P.A.O.K.

PAOK (Greek: ΠΑΟΚ, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinopoliton, Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans),^[1] commonly known as A.C. PAOK (Greek: Α.Σ. Π.Α.Ο.Κ.), 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 of the South". 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.

PAOK

Full name	Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών Panthessaloníkeios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinopolitón (Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans)
Nickname	Dikefalos Aetos (Double-Headed Eagle) Asprόmavri (White-Blacks)
Founded	1926
Colours	Black, White
Chairman	Thanasis Katsaris
Titles	European Titles: 2 Balkan Titles: 1
Website	acpaok.gr

History

The football team of 1926

The team of 1939

PAOK is closely linked with Hermes Sports Club (Greek: Ερμής), 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).^[2][3][4]

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).^[2]

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.^[5]

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.^[6] 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  – of Jewish descent from Pera Club – would be paid 4,000 drachmas per month. The contract was signed by Dr. Meletiou, the PAOK chairman, and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, the Hon. Secretary.^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[9]

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

Main articles: Olympiacos and PAOK rivalry, Aris and PAOK rivalry, Double-headed eagles derby, and Panathinaikos-PAOK rivalry

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

Football kit evolution

^[10][11][12]

First

1926–27

1936–37

1962–63

1966–67

1967–68

1970–71

1971–72

1975–76

1984–85

1990–91

2002–03

2004–05

2008–09

2015–16

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

Alternative

2000–01

2001–02

2013–14

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

2017–18

2018–19

Toumba Stadium

P.A.O.K. Sports Arena, home ground of basketball and volleyball teams

Bus of the team

PAOK fans

P.A.O.K. Departments – Honours

Football

Men's Football^[13]

• Greek Championship: 4
  • 1976, 1985, 2019, 2024
• Greek Cup: 8
  • 1972, 1974, 2001, 2003, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021
• Greater Greece Cup: 1 (defunct)
  • 1973

Women's Football

• Greek Championship: 19 (record)
  • 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Greek Cup: 7 (record)
  • 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024

Basketball

Men's Basketball^[14]

• Greek Championship: 2
  • 1959, 1992
• Greek Cup: 3
  • 1984, 1995, 1999
• FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup: 1
  • 1991
• FIBA Korać Cup: 1
  • 1994

Volleyball

Men's Volleyball

• Greek Championship: 3
  • 2015, 2016, 2017
• Greek Cup: 5
  • 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
• Greek Super Cup: 1
  • 2023

Women's Volleyball

• Greek Cup: 1
  • 2021

Handball

Men's Handball

• Greek Championship: 3
  • 2009, 2010, 2015
• Greek Cup: 4
  • 2012, 2015, 2017, 2024
• Greek beach handball championship: 1
  • 2001

Women's Handball

• Greek Championship: 6
  • 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Greek Cup: 7
  • 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024
• Greek Super Cup: 1
  • 2023

Weightlifting

• 5 Greek men's Championships: 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022

Wrestling

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

Judo

• 3 Greek men's/women's Championships: 2019, 2022, 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

Season	Men's Football	Men's basketball	Women's volleyball	Men's ice hockey
1973–74	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Quarter-finals
1989–90		FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Semi-finals
1990–91		FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Winners
1991–92		FIBA European Cup Final
1992–93		FIBA European League 3rd place
1993–94		FIBA Korać Cup Winners
1995–96		FIBA European Cup Final
2006–07				Balkan Amateur Hockey League Winners
2021–22	UEFA Conference League Quarter-finals
2023–24	UEFA Conference League Quarter-finals
2024-25			BVA Cup Final

