AEK Athens F.C.

Further information: A.E.K. (sports club)
AEK F.C.
Full name ΠΑΕ Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
(Athletic Union of Constantinople)
Nickname(s) Enosis (Union)
Dikefalos Aetos (Double-Headed Eagle)
Kitrinomavroi (Yellow-Blacks)
Vasilissa (Queen)
Founded 13 April 1924
Ground Olympic Stadium
Athens, Greece
Capacity 69,638[1]
Owner Greece Dimitris Melissanidis
President Greece Vaggelis Aslanidis
Head Coach Greece Traianos Dellas
League Superleague Greece
2014–15 Football League (South Group)1st
Website Club home page
Departments of A.E.K.
Football Basketball Volleyball
Handball Boxing Futsal
Fencing Chess Cycling
Athletics Table tennis Club

AEK F.C. (Greek: ΠΑΕ ΑΕΚ), also known simply as AEK, AEK Athens, or with its full name Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Athletic Union of Constantinople), is a Greek association football club based in Athens.

Established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War, A.E.K. is one of the most successful clubs in Greek football, winning 29 national titles (including 11 Championships, 14 Greek Cups, 1 League Cup and 3 Super Cups). The team has appeared several times in European (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League) competitions. AEK is a member of the European Club Association.[2]

The club was relegated from the Greek Superleague after the 2012–13 season for the first time in its history. In an effort to discharge the immense debt created by years of mismanagement, its directors chose for the team to compete in the third tier Football League 2 for the 2013-14 season, thus turning the club into an amateur club.

History

The team of 1925.

The large Greek population of Constantinople, not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Enosis Tataoulon (Ένωσις Ταταούλων) and Iraklis (Ηρακλής) from the Tatavla district, Megas Alexandros (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος) of Vathyriakos, Hermes (ΕρμήςErmis) of Galata, Olympias (Ολυμπιάς) of Therapia, and Kati Kioi (Κατί Κίοϊ) of Chalcedon existed to promote Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals. These were amongst a dozen Greek-backed clubs that dominated the sporting landscape of the city in the years preceding World War I. After the war, with the influx of mainly French and English soldiers to Constantinople, many of the city clubs participated in regular competition with teams formed by the foreign troops. Taxim, Pera and Tatavla became the scene of weekly competitions in not only football, but of athletics, cycling, boxing and tennis.

Of the clubs in the city, though, football was dominated by Enosis Tataoulon and Hermes. Hermes, one of the more popular clubs, was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of Pera (Galata). Forced to change its name to Pera Club in 1921, many of its athletes, and those of most other sporting clubs, fled during the population exchanges at the end of the Greco-Turkish War, and settled in Athens and Thessaloniki.[3]

1924–1939

In 1920, a group of Constantinopolitan refugees (among them athletes from Pera Club and the other Constantinopolitan clubs) met at the athletic shop of Emilios and Menelaos Ionas on Veranzerou Street, in the center of Athens, and established AEK.[4]

The founders of AEK established the club with the intention of providing athletic and cultural diversions for the thousands of predominantly Constantinopolitan and Anatolian refugees who had settled in the new suburbs of Athens (predominantly Nea Filadelfeia, Nea Ionia, Nea Chalkidona, Nea Smyrni).

A.E.K. F.C. first football team

GK: N. Kitsos, DF: Ieremiadis, DF: T. Asderis, MF: Kehayas, MF: Paraskevas, MF: Dimopoulos, MF: Karagiannidis, FW: Baltas, FW: Milas, FW: Iliadis, FW: Georgiadis. AEK played its first match against Aias Athinon in November 1924, winning 2-0.

AEK's football team grew rapidly in popularity during the year 1920s, eclipsing the already-established Athens-based refugee clubs (Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis), thanks mainly to the large pool of immigrants that were drawn to the club and due, in no small part, to the political connections and wealth of several of the club's board members. Not possessing a football ground, AEK played most of its early matches at various locations around Athens, including the grounds of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.

AEK's first president, Konstantinos Spanoudis (1871–1941), a journalist and associate of the then Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, petitioned the government to set aside land for the establishment of a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfia that was originally set aside for refugee housing, was donated as a training ground for the refugees' sports activities. AEK began using the ground for training (albeit unofficially) and by 1930 the property was signed over to the club. Venizelos soon approved the plans to build what was to become AEK's home ground for the next 70 years, the Nikos Goumas Stadium. The first home game, in November 1930, was an exhibition match against Olympiacos Piraeus that ended in a 2–2 draw.[5]

In 1928, Panathinaikos FC, Olympiacos and AEK, began a dispute with the fledgling Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), decided to break away from the Athens regional league and form an alliance called POK, or Football Teams of the Centre, i.e. Athens. During the dispute, POK organised friendly matches against each other and several continental European clubs. In 1929, though, the dispute ended and AEK, along with the other POK clubs, entered the EPO fold once again.

In 1932, AEK won their first Greek Cup title, beating Aris Thessalonikis 5–3 in the final. The team boasted a number of star football players in Kostas Negrepontis (a veteran of the original Pera Club of Constantinople), Kleanthis Maropoulos, Tryfon Tzanetis, Michalis Delavinias, Giorgos Mageiras and Spyros Sklavounos.

The club's mixed success during the 1930s was highlighted by the first Greek Championship-Cup double in 1939.

1940–1959

AEK in 1949-50

Under former player Kostas Negrepontis as coach, AEK won the Greek Championship in 1940. With English coach Jack Beby at the reins, veteran players Maropoulos, Tzanetis, Delavinias and Mageiras, along with new blood Kostas Poulis, Giorgos Goulios, and Pavlos Emmanoualidis, AEK won the Greek Cup competitions of 1949 and 1950, beating Panathinaikos 2–1 and Aris 4–0.

AEK won also the Athens regional championship of 1950, but the playoff games for the Pan-Hellenic title were not played, due to many players being called up for a prolonged training camp for the national team.

