Football in Greece | |
---|---|
Country | Greece |
Governing body | Hellenic Football Federation |
National team(s) | Greece |
First played | 1906 1927–1928 (Official) | (Unofficial)
Clubs | about 2,500 |
National competitions | |
Club competitions | |
Superleague 1 Superleague 2 Football League (defunct) Gamma Ethniki Delta Ethniki (defunct) Local championships | |
International competitions | |
Champions League Europa League Conference League UEFA Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup (national team) UEFA European Championship (national team) UEFA Nations League (national team) | |
Audience records | |
Single match | Olympiacos F.C. vs. Hamburger SV 3 November 1982 Athens Olympic Stadium 75,263 spectators |
Football is the most popular sport in Greece, followed by basketball.
The Ancient Greeks are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved the use of the feet. The Roman game harpastum is believed to have been adapted from a Greek team game known as "ἐπίσκυρος" ( Episkyros ) [1] [2] or "φαινίνδα" (phaininda), [3] which is mentioned by a Greek playwright, Antiphanes (388–311 BC) and later referred to by the Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215 AD). These games appear to have resembled rugby football. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
In the modern era, however, association football was introduced to the Greeks by expatriate British communities and military personnel. The first Greek football teams were created as part of long-established athletic and gymnastic clubs in the major port cities of Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as among the large Greek communities of the Ottoman Empire, such as Constantinople and Smyrna, in the early 1900s. After the Asia Minor Disaster of 1922 which resulted in a large resettlement of Greeks from Turkey to Greece, several clubs, such as Panionios and Apollon Smyrnis, were transplanted, while many athletes of other clubs, like Pera, formed new organizations in their new home (e.g. AEK, PAOK).
The first league of professional football in Greece was officially established as the Panhellenic Championship in 1927. The league ran until 1959, when it was replaced by the Alpha Ethniki which ran until 2006 when it was then replaced by Superleague Greece. According to FIFPro, an organization that represents professional players, nearly 70 percent of players complained in a 2011 survey of problems with not being paid. [9]
Superleague Greece is the top-flight professional football division within Greece. The league contains 14 clubs, with the winners of the league becoming the Champions of Greece. The team with the most national championships is Olympiacos, who have won 47 times - 13 Super League titles, 19 Alpha Ethniki titles and 15 Panhellenic Championships. [10] Two other P.O.K. clubs also dominate the history of Greek football; Panathinaikos with 20 titles and AEK Athens with 13 titles. [10]
There is currently one major cup competition in Greek football, the Greek Cup. It includes clubs from every division of football in Greece. Until 2008, another major cup competition was the Greek Super Cup, an annual game held between the winner of the Greek Super League and Greek Cup.
Club sides may qualify to play in European tournaments under the jurisdiction of UEFA. The champions of Super League qualify for the group stage of the following season's UEFA Champions' League. The teams finishing in second to fifth position qualify for a round-robin playoff, the winner of which will enter the Champions League at the Third Qualifying Round. The other three teams will qualify for the following season's UEFA Europa League, at the Play-off, Third Qualifying or Second Qualifying Round stage, dependent on their performance in the national level playoff. The winner of the Greek Cup also qualifies for the Europa League. If this club has already qualified for a UEFA competition then the place is given to the runners-up.
The only Greek team to have reached the final of a UEFA competition at senior level is Panathinaikos, who were European Cup runners-up in 1970–71. In 2023–24 UEFA Youth League season, Olympiacos U-19 won the UEFA Youth League against AC Milan. With this victory, Olympiacos became the first and only Greek sports club to date to win a UEFA competition.
The Greek national team's first match came on April 7, 1929, in a 1–4 loss to Italy. Greece have qualified for the FIFA World Cup three times, in 1994, in 2010 and in 2014. Greece have qualified for the European Championship four times, their first in 1980, their second in 2004, their third in 2008 and their fourth in 2012. 2004 was their most successful run as they became champions by defeating hosts Portugal in the finals.
