Iraklis
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| Iraklis Thessaloniki FC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gymnastic Club Iraklis Thessaloniki 1908 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Giraios (Greek: Γηραιός) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1908 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Lysimachos Kaftanzoglu Stadium, Thessaloniki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 27,770 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Georgios Spanoudakis |
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| Manager | Jozef Bubenko |
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| League | Super League Greece (Σούπερ Λίγκα Ελλάδα 2007) |
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| 2005-06 | 4th position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Iraklis FC is a football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club is named after Greek: Ηρακλής or ,Latin: Hercules the semigod of Greek mythology.Iraklis is the oldest sports club in Greece. And its colors, light blue and white, vividly resemble the official Greek colours.
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[edit] Club Foundation
The history of the Club began at 1899 in Thessaloniki, when the Club of the «Friends of the Arts» was created. The Club was not a sporting one, but rather one of literature and music. In 1903, the members of the Club decided to include sports in their activities. They created a gym and founded the department of swimming and cycling. However football, at that time a new sport, started to gain popularity and soon a football section was created and the first official game was held in April 23, 1905.
Unfortunately the club started facing financial problems. In 1908, a historical moment for Iraklis, everything changed. The club merged with the club of «Olympia» and the unification of powers resulted in the birth of Iraklis. The complete name of the club at the time had been: «Ottoman Hellenic club of Thessaloniki - «Iraklis». It was forced to have the word "Ottoman" in its name as the city of Thessaloniki was under Ottoman rule then. After the liberation of the city in 1912 the word was immediately dropped. The football department was the first to be created in the new club. The first Iraklis' article of association were constituted on the 29th of November 1908.
In 1914 Iraklis was facing housing problems since the club's income had been minimum and came only out of the members funding. However, the club managed to overcome obscurities, while its facilities became the «core» of sports for the city of Thessaloniki. Iraklis' history is closely associated with the city's history as many special city personalities have worn the historic shirt with the emblem of the «semigod» on their chest.
[edit] History
[edit] The early years
During the first Greek Championship Games after the War, the blue and white team achieves many victories and is a model-team for the era. As years go by, Iraklis continues to be included among the top football teams. The beginning of the 20's is marked by national events, but this does not stop the club from becoming the «multi-victory» team of the «Panthracian» games in 1923. The first junior teams are being established during that year.
[edit] 1940-49
Football in Greece is suspended from 1941 until 1945 as the country is plagued by the German occupation and the start of the Greek Civil War. However, during the 40's Iraklis participates in the 1947 Cup Final were he is thrashed by Olympiakos 5-0. It must be noted that the club is constantly fighting against Aris for the Thessaloniki championship, whose winner is eligible to play in the Greek championship according to the format of the time.
[edit] 1950-59
In the 50's the team stabilizes its position among the big clubs of Greece along with Aris, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, AEK and PAOK.The club has to fight with huge financial difficulties that are not irrelevant to the difficult economic situation in Greece and particularly in Thessaloniki, where many refugees from the Greaco-Turkish war of 1919-1922 settle. The highlight of the decade is the 1957 Cup Final in which Iraklis is once again defeated by Olympiakos 2-0.
[edit] 1960-69
In the 60's, the Greek Championship's format is changed and is given its present structure. Iraklis is one of the most consistent performers in the league.Iraklis tries to maintain a solid financial position and as a result, the team is less competitive for the championship title. Unfortunately, a setback that disturbs the club occurs. Iraklis's own stadium and the only one at that time in the city is annexed by the state so that the University of the city can be expanded. The club is forced to play in the newly constructed and state-owned Kaftanzoglio Stadium and has been homeless since then.
[edit] 1970-79
The 70's is undoubtedly the best decade that Iraklis has experienced so far. A very good team was built that featured many players from the club's youth ranks like: Fanaras, Nikoloudis, Zafiridis, Gesios and Haliabalias.The best move that the club ever made was the acquisition of Vassilis Hatzipanagis, an already member of the USSR national team of Greek descent. He turned out to be the best ever Greek player (as indicated by voting for the UEFA Jubilee). He was gifted with unbelievable dribbling skills and unprecedented pass ability, along with an excellent accuracy in free-kicks and penalties. He went on to revolutionize Greek football and attract huge attendances in every stadium that Iraklis played. He came to Thessaloniki in 1976 and from the start he made an immediate impact. In a marvelous performance in the Greek Cup Final of 1976, he was involved in all of the four goals that Iraklis scored by either assisting or scoring them. This is the first and only title of the club till these days. The roster of coach Les Sannon's Iraklis for that historical game was: Fanaras, Sendelidis, Xanthopoulos, Christoforidis, Kalaitzidis, Toumboglou, Koussoulakis, Amtonijevic, Xatzipanagis, Gessios (116' Pondikis), N. Pantazis (80' Machoukatidis).
[edit] 1980-89
The 80's decade starts off in the worst possible manner. Bellios, a player of city rival PAOK accuses a member of Iraklis board of trying to bribe him ahead of the second leg of the 1980 Cup semifinal. The incident is very controversial as Iraklis had already won the away leg 1-0. Iraklis finally progresses in the Cup Final but the team is relegated despite finishing 8th in the championship. The turmoil in the team had a major impact in the final's performance as Iraklis was beaten 5-2 by Kastoria a clearly underdog in that game.Unfortunately for the team politics's interference in Greek football takes place only when Iraklis is the accusor not when he is the defendant as the following incidents indicate:In 1978 Iraklis accused Panathinaikos of trying to bribe a player ahead of a match between the two teams . Even though the team from Athens was found guilty was not relegated!. In 1984 it is again Panathinaikos that tries to bribe officials but again no further actions are being followed! The same accusations are made against AEK and proven but once again nothing happens. Nevertheless Iraklis plays the 1980-81 in second division and wins it in style, by breaking all records for the largest home and away win in the division, most goals scored, and the biggest difference between the first and second ranked team.