The early 1950s saw the addition of the next generation of star footballers in Giannis Kanakis, Andreas Stamatiadis, and goalkeeper Stelios Serafeidis, and along with Kostas Poulis and Pavlos Emmanoualidis, AEK again won the Greek Cup title of 1956. In the final they beat Olympiacos 2–1 at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium to win its fifth cup. The year 1957 saw the debut of one of the greatest forwards of the era, Kostas Nestoridis. Having joined AEK from Panionios in 1956, Nestoridis was forced to sit out the 1956 season because of a dispute between the two clubs over his transfer. In 1958 and 1959 he finished top goal scorer in the league, but it wasn’t enough for AEK to win any title. On both occasions they finished second in the league, behind Olympiacos.

1960–1979

AEK lineup in 1962-63
From left: Kostas Nestoridis, Ibrahim Mughrabi and Mimis Papaioannou (1962-63).
Jenő Csaknády (left), with Andreas Stamatiadis.

With Kostas Nestoridis scoring goals aplenty in the early 1960s, (top goalscorer 1958–1963), and the timely signing of attacker Dimitris Papaioannou in 1962, AEK went on to win the 1963 championship.

Known affectionately as "Mimis" by the AEK supporters, Papaioannou scored twice in the 1963 playoff against Panathinaikos, levelling the scores at 3–3 and giving AEK its first post-war championship on goal aggregate. Coached by Hungarian-German Jenő Csaknády, the championship team also consisted of veterans Nestoridis, Stelios Serafeidis, Miltos Papapostolou and Andreas Stamatiadis. Youngsters like Alekos Sofianidis, Stelios Skevofilakas, Giorgos Petridis and Manolis Kanellopoulos, played a significant role in the victorious 1963 campaign.

The club followed up with Cup victories in 1964 and 1966. With the return of Csaknady to the coach's position in 1968 and with some great players in Kostas Nikolaidis, Giorgos Karafeskos, Panagiotis Ventouris, Fotis Balopoulos, Spyros Pomonis, Alekos Iordanou, Nikos Stathopoulos and Andreas Papaemmanouil, AEK won the championship with relative ease, and became the first Greek football club to reach the quarter-final of European Champions Cup. The addition of goalkeeper Stelios Konstantinidis and Apostolos Toskas reinforced the team and allowed AEK to take its fifth championship title in 1971. AEK also won the unofficial Super-Cup of 1971, beating Olympiacos 4–2 on penalty kicks after 2 draws (2–2 at Piraeus and 1–1 at Nea Filadelfia). Mavros, Eleutherakis and Ardizoglou were part of the AEK outfit that dominated the Greek league in the late 1970s.

Loukas Barlos took over the presidency of AEK in 1974, and with the help of Czech-Dutch coach Frantisek Fadrhonc built one of the finest teams in the club's history. The Barlos "Golden Era" saw some of the greatest players ever to have played for AEK. Christos Ardizoglou, Giorgos Dedes, Giorgos Skrekis, the Germans Walter Wagner and Timo Zahnleiter, Dionysis Tsamis, Pantelis Nikolaou, Petros Ravousis, Bosnian Dušan Bajević, Takis Nikoloudis, Stefanos Theodoridis, Christos Itzoglou, Nikos Christidis. Stelios Manolas was the mainstay in AEK's defence from 1980 to 1998.

UEFA Cup semi-finalists

Captained by Papaioannou, 1976–1977 saw AEK reach the final of the UEFA Cup competition, the first Greek football club to do so. Beating FC Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 2–0, Derby County F.C. (U.K.) 2–0 and 3–2, Red Star Belgrade (Yugoslavia) 2–0, and QPR (U.K.) 3–0 and 7–6 on penalties, AEK were eventually eliminated by Gianni Agnelli’s Juventus FC. Juventus went on to win their first European title.

It was during this period that AEK signed one of Greece's finest strikers, Thomas Mavros. He was an integral part of the team that reached the UEFA Cup final in 1976, but it was his devastating form (top goal scorer of 1978 and 1979 – 22 and 31 goals, respectively) that helped AEK take the 1978 Championship-Cup double. The addition of former Panathinaikos FC stars Dimitris Domazos and Kostas Eleutherakis to the AEK roster the following year saw the club cap off their most successful decade to-date by winning the 1979 Championship.

Under Loukas Barlos, the Nikos Goumas Stadium was finally completed with the addition of the iconic "Covered Stand", or Skepasti (Σκεπαστή), which eventually became home to the most fanatic of AEK supporter groups, Original 21. The next generation of star players, fresh out of the AEK Academy, made their debut during this period – Stelios Manolas, Spyros Ekonomopoulos, Vangelis Vlachos and Lysandros Georgamlis.

1980–1999

With new president Michalis Arkadis and Austrian head coach Helmut Senekowitsch, AEK won the 1983 Greek Cup, beating PAOK FC 2–0 in the newly built Athens Olympic Stadium. Thomas Mavros and 21-year-old captain Vangelis Vlachos were the goalscorers.

AEK also chased the elusive Championship title and it finally came in 1989. Coached by former player Dušan Bajević, AEK clinched the title after a winning a crucial match 1–0 against Olympiacos at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Takis Karagiozopoulos scored the goal that gave AEK its first Championship in a decade. AEK won also the Greek Super-Cup of 1989, beating Panathinaikos on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The "Golden Team"

After the 1989 triumphs, under Bajević, AEK built what was to become one of the most successful teams in its history. Led by Stelios Manolas, the team, which included Toni Savevski, Daniel Batista, Vaios Karagiannis, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Giorgos Savvidis, Alekos Alexandris and Refik Šabanadžović dominated the Greek league through the 1990s with three successive Championship titles (1992, 1993, 1994). AEK also won the Greek League Cup of 1990 (beating Olympiakos 3–2).

In 1994–1995 AEK was the first Greek football club that participated in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League after defeating Scottish champions Rangers FC; AEK was eliminated by Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan, who made it to the final. With Michalis Trochanas as president and Dušan Bajević as coach, the club won the 1996 Greek Cup.