A national league for women has existed since 1987. Now known as the Greek football women A Division, it was started in 1987 as the Pan-Hellenic Championship. In recent years PAOK have dominated the league.
1950s: | 1959–60 | |||||||||
1960s: | 1960–61 | 1961–62 | 1962–63 | 1963–64 | 1964–65 | 1965–66 | 1966–67 | 1967–68 | 1968–69 | 1969–70 |
1970s: | 1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80 |
1980s: | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 |
1990s: | 1990–91 | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 |
2000s: | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 |
2010s: | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 |
2020s: | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 |
The Super League Greece 1, or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The members of the cooperative are the Football Limited Companies (P.A.E.) that have the right to participate in the Super League 1 championship.
Michalis Kapsis is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He was an integral part of Greece's UEFA Euro 2004 winning squad.
Dušan "Duško" Bajević is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Bosnian football managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. is a Greek football club based in Piraeus and its parent sports club is Ethnikos OFPF. The club was officially formed on 21 November 1923 as KeravnosPiraeus, but existed unofficially since 1922. One year later the club was renamed to Young Boys Titan, after some players' secession that formed Peiraikos Podosfairikos Omilos. The club was renamed to Ethnikos on 23 December 1924, after it merged with Peiraikos Podosfairikos Omilos.
The 2007–08 Super League Greece was the 72nd season of the highest football league of Greece and the second under the name Super League. The season began on 1 September 2007 and ended on 20 April 2008. The defending champions were Olympiacos. Asteras Tripolis, Veria and Levadiakos were promoted from Beta Ethniki in the previous season.
Football clubs from Superleague Greece have participated in European football competitions since 1959, when Olympiacos took part in the European Cup. In total, twenty Greek clubs have taken part in European competitions. Panathinaikos' run to the 1971 European Cup final is the biggest achievement by any Greek club. AEK Athens are the only Greek team to have reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, in 1977. Greek clubs have reached the quarter-final of major European competitions on another fourteen occasions.
The 2010–11 Super League Greece was the 75th season of the highest football league of Greece and the fifth under the name Super League. The league consisted of 16 teams, the 13 best teams of the 2009–10 season and three teams that had been promoted from the 2009–10 Beta Ethniki.
The 2010–11 season was PAOK Football Club's 85th in existence and the club's 52nd consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Football Cup and also competed in the UEFA Champions League starting from the third qualifying round.
The 2015–16 season was Olympiacos's 57th consecutive season in the Super League Greece and their 90th year in existence. The club was managed to become the champions for 6th consecutive year and for 18th time during the last 20 seasons. Olympiacos also participated in the Greek Football Cup, losing at the final against AEK Athens. They also took part in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
The 2015–16 Panathinaikos season was the club's 57th consecutive season in the Super League Greece. They will also compete in the Greek Cup. Qualifying rounds will determine whether the club will compete in the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League.
The 2015–16 Super League Greece was the 80th season of the highest tier in league of Greek football and the tenth under its current title. The season started on 22 August 2015 and ended in May 2016. The league comprised fourteen teams from the 2014–15 season and two promoted from the 2014–15 Football League. Olympiacos won their sixth consecutive title and 43rd overall, making a record collection of points in a championship of 30 games.
The 2015–16 season was PAOK's 90th in existence and the club's 57th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Cup in the Second Round and competed in UEFA Europa League starting from the second qualifying round.
The 2016–17 Panathinaikos season is the club's 58th consecutive season in Super League Greece. They are also competing in the UEFA Europa League and Greek Cup.
The 2016–17 season was PAOK Football Club's 91st in existence and the club's 58th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Football Cup and will also compete in UEFA Champions League starting from the third qualifying round.
The 2019–20 Super League Greece was the 84th season of the Super League, the top Greek professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1959.
The 2019–20 Panathinaikos season was the club's 61st consecutive season in Super League Greece. They also competed in the Greek Cup.
This article concerns football records in Greece and it includes the top flight and lower divisions as well.