Notable former athletes

• Football: Men: Giorgos Koudas, Stavros Sarafis, Konstantinos Iosifidis, Christos Terzanidis, Angelos Anastasiadis, Giorgos Skartados, Giorgos Kostikos, Thodoris Zagorakis, Zisis Vryzas, Georgios Georgiadis, Pablo Gabriel García, Lino, Sérgio Conceição, Vieirinha, Dimitar Berbatov, Aleksandar Prijović, Lucas Pérez, Magdy Tolba, Hossam Hassan, Percy Olivares, Dimitris Paridis, Giannis Gounaris, Filotas Pellios, Neto Guerino, Ioannis Damanakis, Nikos Alavantas, Christos Dimopoulos, Giorgos Toursounidis, Kostas Frantzeskos, Omari Tetradze, Pantelis Kafes, Stelios Venetidis, Ioannis Okkas, Omar El Kaddouri, Panayiotis Engomitis, Pablo Contreras, Zlatan Muslimović, Dimitrios Salpingidis, José Ángel Crespo, Léo Matos, Yevhen Shakhov (footballer, born 1990), Diego Biseswar, Stefanos Athanasiadis, Dimitrios Pelkas, Maurício (footballer, born October 1988), Fernando Varela
• Women: Natalia Chatzigiannidou, Jelena Dimitrijević, Dimitra Panteliadou
• Basketball: Men: Bane Prelević, John Korfas, Peja Stojaković, Scott Skiles, Walter Berry, Ken Barlow, Cliff Levingston, Nikos Boudouris, Giorgos Balogiannis, Efthimios Rentzias, Giannis Giannoulis, Kostas Vasileiadis, Zoran Savić, Anthony Bonner, Frankie King, Claudio Coldebella, Manthos Katsoulis, Nikos Stavropoulos, Vangelis Alexandris, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Rasho Nesterovic, İbrahim Kutluay, Damir Mulaomerović, Dejan Tomašević
• Volleyball: Men: Dante Amaral, Ernardo Gómez, Alexander Shafranovich, Rolando Cepeda, Javier Jiménez, David Lee, Giannis Pantakidis, Giannis Kalmazidis, Vasileios Kournetas, Vladimir Grbić, Kevin Hansen, Matti Hietanen, Plamen Konstantinov, Paul Lotman, Olli-Pekka Ojansivu, Evan Patak, Vlado Petković, Konstantinos Prousalis, Clayton Stanley, Riley Salmon, Nikolaos Smaragdis, Saša Starović, Mitar Tzourits, Nikolay Uchikov, Ronald Zoodsma
• Athletics: Men: Michalis Akritidis, Themistoklis Akritidis, Dimitrios Kokotis, Konstantinos Koukodimos, Dimitrios Koutsoukis Women: Vasiliki Anastasiou, Xanthipi Koukoumaka, Voula Patoulidou
• Swimming: Men: Christos Papadopoulos Women: Kalliopi Araouzou, Antonia Machaira, Aikaterini Sarakatsani, Katerina Stikoudi, Aikaterini Klepkou, Anna Ntountounaki.

PAOK Presidents

Name Years Triantafillos Triantafillidis 1926–1927 Vyzantios Fanourios 1927–1928 Konstantinos Meletiou 1928–1929 Athinodoros Athinodorou 1929–1930 Pantelis Kalpatsoglou 1930–1931 Petros Levantis 1931–1933 Savvas Tsantas 1933–1935 Filaretos Tsompesoglou 1935–1936 Savas Tsantas 1936–1938 Ioannis Tsakiroglou 1938–1939 Dimitrios Kamaras 1939–1940 Pantelis Kalpatsoglou 1940–1944 Filaretos Tsompesoglou 1944–1946 Pantelis Kalpatsoglou 1946–1948 Mirodis Dimitrakopoulos 1948–1949 Georgios Charalampidis 1949–63 Ippokratis Iordanoglou 1963–64 Dimitrios Dimadis 1964–66 Vassilios Zervas 1966–69 Evangelos Mylonas 1969 Stavros Georgiadis 1969–1971