Former player Petros Ravousis took over the coaching position when Dušan Bajević defected to Pireaus-based rivals Olympiacos at the end of 1996. Ravousis led the team to its second Super-Cup in 1996 and its eleventh Cup title in 1997, beating Panathinaikos in both finals. By far AEK's most successful run with titles, the period also saw AEK sign talented players in Demis Nikolaidis, Christos Kostis, Vassilis Tsiartas, Christos Maladenis, Andreas Zikos and Michalis Kasapis. Demis Nikolaidis, in particular, an AEK fan since childhood, declined more lucrative offers from Olympiacos and Panathinaikos FC to sign for his beloved club. During seasons 1996–1997 and 1997–1998, AEK progressed to the Quarter-Final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1999, ex-president Dimitris Melissanidis organised a friendly match against FK Partizan, in Belgrade, during the height of the NATO bombing of Serbia. As a gesture of compassion and solidarity towards the embattled Serbs, the AEK players and management staff defied the international embargo and traveled to Belgrade for the match. The game ended 1–1, when after 60 minutes of play thousands of Serbian football fans invaded the pitch to embrace the footballers.

21st century

AEK won its twelfth Cup title in 2000 under Coach Giannis Pathiakakis, defeating Ionikos 3–0 in the final. The club continued its consistency in the Championship of 2001–02 finishing second by goal aggregate to Olympiacos, and beating Olympiakos in the Greek Cup final.

2002–03 UEFA Champions League unbeaten run

Dusan Bajevic returned as coach in the summer of 2002, a move that sparked open hostility towards Bajevic from a section of AEK supporters. Under Bajevic, AEK progressed through the qualifying rounds in the 2002 UEFA Champions League by eliminating APOEL FC. Drawn in Group A with AS Roma, Real Madrid, and Racing Genk, AEK with good performances drew all their games and were knocked out of the competition. They continued to UEFA Cup, eliminating Maccabi Haifa (4-0, 4-1) before knocked out by Málaga CF.

Off the field, club's president Makis Psomiadis caused many problems to the team and with the assistance of his bodyguards, allegedly assaulted team captain Demis Nikolaidis.

After the altercation, and partly due to the club's growing financial problems from mismanagement, Nikolaidis was let on free transfer by mutual consent to Atlético Madrid. Unable to cope with the negativity from a large section of AEK fans, Bajević resigned in 2004 during a match against Iraklis. By now, on the brink of bankruptcy, and losing most of its stars and experienced players to other European clubs, AEK needed a miracle to prevent it from being relegated to the Greek amateur leagues. Though both Kostas Katsouranis and Nikos Lymperopoulos remained, Vassilis Borbokis, Grigorios Georgatos, Theodoros Zagorakis, Michalis Kapsis, Michalis Kasapis, Michel Kreek, Vassilis Lakis, Vassilis Tsiartas, and Ioannis Okkas all left the club in the wake of the troubles.

In 2003 Demis Nikolaidis and other significant AEK followers formed a supporters' club Enosis 1924 (Union 1924) in order to motivate all AEK supporters into taking up the club's shares and governance. The project was not fully realised because, in the meantime, businessmen decided to buy shares and invest money to the club. However, until today, Enosis 1924's chairman is member of the AEK F.C. board. The same year, AEK's home stadium for over 70 years, Nikos Goumas Stadium, was demolished.

In 2004, on the back of strong AEK fan support, Demis Nikolaidis, at the head of a consortium of businessmen, bought out the beleaguered club and became the new president. His primary task was to lead AEK out of its precarious financial position. The first success was an arrangement through the Greek justice system to write off most of the massive debt that previous club administrators had amassed, and to repay any remaining public debts in manageable installments.

Securing the club's existence in the Alpha Ethniki, Nikolaidis then began a program to rebuild AEK to its former glory. He appointed experienced former player Ilija Ivić as technical director of the club and brought back Fernando Santos as coach. The AEK fans, emboldened by Nikolaidis's efforts, followed suit by buying season ticket packages in record numbers (over 17,000).

AEK recruited promising young players to strengthen a depleted team. Led by the experienced Katsouranis and Lymperopoulos, and featuring Brazilian Júlio César, the club made it to the Greek Cup final for seventh time in 13 years but finished second in the Championship, and in the process, secured a place in the Third Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League. For the 2006–07 season, former Real Betis coach Llorenç Serra Ferrer was appointed to the coaching position after Fernando Santos's contract was not renewed.

By beating Hearts over both legs (2–1 in Scotland and 3–0 in Greece), AEK progressed to the group stage of Champions-League, the club obtained a total of 8 points, having beaten AC Milan 1–0, Lille 1–0, and managing two draws with Anderlecht (1–1 in Greece and 2–2 in Belgium). AEK finished second in the Greek Super League, qualifying again for the 3rd round in the UEFA Champions League.

2007–2008 Championship

For the 2007/08 season AEK changed kit sponsors from adidas to Puma,[6] they have played with Sevilla FC in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, the 1st leg has been played on 15 August, away at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán when AEK was defeated by 2 goals[7] and the 2nd leg played on 3 September at the Athens Olympic Stadium where AEK lost again by 1–4.[8]

AEK completed also the signings of Brazilian legend Rivaldo, after he was left free from Olympiacos, Rodolfo Arruabarrena, Charis Pappas and Argentine striker Ismael Blanco. Traianos Dellas was rewarded with a new contract, keeping him at the club until summer 2009.[9] On 25 August the Super League and EPO decided to postpone the opening season's games due to the fire disaster in the Peloponnese.,[10][11]

After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, AEK were drawn to play FC Salzburg in the UEFA Cup. On 20 September in Athens, AEK defeated FC Salzburg 3–0.[12] The second leg was played in Salzburg on 4 October AEK lost the match but still went through 3–1 on agg.[13] On 9 October AEK were drawn in Group C in the UEFA Cup group stage along with Villarreal, Fiorentina, Mladá Boleslav, and Elfsborg.[14] On 25 October AEK kicked off the group stage's with a 1–1 draw away to Elfsborg,[15] on 29 November AEK again drew 1–1,this time at home to Fiorentina.[16] On 5 December AEK won Mlada Boleslav 1–0[17] away and on 20 December although AEK was home defeated 1–2[18] by Villarreal CF, finally booked a place in the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup, finishing third in the group. They were then drawn against Getafe CF in the third round (phase of 32). AEK has been advanced to the third round of UEFA Cup, for second consecutive season.

