AC Omonia
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| Full name | Omonoia Athletic Club Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια |
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| Nickname(s) | Kifines (male bees) |
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| Founded | 1948 | |||
| Ground | GSP Stadium, Nicosia (Capacity: 22,859) |
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| Chairman |  Miltiades Neofytou |
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| Manager |  Takis Lemonis |
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| League | Cyprus First Division |
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| 2009-10 | 1st | |||
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Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας) is a professional football club that plays in the Cyprus capital city Lefkosia (Nicosia). Omonoia, which means 'Unity' in Greek, has won 20 League Championships, 12 Cypriot Cups and 15 Super Cups and 5 domestic doubles - in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983 all since 1948, qualifying them as the most successful team in Cyprus in the last six decades, since the league was expanded. The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the Team of the 20th Century. Omonoia remains the only team to have won the Cypriot Cup 4 times in a row, between the years 1980 and 1983. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953. As an athletic club, Omonoia also has basketball, volleyball, futsal and cycling sections.
Omonoia is the current 2009-2010 Champions after winning the Marfin Laiki League title this year, making them the most successful club in Cypriot history with 20 League Championships since their formation in 1948.
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History
AC Omonoia was founded in 1948, after players of APOEL F.C. were forced to sign allegiances to political ideologies of the right-wing, during a period of the most hostile political turbulence in Cyprus’s history. After refusing to sign any documents professing any political party or philosophy, numerous players were banished from the club permanently. Betrayed, but determined to carry on, those players and other club members, would leave the team and establish their own, separate club in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. On June 17, 1948, AC Omonoia was born and by 1953, AC Omonoia was admitted into the Cypriot First Division.
1950s
After entering the 1953-54 in 1953, Omonoia only managed to place 7th out of 9 teams in the 1953-54 season, barely avoiding relegation. During that decade, the club’s best placing came during the 1956-57 season when the club finished 3rd.
1960s
After a mediocre decade in the in 1953, AC Omonoia would make its closest push for the title during the 1959-60 season after finishing 2nd only 1 point behind Anorthosis Famagusta. More motivated than ever, the following year, after just 7 seasons in the First Division, AC Omonoia would go on and win its first title in 1960-61 season, sending shockwaves across Cyprus. Omonoia, in that season would score an unheard of 91 goals in 24 matches on their way to their first ever Cyprus First Division title. Omonoia would go on to win their second title during the 1965-66 season.
1970s
During the 1970s, AC Omonoia had established itself as a force to be reckoned with. During the decade, led by a young, Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonoia would accomplish what no team in Cyprus would ever accomplish by winning 7 Cypriot League Championships beginning in 1972, including six consecutive titles in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. By the time the decade would come to an end, Omonoia had already surpassed the number of titles of Anorthosis Famagusta which was established in 1911 (nearly 40 years prior to the establishment of Omonoia). Omonoia was also well under way to catching its rival, APOEL, who also had a 13 year head-start on Omonoia. At the end of the 1979 season, Omonoia only trailed APOEL by two championships.
Sotiris Kaiafas would become top scorer in Cyprus during the 1971-72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1982–83, and 1983-84 seasons. In 1976, Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the European Golden Boot Award for his single-season 36-goal performance. In 2003, he was awarded the UEFA Jubilee Awards for The Best Cypriot Footballer of the 20th Century.
1980s
AC Omonoia won an additional seven Cypriot League Championship titles including another 5 consecutive in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and again in 1987 and in 1989. As the 1980s came to an end, Omonoia had surpassed Anorthosis and APOEL for the most titles in Cypriot history. In the 20 year span between 1970 and 1990, Omonoia had won 14 Cypriot Championship Titles.
1990s
The 1990s would prove to be less fruitful than the previous two decades. During this time, AC Omonoia only mustered one Cypriot League title during the 1992-93 season. It would be eight long years before Omonoia would see its next title. The only ray of hope came in 1997 after the signing a German named Rainer Rauffmann. Rainer Rauffmann would leave his mark in the long line of Omonoia greats. With the help of other Omonoia great and then captain, Costas Malekkos, and a young Costas Kaiafas (son of Sotiris Kaiafas), Rainer Rauffmann would become top scorer of the Cypriot First Division in the 1997-98, 1998–99, 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons. Unfortunately, even with Rauffman’s success, Omonoia had no title to show for it.
2000s
After a disappointing eight seasons, the 2000s began on the right foot. AC Omonoia would celebrate its 18th Cypriot League Championship title in 2001. Now captained by Costas Kaiafas, Omonoia would win its 19th Cypriot League Championship again in 2003. However, since 2003, the team would stumble and be without a title for the next several years. After numerous seasons of poor signings and underachieving, Omonoia’s reigns would be taken over by new chairman and team president, Miltiades Neofytou in 2006.
2010
The team would soon be put back on track starting in 2006, beginning with the signing of Cyprus national football team goalie, Antonis Georgallides. Omonoia would continue its star-studded signings by acquiring Cypriot stars that had been playing abroad such as, Elias Charalambous and Stathis Aloneftis. Omonoia would then make headlines with the shocking signing of all-time leading scorer of the Cyprus national football team, Michalis Konstantinou. In 2009, Omonoia would also sign another Cypriot star, Konstantinos Makrides. Along the way, Omonoia would also acquire young Cypriot hopefuls, 21 year-old Dimitris Christofi, and 20 year-old Georgios Efrem. Efrem, who had been playing on the youth team of Arsenal FC and later Scottish side, Rangers, would be the final piece to the puzzle needed to win its 20th Cypriot League Championship.