On the other hand the middle 80's is a period in which Iraklis has an excellent team especially in the midfield where Hadzipanagis, Kofidis, Papaioannou, D.Papadopoulos and Aidiniou are playing. Unfortunately, the team doesn't manage to fulfill the expectations. The fans mainly attribute this to the president Theodoridis who follows a strict financial policy and doesn't spend any money to bring an effective scorer, something the team badly lacks. In 1983-84 Iraklis reaches its best position, ending up in 3rd place. The biggest success of that period is the win of the Balkan's Cup with an aggregate win (5-4) against FC Argeş Piteşti. The club manages to reach yet another Greek Cup Final in 1987 against the rising power of the Greek football, OFI Crete,and loses in penalties (3-1) after regular time ends in 1-1. Iraklis's 15,000 fans that travelled to Athens to support their team in the final are considered to be the largest migration of fans to an opposing stadium in Greece ever.
[edit] 1990-1999
The 90's were a reconstruction time for the club as long-serving players either parted ways or retired. The retirement of Hadzipanagis in 1991 had the maximum impact. Iraklis started to produce new talents like: Anatolakis, Kostis, Konstantinidis and Stoltidis. Fans now wanted desperately a complete change in management as Theodoridis not only had already served in his post from the start of the 80's but also made many controversial decisions such as the sale of all the notable talents of the team. The fans believed that the team was beginning to decline in all respects. As a result of president's policy, Iraklis remained for most of the decade between the 5th and 8th position. The only highlights were the rise of a new star, Michalis Konstantinou, a Greek-Cypriot who was bought from Paralimni and the games against Valencia in the UEFA Cup where Iraklis just didn't progress in extra time in Spain . His performances as a striker was excellent and won great notice from the big clubs of Greece.
[edit] 2000-today
Takeover In 2000 the team is sold for $3,000,000 to prominent businessman Euagellos Mytillinaios and the fans expectations are now high. To everyone's shock, the first move that the new president makes is the sale of Michalis Konstantinou to Panathinaikos. The newly appointed coach Giannis Kyrastas is considered the best Greek coach but he stays for only one and very disappointing season, in which he makes several expensive but nevertheless failing to produce signings. Angelos Anastasiadis is appointed new coach in a highly controversial move due to his status as a great figure of city rival PAOK. His spell however is very successful as he manages to qualify for the UEFA Cup even though with a very mediocre budget at his disposal. The departure of the best young Greek defender Efstathios Tavlaridis to Arsenal along with the free transfer of Ieroklis Stoltidis to Olympiakos is the ultimate phase of a highly disappointing management by Euagellos Mytillinaios. The president claims that he doesn't invest due to the referee scandals in Greek football and it is widely thought that he wants to get rid the team as soon as possible.
In 2004 after a match against OFI Crete where Iraklis is "butchered" by the referee, Mytillinaios announces his resignation from the presidential post and the transfer of the club to his friend Giorgos Spanoudakis with just $1! This is going to be the start of a catastrophic period as Giorgos Spanoudakis is considered by many to be a "jobless playboy". Poor signings that cost the team heavily include Giuseppe Signiori, Cesare Kucharsky, Nikos Machlas, Kostas Kiassos and bring the club on the verge of bankruptcy. In order not to deal with the consequences of his actions he tried to sell the team to an unknown businessman named Giorgos Houlis again for only $1 but with a hefty debt already. This time the football commission blocks the transfer, raising questions about the way it handled the previous one. As a consequence Giorgos Spanoudakis returns to the board as president in order to deal with the debts that he along with his friend Mytillinaios had created in 5 year period of time. Kofidis, a living legend for the team that had taken the managerial post just before the failed attempt of Giorgos Spanoudakis to sell the team to Houlis managed to produce miracles by saving the team by consecutive wins. The next year (2005-06) he guides Iraklis to a shocking 4th place. Biggest star of the team is Panagiotis Lagos and Zoel Epallee.The latter even though was considered finished due to his very disappointing spell at Panathinaikos found his best form under the guindance of Kofidis. With debts of almost $8,000,000 to players, coaches and the state, the team -to fans anger- tries to escape by selling every good player that it has.Already in the summer of 2006 Panagiotis Lagos and Kostas Kapetanos have been sold to AEK and it is being alleged that in the winter transfer window Zoel Epalle is going to follow with Bochum his most probable destination..Savvas Kofidis resigned from Iraklis post after a the first 10 games of 2006/7 season that found the team with no win and only 3 points.Dispite this he remains very popular among the fan base as it is widely believed the one to blame is Spanoudakis who not only didn't reinforce the team ahead of the new season but sold the best players resulting in the early exodus from th Uefa cup against Wisla and the terrible start in the domestic championship.
[edit] Current Team
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| Greek National Division - Super League 2006/07 |  |
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AEK Athens | Apollon Kalamarias | Aris FC | Atromitos | Egaleo | Ergotelis | Ionikos | Iraklis | Kerkyra FC | Larissa FC (AEL 1964) | OFI Kreta | Olympiacos | Panathinaikos FC | Panionios | PAOK | Skoda Xanthi |
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| Greek football by seasons | ||||
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| Football in Greece | ||||
| Greek Cup | Greek Super Cup | Greek League Cup | National teams | |
| Greek Super League | Second Division | Third Division | Fourth Division | |
| Fifth Division | Greek Amateur Cup | |||