On 12 February AEK parted company with Llorenç Serra Ferrer after a poor run of form and un-successful signings[19] and replaced him with former player Nikos Kostenoglou, on a caretaker basis, at the end of an indifferent season. The team initially finished in first place in the league, but after the court case between Apollon Kalamaria and Olympiacos for the illegal usage of a player in the 1–0 Apollon Kalamaria win earlier in the season, Olympiacos were awarded the 3 points in a court hearing, thus finishing 2 points ahead of AEK.[20]

President Demis Nikolaidis and several other managers and chairmen have been angered with the court's decision, stating that the Hellenic Football Federation knew about the usage of the illegal player prior to the game and had indeed issued a registration (blue card) but didn't do anything about it. Panathinaikos also challenged this result at the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) with no success, as the Hellenic Federation did not support the claim. Rivaldo had stated his intension to leave Greece if the ruling went in favour of Olympiakos and AEK were not declared champions. He stated: "A team that was not good enough to win the title on the pitch does not deserve the trophy."[21]

Giorgos Donis was appointed head coach of AEK on 14 May.[22] His reign at the club did not go well. It all began when AEK failed to surpass AC Omonia in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round, which meant there elimination from European competitions for the season.[23] Key player Rivaldo asked to leave the club to sign for Bunyodkor on 27 August.[24]

The league campaign started very well after a win over rivals Panathinaikos in the opening game of the season, but poor performances and results from then on left AEK in a difficult situation. Head coach Giorgos Donis was eager to leave the club, but president Demis Nikolaidis did not allow him to leave. Nevertheless, Nikolaidis left due to these disappointing results and after a controversy with the clubs supporters Original 21,[25] leaving temporarily the presidency to member of the D.C., Nikos Koulis and Takis Kanellopoulos.[26]

Financial problems and relegation

However, the series of disappointing results continued, bringing anger and insecure situations for everyone in the team. The first to be hit by this wave of disappointment and with the council of the team upset, was the coach Giorgos Donis, who was asked to leave the team.[27] On 21 November 2008, AEK hired Dušan Bajević as head coach for the third time.[28] However, after a while, Takis Kanellopoulos left the team, as he sparked a rivalry with Bajević.

On 4 February 2009, Nikos Thanopoulos was elected as the 41st president of AEK FC.[29] Bajevic brought some much-needed stability to the club, and performances on the pitch improved vastly towards the end of the season, culminating in AEK's progression to the Greek Cup final against Olympiacos which was played on 2 May 2009 at Athens Olympic Stadium.[30] AEK lost in the final 14–15 on penalties.[31] AEK finished the regular season at 4th position, thus qualifying for the season's playoffs, in which they eventually finished second, just missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification.

In the summer transfer period of 2010, AEK, despite being low on budget, manage to reinforce its ranks with many notable players. Club idols Nikos Liberopoulos and Traianos Dellas signed the last 1-year contract of their careers, and many new and experienced players signed to AEK, the most notable of whom were Papa Bouba Diop, Cristian Nasuti and Christos Patsatzoglou amongst others. AEK qualified for the 2010–2011 Europa League group stage after defeating Dundee United 2–1 on aggregate.

Nacho Scocco

On 7 October 2010, Manolo Jiménez took over from Dušan Bajević at AEK Athens after he stepped down as AEK manager, agreeing to a two-year deal.[32]

On 30 April 2011, AEK won the Greek Cup for the 14th time, defeating 3–0 Atromitos FC at the final.

To compensate the departures of Nacho Scocco, Papa Bouba Diop, Sebastian Saja and Ismael Blanco in the summer of 2011 A.E.K. signed amongst others the captain of Iceland's Eiður Guðjohnsen and the Colombian international Fabián Vargas. Due to the financial problems on 25 June 2012 A.E.K.'s legend Thomas Mavros took club's management and on 1 August 2012 became president in an effort to save the club from financial disaster. Many other A.E.K. former players like Vassilis Tsiartas, Mimis Papaioannou, Kostas Nestoridis, Christos Kostis, Vangelis Vlachos, Christos Arvanitis, Giorgos Karafeskos, were hired to help the club return to previous glory days. Due to the bad results in 30 September 2012 Vangelis Vlachos was fired and Ewald Lienen hired as A.E.K.'s head coach. On 9 April 2013 Ewald Lienen was fired after disappointing results and AEK hired as head coach Traianos Dellas, with Vassilis Borbokis and Akis Zikos for assistants.

On 19 April 2013, a Super League disciplinary committee voted to dock AEK three points and award Panthrakikos a 3–0 win, after fans stormed the pitch and chased players from the field during the AEK-Panthrakikos match on 14 April 2013. As a result, AEK was relegated from the Super League to the Football League for the first time in its history. In addition, AEK will start their Football League campaign on minus 2 points.[33]

However in June 7, 2013, during an AEK council, it was decided that A.E.K. F.C. would become an amateur club and they would not participate in the Football League division for the season 2013-14. The club "self"-relegated and would participate to the amateur Football League 2 division. On the same day Dimitris Melissanidis became president of the club, under the supervision of AEK Athens Sports Club, who returned to help the club.

AEK managed to win easily the sixth group of the amateur Football League 2 division with a record of 23 wins, 3 draws and only one defeat. Thus, AEK will participate in the Football League (Greece) division for the season 2014-15.

Colours and kit

1924–27
1962–63
2002
2003 (A)
2008–09 (Α)
2009–10
2010–11
2011–12
2014–15
AEK's shirt history

The colours of yellow and black were adopted from AEK's connections with Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.[34]

AEK have always worn predominantly yellow shirts (striped or plain), black shorts, and yellow or black socks. The only exception has been in the unusual, but notable, Kappa kits of the 1990s (which featured a double-headed eagle across the kit), or in recent years, mainly in European competitions, when the club has worn an all-yellow kit.

AEK's traditional away colours are all-black or all-white; on a few occasions, the club has introduced a light blue, a grey, and even a dark scarlet kit as a third kit.

AEK's current kit is manufactured by Puma, which is contracted to supply the club's kit from 2007 to 2014. Their previous kit manufacturer were Diadora, Kappa, Nike and Adidas. AEK's first shirt sponsor was Citizen (1982–83), followed by Nissan (1983–85), Ethniki Asfalistiki and Phoenix Asfaleies (1988–96), Geniki Bank (1996–98), Firestone (1999), Marfin (1999–2001), Alpha Digital (2001–02), Piraeus Bank (2002–04), which caused controversy because it was situated in Pireaus – home of fierce rivals Olympiacos, TIM (2004–06), LG with Chevrolet on the sleeves, Forthnet on the shorts and Diners Club on the back (2006–09) and 2009–2010 was Diners Club. AEK's shirt sponsor for 2010–2013 was OPAP, with International Service on the back of the shirt. AEK's sponsor for the 2014-2015 season is Jeep.