After putting the proper pieces in place, AC Omonoia did just that. During the 2009-10 season, led by new captain, Elias Charalambous, AC Omonoia would not lose a single derby, including play-offs matches against either, APOEL, Anorthosis Famagusta, nor Apollon. After defeating its rival APOEL three consecutive times, Omonoia became the 2009-10 Cypriot League Champions for the 20th time.
Stadium
Since October 23, 1999, Omonoia has been using the 22,859 seat GSP Stadium, the largest stadium in Cyprus. They share the stadium with local rivals APOEL. Omonoia played in the Makario Stadium from 1978 until 1999 and in Old GSP Stadium prior to 1978. When the club was first created, it used the Goal Stadium.
Supporters
Omonoia is by far the most popular team in the country, with figures showing the club having a following consisting of 34% and even numbers closer to half of the island's population. Omonoia is known for the left-leaning, socialist character of its supporters. Most of Omonoia's supporters have adopted an outspoken stance against both racism and fascism alike. Omonoia is traditionally regarded as the club of Cyprus's working-class and its supporters are commonly regarded as communist. Many of Omonoia's supporters can be seen waving banners bearing Che Guevara's image or the flag of Cyprus during matches. The extreme, more hardcore fans can be seen in Gate-9 (comprising of thousands of members) and are commonly referred to as "Kifines" (or male bees). They occupy the North stand at the GSP stadium during home games.
Omonoia's fans are well known for their loyalty towards their club. Their huge presence not only in the fields within Cyprus during Cypriot League matches but also abroad during international matches, and even training camps outside of Cyprus. In 2003, Omonoia's fans broke their previous record for attendance in home matches with the improved figure of 140,740. The record was broken again the following year with 143,033 tickets sold in 13 home matches. The record now stands at 162,061 tickets sold during the 2009-2010 season.
Retired number(s)
12 – Club Supporters (the 12th Man)
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current staff
| Technical staff | |
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| Head coach | Takis Lemonis |
| Assistant coach | Michalis Kavalieriss |
| Goalkeeping coach | Christoforos Loizou |
| Physical fitness coach |  Alejandro Caceres |
| Fitness trainer | Onisiforos Onisiforou |
| General Manager | Christos Georgiou |
| Academy Director |  Nenad Starovlah |
| Scouter | Giorgos Savvidis |
| First team physiotherapist | Giorgos Mavros |
| Physiotherapist | Dimitris Dimitriou |
Notable former players
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Notable former managers
- Pampos Avraamides (1954)
Igor Netto (1967)
Yoncho Arsov (1988)
Helmut Senekowitsch (1991)- Andreas Michaelides (1997–99)
Dušan Galis (1999)- Yoncho Arsov (1999–00)
- Asparuh Nikodimov (2000)
Arie Haan (2000)- Henk Houwaart (2000–01)
- Andreas Mouskallis (2002)
Toni Savevski (2002–04)
Franciszek Smuda (2004)- Henk Houwaart (2004–05)
Ioan Andone (2005–07)
Dragomir Okuka (2007)- Ioannis Matzourakis (2007)
- Giorgos Savvidis (2008)
- Nedim Tutić (2008–10)
Board of directors
- President: Miltiadis Neophytou
- Vice-President : Stelios Milonas
- Vice-President: Nikos Charalambous
- General Secretary: Andreas Leonidou
- B General Secretary: Christos Tsangaris
- Pavlos Chrysanthou: Μember
- Petros Petrou: Μember
- Photos Ioannou: Μember
- Dafnis Aristodemou: Μember
- Constantinos Christou: Μember
- Filipos Demetriou: Μember
- Costas Vasiliou: Μember
- Christoforos Christofi: Μember
- Antonis Zimaras: Μember
- Giorgos Afxendiou: Μember
Administrative Staff
- Pavlos Nicolaides-Chief Executive Manager
- Christakis Georgiou-Team Manager
- Theodoros Kafkarides-Press / Communication Officer
- Andreas Elia-Marketing Officer
- Christos Hadjisoteriou-Administrative / Marketing Officer
- Οdysseas Odysseos- Futsal, Basketball, Volleyball Officer
- Iakovos Christou - Academies Director
- Charalambos Argyrou, Kostakis Yiannouris - Academies Officers
- George Tziambouris - Facilities Manager
- Yiota Rotou-Accountant
- Stavroulla Pissaridou-Secretary
Honours
Football
Cyprus Football Association
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- 1961, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2003, 2010
- Cypriot Cup: 12
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- 1965, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2005
- Cyprus FA Shield: 15 (Record)
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- 1966, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010
Cyprus Amateur Football Federation
- Championship: 4
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- 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952
- Cup: 5
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- 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953
External links
- Official website
- Gate9 Official website
- Kifines Fan Page
- Omonoia News website
- Omonoia on Shoot2score
- national-football-teams
- Players of A. C. Omonia Nicosia
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