Name Years Ioannis Arvanitakis 1971–1972 Stavros Simitzis 1972–1973 Ioannis Arvanitakis 1973–1974 Georgios Zografos 1974 Arthouros Merdikian 1974–1975 Georgios Pantelakis 1975–1981 Ioannis Vranialis 1981–1983 Dimosthenis Fintanidis 1983–1984 Nikolaos Vezyrtzis 1984–1993 Apostolos Oikonomidis 1993–1995 Charis Lazaridis-Apostolos Alexopoulos 1995–1997 Apostolos Alexopoulos 1997–1998 Athanasios Katsaris 1998 – present

Notable supporters

• Effie Achtsioglou, politician
• Stefanos Athanasiadis, footballer, former PAOK captain
• Angelos Anastasiadis, former football player and coach
• Georgios Aftias, journalist, politician ^[15]
• Giannis Aggelakas, musician^[16]
• Anna Korakaki, shooter^[17]
• Elena Asimakopoulou, actor
• Iordanis Chasapopoulos, journalist
• Vicky Chatzivasileiou, journalist, TV presenter
• Sissy Christidou, TV presenter
• Rallia Christidou, singer, politician
• Makis Christodoulopoulos, singer
• Olympia Chopsonidou, model
• Demy, singer
• Georgios Donis, football player and coach
• Pyrros Dimas, Olympic champion, politician
• Stratos Dionysiou, singer
• Konstadinos Gatsioudis, Greek javelin thrower
• Periklis Iakovakis, athlete, European champion
• Michalis Iatropoulos, actor
• Antonis Kanakis, journalist
• Vasilis Karras, singer^[18]
• Stavros Kalafatis, former MP
• Charis Kastanidis, former MP with PASOK
• Nikos Kourkoulis, singer
• Eva Kaili, journalist, politician
• Georgios Koudas, footballer, former PAOK captain
• Razvan Lucescu, Romanian former football player and coach ^[19]
• Manos Loizos, composer ^[20]
• Kostas Makedonas, singer
• Sokratis Malamas, singer
• Manolis Mitsias, singer
• Giorgos Minos, sports journalist
• Alkinoos Ioannidis, singer
• Ioanna Lilly, former model
• Nikos Oikonomou, basketball player
• Marinos Ouzounidis, football player and coach
• Kyriakos Papadopoulos, footballer
• Nikos Papazoglou, singer
• Paola, singer^[21]
• Elena Rapti, politician
• Branislav Prelevic, Serbian basketball player and coach, former PAOK president and Greek champion
• Dimitris Salpingidis, football player and coach, former PAOK captain
• Dionysis Savvopoulos, musician^[22]
• Euclid Tsakalotos, former Minister of Economy^[23]
• Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Former Minister of National Defence of Greece
• Popi Tsapanidou, journalist
• Giorgos Toursounidis, football player and coach, former PAOK captain
• Natassa Theodoridou, singer
• Rania Thraskia, journalist, politician
• Tasos Telloglou, journalist
• Fay Skorda, TV presenter
• Gerasimos Skiadaresis, actor
• Katerina Stikoudi, actress, model, singer
• Sofoklis Schortsanitis, basketball player, 2006 FIBA Silver Medalist, former PAOK player
• Stavros Sarafis, footballer, former PAOK player
• Kyriakos Velopoulos, politician
• Nikos Vertis, singer
• Evangelos Venizelos, politician
• Zisis Vryzas, footballer, Euro 2004 champion, former PAOK player and president
• Kostas Vasileiadis, basketball player
• Loukas Vyntra, football player
• Theodoros Zagorakis, footballer, Euro 2004 champion, politician, former PAOK president
• Christos Zabounis, journalist
• Kostas Zouraris, author, former MP ^[24]