Crest

Emblem of the Palaiologos dynasty and the Byzantine Empire

In 1924, AEK adopted as their emblem the image of a double-headed eagle (Δικέφαλος ΑετόςDikefalos Aetos). When AEK was created by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the years following the Greco-Turkish War and subsequent population exchange, the emblem and colours (yellow & black) were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club's historical ties to Constantinople. After all, the double-headed eagle is featured in the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose headquarters are in Constantinople, and served as Imperial emblem under the Palaiologos dynasty.

AEK's main emblem underwent numerous minor changes between 1924 and 1982. The design of the eagle on the shirt badge was often not identical to the design of the eagle depicted on official club correspondence, merchandise and promotional material. All designs were considered "official" (in the broadest sense of the word), however, it was not until 1982 that an identifiable, copyrighted design was established as the club's official, and shirt, badge. The emblem design was changed in 1989, and again in 1993 to the current shield design.

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1974–75 Adidas -
1975–77 Puma -
1977–82 Adidas -
1982–83 Citizen
1983–85 Zita Hellas Nissan
1985–89 Ethniki Asfalistiki
1989–93 Diadora
1993–95 Basic Phoenix Asfaleies
1995–96 Kappa Ethniki Asfalistiki
1996–98 Geniki Bank
1999 Firestone
1999–00 Marfin Investment Group
2000–01 Nike
2001–02 Alpha Digital
2002–04 Piraeus Bank
2004 TIM
2005–06 Adidas
2006–07 LG
2007–08 Puma
2009–10 Diners Club
2010–14 OPAP
2014– Jeep

Stadium

OAKA, Athens' Olympic Stadium

Nikos Goumas Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Nea Filadelfeia ("New Philadelphia"), a northwestern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of AEK Athens FC. It was named after a one-time club president, Nicholas Goumas, who contributed to its building and later upgrading. Since the demolition in 2003 of one of the most historical home grounds in Greece the Nikos Goumas Stadium – AEK's home ground since 1930,[35] the club plays its home games at the 70,000-capacity "Spiridon Louis" (Athens Olympic Stadium) in Athens.[36] The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens, also known as OAKA, is one of the most complete European athletic complexes.

The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1991, the World Championship in Athletics in 1997, the 1994 and 2007 UEFA Champions League Finals well as other important athletic and cultural events, the most significant of which remains the Summer Olympics in 2004.[37]

Stadium Capacity Years
Nikos Goumas Stadium 27,729 1928–03
Athens Olympic Stadium 69,618 1985–87,
2004–16
Agia Sofia Stadium 33,000 2016–

Attendance records

Year Attendance Stadium Competition Opponent
23/5/198674,473Olympic StadiumSuperleague GreecePanathinaikos
21/11/200656,203Olympic StadiumChampions LeagueAC Milan

-

Training facility

AEK Athens training complex in Spata is the most expensive, and one of the 3 biggest training centers in Greece. There are 3 regular pitches and one in synthetic grass. The main building of the centre hosting amongst many others the team's offices, a press room and the players rooms. The training ground houses both AEK Athens first team and Reserves. AEK moved to the complex on November 2010.

Affiliated clubs

Supporters and rivalries

Supporters

AEK Athens has a large fanbase, the majority of AEK supporters are refugees or of refugee descent from Constantinople and the forced population exchange of the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1923. Original 21 is the largest AEK Athens supporters club. The first attempt to organise AEK supporters was Gate 21 (formed in 1975), which took its name from the gate in the Nikos Goumas Stadium, Nea Filadelfia, where the most hardcore fans gathered. AEK Athens have also many supporters worldwide, most of them Greek immigrants, in places as North America, England, Australia and Cyprus.

Supporters friendships

There is a strong relationship between AEK Athens and AS Livorno, and Olympique Marseille,. A.E.K. fans often lift banners and create choreography in support of the fellow teams. A so-called "triangle of brotherhood" has developed between the most heavily supported fan clubs of Olympique de Marseille, Livorno, and AEK Athens, namely between Commando Ultras 84, Brigate Autonome Livornesi 99, and Original 21.

In 25 April 2013, Fenerbahçe S.K. fans arose a banner supporting AEK Athens, saying "AEK, ΚΡΑΤΑ ΓΕΡΑ", meaning "AEK, hold on tightly".[38] The clubs are also connected by the Greek star, Lefter Küçükandonyadis, who played in both teams. However, it is not confirmed whether the clubs have a brotherhood.

Rivalries

A.E.K. F.C.'s biggest rivalries are with Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Against neighbours Panathinaikos, they contest the Athens local football derby. The rivalry started not only because of both competing for the title but also because of the refugee ancestry of AEK Athens fans and, by contrast, that Panathinaikos was considered the classic representative of Athenian high class society. The rivalry with Olympiacos stems from the rivalry between two of the most successful Greek football clubs. The rivalry was particularly inflamed after the 1996 season when AEK former star player and then-manager Dusan Bajevic moved to Olympiacos.

Relationships with other clubs

A.E.K. F.C. has links with many football clubs in Greece and in other countries where Greek immigrants live, for example A.E.K. London Ontario and A.E.K. Olympians F.C. in Canada, A.E.K. Waverley Wanderers SC in Australia,A.E.K. Beloiannisz in Hungary, A.E.K. Kouklia in Cyprus, A.E.K. Archaggelou, A.E.K. Chanion, A.E.K. Argous, A.E.K. Patron, A.E.K. Kalamatas, A.E.K. Kavalas, A.E.K. Agiou Konstantinou, A.E.K. Tripolis and A.E.K. Katsaba Iraklion in Greece. The club also has a football academy in collaboration with Bankstown Berries F.C. in Sydney.

