30 March 1926 at Enosis Konstantinoupoliton Thessalonikis office, and was approved on 20 April 1926 by a decision of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822). The founding members were A. Angelopoulos, A. Athanasiadis, K. Anagnostidis, M. Ventourellis, F. Vyzantinos, V.Karapiperis, A. Dimitriadis, D. Dimitriadis, N. Zoumboulidis, M. Theodosiadis, T. Ioakimopoulos, P. Kalpaktsoglou, T. Kartsambekis, D. Koemtzopoulos, K. Koemtzopoulos, P. Kontopoulos, K. Kritikos, M. Konstantinidis, P. Maleskas, I. Nikolaidis, L. Papadopoulos, F. Samantzopoulos, T. Tsoulkas, M. Tsoulkas, S. Triantafyllidis and T. Triantafyllidis (who was also its first Chairman).

P.A.O.K.'s first Board of Directors, serving between 1926 and 1927, consisted of:

  • T. Triantafyllidis (President)
  • P. Kalpaktsoglou (1st vice-president)
  • K. Kritikos (General Secretary)
  • M. Tsoulkas (Special Secretary)
  • T. Ioakimopoulos (Treasurer)
  • A. Angelopoulos (Director of Football)
  • A. Dimitriadis (Director of Sports)
  • P. Maleskas (Consultant)
  • K. Koemtzopoulos (Consultant)
  • M. Theodosiadis (Consultant)

The club's policy was to be open to every citizen of Thessaloniki, leading to a minor rivalry with AEK Thessaloniki, the other Constantinopolitan team of the city, in which only refugees were allowed to play. The original logo of PAOK was a horseshoe and a four-leaf clover. The leaves were green and above them were the initials of the word PAOK. Kostas Koemtzopoulos, one of PAOK's founding members, came up with this idea, inspired by his favourite brand of cigarettes.

The football club played their first game (friendly) on 4 May 1926, at Thermaikos stadium, defeating Megas Alexandros Thessaloniki 2–1. The first coach of the club was Kostas Andreadis, who spent five years on the bench without demanding any payment. Their first captain was Michalis Ventourelis.

The first professional contract was signed by the club on 5 September 1928. The contract stipulated that the French footballer Raymond Etienne  Ã¢Â€Â“ of Jewish descent from Pera Club Ã¢Â€Â“ would be paid 4,000 drachmas per month. The contract was signed by Dr. Meletiou, the PAOK chairman, and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, the Hon. Secretary.

In early 1929, AEK Thessaloniki was virtually dissolved and absorbed by PAOK. PAOK thereupon changed their emblem, adopting the double-headed eagle, as a symbol of the club's Byzantine/Constantinopolitan heritage. PAOK also got possession of AEK's facilities located around Syntrivani (i.e. Fountain) Square.

In 1937, PAOK won his first title, the Macedonia (EPSM or Thessaloniki) Championship, and participated in the Panhellenic Championship, finishing second. The 1937 team included: Sotiriadis, Vatikis, Goulios, Kontopoulos, Bostantzoglou, Panidis, Glaros, Kritas, Ioannidis, Kalogiannis, Koukoulas, Kosmidis, Apostolou, Vafiadis, Vasiliadis, Anastasiadis, Moschidis, Tzakatzoglou, Zakapidas.

The first Greek championship for the basketball team was achieved in 1958–59 season. The first Greek championship for the football team was achieved in 1975–76 season.

In the 90s, the basketball team won another Greek championship and two European cups, the 1990–91 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup and the 1993–94 FIBA Korać Cup.

Crest and Colours

The original logo of PAOK was a horseshoe and a four-leaf clover. The current symbol since 1929 is the double-headed eagle. The eagle symbolizes the origins of the club in the former Byzantine capital, Constantinople, and the legacy of the Greek refugees from Asia Minor, Eastern Thrace, Pontus and Caucasus. In 2013, a golden outline was added to the football team's crest, as a symbol of the club's Byzantine heritage.

The club's traditional colours are black, as sadness for the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 and the end of the Greek presence in Anatolia, and white as hope for recovery.

Supporters

P.A.O.K. is the most widely supported sports-club in Northern Greece and one of the 4 most popular in the country (along with the big-three of capital Athens and Piraeus). PAOK's traditional fanbase comes from the city of Thessaloniki, where the club is based, as well as from the rest of Macedonia region and Northern Greece. They also have fans all over the country and in the Greek Diaspora (Germany, Australia, USA, etc.).

Rivalries

P.A.O.K.'s main rivals are Olympiacos, Aris (local rivals), Panathinaikos, AEK, Iraklis.

Football kit evolution

First

Alternative

P.A.O.K. Departments – Honours

Football

Men's Football

Source:

Women's Football

Basketball

Men's Basketball

Source:

Volleyball

Men's Volleyball

Women's Volleyball

Handball

Men's Handball

Women's Handball

  • Greek Championship: 6
  • 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Greek Cup: 8
  • 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2026
  • Greek Super Cup: 1
  • 2023

Weightlifting

  • 7 Greek men's Championships: 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025

Wrestling

  • 10 Greek men's Championships Greco-Roman: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Judo

  • 2 Greek men's Championships: 2019, 2021
  • 2 Greek women's Championships: 2019, 2022
  • 1 Greek mixed team Championships: 2023

Athletics

  • 3 Greek women's Open Athletics Championships: 1976, 1977, 1982
  • 2 Greek women's Cross Country Championships: 1968, 1974

Swimming

  • 1 Greek OPEN Championship: 1987

Cycling

  • 1 Greek men's Championship Mountain Bike: 2002

Boxing

  • 2 Greek men's Championships: 2003, 2007

Roller hockey

  • 1 Greek men's Championship: 2008
  • 1 Balkan Cup: 2007

European honours

Notable former athletes

Presidential History

PAOK FC Presidential History

From the organization of the 1979–80 Alpha Ethniki Greece Football Clubs Association became professional, as based on a bill submitted on January 19, 1979 (Law 879/1979) the Greece Football Clubs Association (FCA) department of the club PAOK FC was converted into a Football Anonyme Company A.E

PAOK B.C. Presidential History

Since 1928, the president of A.C. PAOK was responsible for the management of the Basketball department of PAOK. In 1992 the department became professional, with its own president.

Notable supporters

Gallery

References

External links