Gallery

• Football
• 
  The team of 1928–29
• 
  The team of 1936–37
• 
  Raymond Étienne, the first foreign player of the club
• 
  Giorgos Koudas
• 
  Gyula Lóránt, coach of the 1976 champion team
• 
  Christos Terzanidis
• 
  Player and later coach Angelos Anastasiadis
• 
  Theodoros Zagorakis, the iconic captain and later president of PAOK FC
• 
  Fernando Santos
• 
  Sérgio Conceição
• 
  Pablo Gabriel García, one of the most popular players ever played for PAOK FC
• 
  Captain Vieirinha
• 
  Kostas Katsouranis
• 
  Lucas Pérez
• 
  Dimitar Berbatov
• 
  Dimitris Pelkas
• 
  Aleksandar Prijović, top scorer during the 2017–18 season
• 
  Léo Matos
• 
  Razvan Lucescu
• 
  The team in 2018

• Basketball
• 
  PAOK vs YMCA Thessaloniki in the '20s
• 
  Peja Stojaković
• 
  Scott Skiles
• 
  Dušan Ivković, coach of the 1992 champion team
• 
  Kostas Vasileiadis
• 
  Claudio Coldebella
• 
  Anthony Bonner
• 
  Dejan Tomašević

• Volleyball
• 
  Ernardo Gómez
• 
  Rolando Cepeda
• 
  Nikolay Uchikov
• 
  Saša Starović
• 
  Mitar Tzourits
• 
  Vladimir Grbić
• 
  Paul Lotman
• 
  Kostas Prousalis

References

1. "Myths, heroes and legends: PAOK in focus". uefa.com. 31 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
2. "Ιστορία". acpaok.gr (in Greek). Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
3. "History". paokfc.gr. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
4. "PAOK FC". footballhistory.org. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
5. "Milestones". paokfc.gr. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
6. "90 χρόνια ΠΑΟΚ!90 χρόνια προπονητές!". paokvoice.com (in Greek). Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
7. "Ο άγνωστος Ραϊμόν Ετιέν..." [The unknown first foreign player of PAOK Raymond Ettienne]. paokmania.gr (in Greek). 7 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
8. "Η ιστορία του σήματος του ΠΑΟΚ" [PAOK logo history]. oldfootball.gr (in Greek). 6 February 2016. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
9. "Η ιστορία του ΠΑΟΚ – History of PAOK". sansimera.gr. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
10. "Όλες οι 117 φανέλες ΠΑΟΚ!". inpaok.com (in Greek). 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
11. "PHOTOSTORY: Οι εμφανίσεις του ΠΑΟΚ στην Α' Εθνική". contra.gr (in Greek). 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
12. "Retro stories: Οι φανέλες του ΠΑΟΚ!". gazzetta.gr (in Greek). 20 December 2015. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
13. "Honours". paokfc.gr. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
14. "Trophies". paokbc.gr. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
15. "Αυτιάς: "Είμαι ΠΑΟΚάρα, αλλά μακάρι να πάρει το πρωτάθλημα ο Παναθηναϊκός" (vid) | SDNA". Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
16. "Γιάννης Αγγελάκας: ΠΑΟΚ είμαι, τί άλλο;". thestival.gr. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
17. "Άννα Κορακάκη: "Θέλω να πάρει το πρωτάθλημα ο ΠΑΟΚ"". in.gr. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
18. "Ο Βασίλης Καρράς ψηφίζει... ΠΑΟΚ!" (in Greek). Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
19. "Lucescu: PAOK is the club of my heart". metrosport.gr (in Greek). 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
20. "Ο Γιάννης Πάριος θυμάται". tovima.gr. Λένα Παπαδημητρίου. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
21. "Ναι ρε Πάολα! Η εκρηκτική λαϊκή diva είναι ΠΑΟΚ και ακούει Metallica! Τελικά... ήρθε η συντέλεια" (in Greek). Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
22. "Σαββόπουλος: "Ο Τσίπρας είναι long play αυταπατώμενος"". tovima.gr. Δημήτρης Θεοδωρόπουλος. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
23. "Τσακαλώτος: Τραγoυδάει το σύνθημα του ΠΑΟΚ για τον… Μάικλ Τζάκσον (βίντεο)". Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
24. "Διάσημοι Έλληνες στις κερκίδες για τις ομάδες τους - In2life". Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.

External links

• Official website