European notable matches

Notable matches

Season Match Score
Champions League / European Cup
1971-72 AEK Athens - Italy Inter 3 – 2
1978-79 AEK Athens - Portugal Porto 6 – 1
1989-90 AEK Athens - East Germany Dynamo Dresden 5 – 3
1992-93 AEK Athens - Netherlands PSV 1 – 0
1994-95 Rangers Scotland - AEK Athens 0 – 1
1994-95 AEK Athens - Scotland Rangers 2 – 0
1994-95 AEK Athens - Italy Milan 0 – 0
2002-03 AEK Athens - Spain Real Madrid 3 – 3
2002-03 Real Madrid Spain - AEK Athens 2 – 2
2002-03 AEK Athens - Italy Roma 0 – 0
2002-03 Roma Italy - AEK Athens 1 – 1
2003-04 AEK Athens - Spain Deportivo La Coruña 1 – 1
2006-07 AEK Athens - Italy Milan 1 – 0
Cup Winners' Cup
1964-65 AEK Athens - Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dinamo Zagreb 2 – 0
1996-97 PSG France - AEK Athens 0 – 0
Europa League / UEFA Cup
1976-77 AEK Athens - Soviet Union Dynamo Moscow 2 – 0
1976-77 Derby County England - AEK Athens 2 – 3
1976-77 AEK Athens - England QPR 3 – 0
1985-86 AEK Athens - Spain Real Madrid 1 – 0
1988-89 AEK Athens - Spain Bilbao 1 – 0
2000-01 Bayer Leverkusen Germany - AEK Athens 4 – 4
2000-01 AEK Athens - Germany Bayer Leverkusen 2 – 0
2001-02 AEK Athens - Italy Inter 2 – 2
2009-10 AEK Athens - Portugal Benfica 1 – 0

Biggest wins

Season Match Score
Champions League / European Cup
1968-69 AEK Athens - Luxembourg Jeunesse Esch 3 – 0
1978-79 AEK Athens - Portugal Porto 6 – 1
2006-07 AEK Athens - Scotland Heart of Midlothian 3 – 0
Cup Winners' Cup
1996-97 AEK Athens - Slovenia Olimpija Ljubljana 4 – 0
1997-98 AEK Athens - Latvia Dinaburg 5 – 0
Europa League / UEFA Cup
1976-77 AEK Athens - England QPR 3 – 0
1977-78 AEK Athens - Romania ASA Târgu Mureş 3 – 0
1998-99 AEK Athens - Hungary Ferencváros 4 – 0
1999-00 AEK Athens - Georgia (country) Torpedo Kutaisi 6 – 1
2000-01 AEK Athens - Denmark Herfølge 5 – 0
2001-02 AEK Athens - Luxembourg Grevenmacher 6 – 0
2002-03 AEK Athens - Israel Maccabi Haifa 4 – 0
2002-03 Maccabi Haifa Israel - AEK Athens 1 – 4
2007-08 AEK Athens - Austria Red Bull Salzburg 3 – 0
2009-10 AEK Athens - Romania Vaslui 3 – 0

Honours

National competitions

Leagues:[39]

Cups:

European competitions

Worldwide competitions

Players

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Greece GK Ilias Vouras
2 Greece DF Aristidis Soiledis
3 Greece DF Stavros Petavrakis
4 Greece MF Vasilios Rovas
5 Greece DF Vassilis Lambropoulos
6 Spain MF Miguel Cordero (vice captain)
7 Portugal FW Hélder Barbosa
8 Brazil FW Alexandre D'Acol
9 Croatia FW Ivan Brečević
10 Greece MF Dimitris Anakoglou
11 Greece MF Vangelis Platellas
12 Greece GK Fotis Karagiolidis
14 Greece MF Dimitris Grontis
15 Greece DF Stratos Svarnas
No. Position Player
17 Montenegro MF Darko Zorić
18 Sweden MF Jakob Johansson
20 Greece MF Petros Mantalos
21 Greece FW Christos Aravidis
22 Greece GK Giannis Anestis
23 Greece MF Markos Dounis
26 Greece DF Dimitrios Kolovetsios
27 Greece DF Michalis Bakakis
30 Greece GK Panagiotis Dounis
31 Greece DF Nikolaos Georgeas (captain)
44 Senegal MF Ablaye Yare Faye
55 Greece DF Adam Tzanetopoulos
89 Greece DF Georgios Sarris
99 Nigeria FW Macauley Chrisantus
-- Greece MF Kyriakos Andreopoulos

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Democratic Republic of the Congo DF Christoforos Duberet (to Greece Triglia Rafinas)
Greece DF Nikolaos Argyriou (to Greece Episkopi)
Greece MF Nikola Zivanovic (to Greece Anagennisi Ierapetras)
No. Position Player
Greece MF Orestis Paliaroutas (to Greece A.E. Kifisia)
Greece FW Labros Thanailakis (to Greece Ilisiakos)
Greece FW Vasilis Tsevas (to Greece Iraklis Psachna)

U–20 Squad

As of 4 December 2014 [40]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Greece GK Panagiotis Dounis
Greece GK Athanasios Pantos
Greece GK Themistoklis Tselios
Greece DF Giannis Vidalis
Greece DF Giorgos Giannoutsos
Greece DF Giannis Grammatikas
Greece DF Panagiotis Kontoes
Greece DF Panagiotis Kofsanidis
Greece DF Alkiviadis Markopouliotis
Greece DF Pantelis Panourgias
Greece DF Giorgos Papazoglou
Greece DF Dimitrios Psanis
Greece MF Konstantinos Galanopoulos
No. Position Player
Greece MF Dimitrios Georgamlis
Greece MF Vassilios Karvounidis
Greece MF Dimitrios Lici
Greece MF Lazaros Michas
Greece MF Vassilios Posoyan
Greece MF Ilias Tselios
Greece FW Christos Antoniou
Greece FW Giorgos Arvanitakis
Greece FW Alexandros Asprogiannis
Greece FW Antreas Vlachomitros
Greece FW Antonios Kyriazis
Greece FW Dimitrios Tzathas

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Greece GK Zikos Manis (to Greece Triglia Rafinas)
Greece FW Ilias Boutsikaris (to Greece Koropi)

One-Club Men

Player Nationality Position Debut Last Match
Kleanthis MaropoulosGreeceFW19341952
Andreas StamatiadisGreeceMF19501969
Stelios ManolasGreeceDF19791998

-

Superleague most appearances

R Player Nat. App.
1 Mimis Papaioannou Greece 480
2 Stelios Manolas Greece 447
3 Lakis Nikolaou Greece 358
4 Toni Savevski Republic of Macedonia 356
5 Nikos Kostenoglou Greece 304
6 Stelios Serafidis Greece 300
7 Stelios Skevofilakas Greece 293
8 Andreas Stamatiadis Greece 267
9 Thomas Mavros Greece 277
10 Petros Ravousis Greece 263

Superleague most goals

R Player Nat. Goals
1 Mimis Papaioannou Greece 234
2 Thomas Mavros Greece 174
3 Kostas Nestoridis Greece 140
4 Demis Nikolaidis Greece 125
5 Vassilios Tsiartas Greece 125
6 Kostas Nikolaidis Greece 94
7 Kleanthis Maropoulos Greece 89
8 Nikos Liberopoulos Greece 84
9 Vasilis Dimitriadis Greece 81
10 Daniel Batista Cape VerdeGreece 67

Superleague top scorers

R Player Nationality Position Year
5Kostas NestoridisGreeceFW1959-1963
3Thomas MavrosGreeceFW1978, 1979, 1985
2Vasilis DimitriadisGreeceFW1992, 1993
2Mimis PapaioannouGreeceFW1964, 1966
2Ismael BlancoArgentinaFW2008, 2009
1Alexandros AlexandrisGreeceFW1994
1Nikos LiberopoulosGreeceFW2008
1Kostas VasiliouGreeceFW1939
1Giorgos DedesGreeceFW1976
1Kleanthis MaropoulosGreeceFW1940
1Demis NikolaidisGreeceFW1999
1Vassilios TsiartasGreeceMF1996
1Dusan BajevicSocialist Federal Republic of YugoslaviaBosnia and HerzegovinaFW1980
1Henrik NielsenDenmarkFW1988

Personnel

Ownership & Current Board

Role Name
Owner Greece Dimitris Melissanidis
President & CEO Greece Vaggelis Aslanidis
Chief Executive Greece Alexis Dedes
Department Head Serbia Dušan Bajević
Board Members Greece Andreas Anatoliotakis
Board Members Greece Konstantinos Marinakis
Board Members Greece Stergios Gantzoulas

Presidents

scope=col colspan=3 style="color:#000000; background-color:#F7F408;" " align=center|AEK F.C. presidential history from 1924 to present
  • Sarantis Papadopoulos (1924)
  • Konstantinos Spanoudis (1924–32)
  • Alexandros Strogilos (1932–33)
  • Konstantinos Sarifis (1933–35)
  • Konstantinos Theofanidis (1935–37)
  • Konstantinos Chrisopoulos (1937–38)
  • Vassilios Fridas (1938–40)
  • Emilios Ionas (1945–49)
  • Spiridon Skouras (1949–50 )
  • Georgios Melas (1950–52)
  • Eleftherios Venizelos (1952)
  • Georgios Chrisafidis (1952–57)
  • Nikolaos Goumas (1957–63)
  • Alexandros Makridis (1963–66)
  • Michail Trikoglou (1966–67)
  • Emmanuil Calitsounakis (1967)
  • Kosmas Kiriakidis (1967–68)
  • Ilias Georgopoulos (1968–69)
  • Georgios Chrisafidis (1969–70)
  • Kosmas Chatzicharalabous (1970–73)
  • Dimitrios Avramidis (1973)
  • Ioannis Theodorakopoulos (1973–74)
  • Loukas Barlos (1974–81)
  • Andreas Zafiropoulos (1981–82)
  • Michalis Arkadis (1982–83)
  • Eleftherios Panagidis (1983–84)
  • Andreas Zafiropoulos (1984–88)
  • Efstratios Gidopoulos (1988–91)
  • Konstantinos Generakis (1991–92)
  • Dimitris Melissanidis (1992–93)
  • Ioannis Karras (1993–94)
  • Dimitris Melissanidis (1994–95)
  • Michalis Trochanas (1995–97)
  • Georgios Kiriopoulos (1997)
  • Alexis Kougias (1997)
  • Lakis Nikolaou (1997–98)
  • Dimitris Melissanidis (1998–99)
  • Stefanos Mamatzis (1999–00)
  • Cornelius Sierhuis (2000–01)
  • Filonas Antonopoulos (2001)
  • Petros Stathis (2001)
  • Chrisostomos Psomiadis (2001–03)
  • Giannis Granitsas (2003–04)
  • Demis Nikolaidis (2004–08)
  • Georgios Kintis (2008–09)
  • Nikolaos Thanopoulos (2009–10)
  • Stavros Adamidis (2010–12)
  • Thomas Mavros (2012)
  • Andreas Dimitrelos (2012–13)
  • Dimitris mellisanidis (2013–)

Coaching, medical & academies staff

Coaching staff
Traianos Dellas, the current manager of AEK.
Position Name Nationality
Head coach Traianos Dellas Greece
Assistant coach Vasilis Borbokis Greece
Physical fitness coach Panagiotis Voulgaris Greece
Physical fitness coach Dimitris Bouroutzikas Greece
Goalkeeping coach Kostas Kampolis Greece
Team manager Vasilis Dimitriadis Greece
Technical Director Branko Milovanović Serbia
Scouter Michalis Kasapis Greece
Medical staff
Position Name Nationality
Head of Medical team Pantelis "Lakis" Nikolaou Greece
Team doctor Alkiviadis Kalliakmanis Greece
Team doctor Panagiotis Alexandropoulos Greece
Physiotherapist Nikos Pantazis Greece
Physiotherapist Giannis Bouroutzikas Greece
Physiotherapist Nikos Siskas Greece
Physiotherapist Dionysis Egkarhos Greece
Academies staff
Position Name Nationality
Academies Director Akis Zikos Greece
Department Operations Grigoris Bogdanis Greece
Head of Youth Development Program Michalis Mitrotasios Greece
General manager Dimitris Serafidis Greece
Goalkeeping coach Chrisostomos Michailidis Greece
Fitness coach Dimitris Stergiopoulos Greece
Under 20 coach Stelios Manolas Greece
Under 18 coach Charis Kopitsis Greece
Under 17 coach Aggelos Chatzopoulos Greece
Under 17 assistant coach Michalis Pavlis Greece
Under 14-15 coach Stavros Letsas Greece
Under 12-13 coach Stelios Orfanidis Greece
Key
* Served as Caretaker-manager.
† Served as caretaker manager before being appointed permanently.

Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shootouts are not counted.

Notable managers

Name Nat From To Championships
Cups
Kostas Negrepontis Greece
Ottoman Empire
1933
1937
1944
1955
1958
1936
1940
1948
1956
1959
2 Greek Leagues
1 Greek Cup
Jack Beby England 1948 1951 2 Greek Cups
Mario Magnozzi Italy 1951 1953
Tryfon Tzanetis[A] Greece
Turkey
1954
1956
1960
1965
1955
1957
1962
1966
Heinrich Müller Austria 1963 1964 1 Greek Cup
Jenő Csaknády[A] Hungary
Germany
1962
1967
1963
1968
2 Greek League
Branko Stanković[A] Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1968 1973 1 Greek League
Stan Anderson[A] England 1973 1974
František Fadrhonc Czechoslovakia
Austria-Hungary
1974 1977
Zlatko Čajkovski Croatia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
1977
1982
1978
1982
1 Greek League
1 Greek Cup
Ferenc Puskás Hungary
Spain
1978 1979
Helmut Senekowitsch Austria 1983 1983 1 Greek Cup
Giannis Pathiakakis Greece 09/01/2000 24 January 2001 1 Greek Cup
Fernando Santos Portugal 2001
2004
2002
2006
1 Greek Cup
Llorenç Serra Ferrer Spain 2006 2008
Dušan Bajević Bosnia and Herzegovina 1988
20 May 2002
21 November 2008
1996
25 January 2004
27 September 2010
4 Greek Leagues
1 Greek Cup
2 Greek League Cup
1 Greek Super Cup
Manolo Jiménez Spain 06/10/2010 06/10/2011 1 Greek Cup

Club anthem

A.E.K.'s club anthem Empros tis A.E.K. pallikaria (Go on A.E.K. lads) was composed by Stelios Kazantzidis, and sung by Mimis Papaioannou, the lyrics were written by Christos Kolokotronis.[41]

ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ!
Αναστενάζουν τα γκολπόστ
και τα δοκάρια σπάζουν,
της Ένωσης οι αετοί
τα δίχτυα κομματιάζουν!
Εμπρός της ΑΕΚ παλληκάρια
σουτάρετε και σπάστε τα δοκάρια
τα δίχτυα σκίστε, την δόξα κατακτήστε,
νικήστε νικήστε νικήστε!
Τα δίχτυα σκίστε, την δόξα κατακτήστε,
νικήστε νικήστε νικήστε!
ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ, ΑΕΚ!
Οι κυνηγοί σου κεραυνοί,
βράχος η άμυνά σου
και της Ρεάλ το φόβητρο
έγινε τ’ όνομά σου!
Εμπρός της ΑΕΚ παλληκάρια
σουτάρετε και σπάστε τα δοκάρια
τα δίχτυα σκίστε, την δόξα κατακτήστε,
νικήστε νικήστε νικήστε!
Τα δίχτυα σκίστε, την δόξα κατακτήστε,
νικήστε νικήστε νικήστε! (δις)
AEK, AEK, AEK!
The goalposts sigh
and the posts break,
the Union's eagles
tear the nets!
Go AEK lads,
shoot and break the posts
tear the nets, conquer glory,
win win win!
tear the nets, conquer glory,
win win win!
AEK, AEK, AEK!
Your attackers are thunders,
your defence is a rock,
and your name
has become a fear of Real (Madrid)!
Go AEK lads,
shoot and break the posts
tear the nets, conquer glory,
win win win!
tear the nets, conquer glory,
win win win! (twice)

Bibliography

References

  1. "OAKA official website". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  2. "Agreement heralds new era in football". uefa.com. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  3. [The history of AEK by Panos Makridis. Athlitiki Iho] Newspaper, 1953
  4. "History of AEK: Born through the ashes". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  5. "History of AEK: The first achievements". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  6. "AEK switch to PUMA". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  7. Sevilla FC – AEK FC : 2–0 Match report from Scorespro.com
  8. AEK FC – Sevilla FC : 1–4 Match report from Scorespro.com
  9. "Dellas signes new contract". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  10. "Greece postpone games". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  11. "National Tragedy"
  12. "AEK 3–0". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  13. "Salzburg – AEK". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  14. "Past masters meet in group stage". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  15. "AEK hold on to frustrate Elfsborg". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  16. "Balzaretti own goal earns AEK a point". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  17. M Boleslav – AEK Athens : 0–1 Match report from ScoresPro.com
  18. AEK FC – Villareal : 1–2 Match report from Scorespro.com
  19. "AEK call time on coach Serra Ferrer". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  20. "Legal Dispute". uefa.com. 20 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  21. Road clear for Olympiakos to be named champions
  22. "Giorgos Donis – Head Coach of AEK FC". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  23. "Omonia keep the party going in Nicosia". Uefa.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  24. "Rivaldo leaves club (greek)". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  25. "Nikolaidis Resigns". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  26. "Kanellopoulos and Koulis take charge". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  27. "Donis's brief tenure at AEK is over". Sportingreece.com. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  28. "AEK FC sign Dusan Bajevic". Aekfc.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  29. "Thanopoulos is new AEK president". Sportingreece.com. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  30. "AEK qualify for final". Sportingreece.com. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  31. "Olympiakos win epic final 15–14 on pens". Sportingreece.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  32. "Jimenez to fill AEK Athens hotseat". Fifa.com. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  33. "AEK Athens relegated for 1st time". espnfc.com. 19 April 2013.
  34. "Colours info". aekfc.gr. Archived from the original on 31 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  35. "Nikos Goumas Stadium info". stadia.gr. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  36. Xenides, George. "OAKA Stadium". Stadia.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  37. Xenides, George (3 November 1983). "Athens Olympic Stadium". Stadia.gr. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
  38. Πανό της Φενέρ υπέρ της ΑΕΚ! (in Greek). Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  39. "Honours". AEK F.C. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  40. http://www.aekfc.gr/d/k20-43657.htm?lang=el&path=-693370973
  41. "AEK's anthem" (in Greek). Onsports.gr. 12 April 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AEK FC.

*(Greek) (English) A.E.K. F..C (Official website)