P.A.O.K.

P.A.O.K.
Full name	Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinoupoliton
Nickname	Dikefalos Tou Vorra (Two Headed Eagle of the North)
Founded	1926
Colours	Black, White
Anthem	Paok, Paok (Mimis Traiforos, Petros Giannakos)
Chairman	Thanasis Katsaris
Titles	European Titles: 2 (basketball)
Website	Club home page

Active departments of P.A.O.K.
Football	Football (women)	Basketball
Volleyball	Handball	Water Polo
Swimming	Wrestling	Boxing
Taekwondo	Weightlifting	Cycling
Athletics	Hockey	Club

Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinoupoliton (Greek: Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans), abbreviated P.A.O.K. (Greek: Π.Α.Ο.Κ.), is a sports club in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club is home to several teams, including football, basketball, volleyball, handball, water polo, swimming, wrestling, ice hockey, and weightlifting. P.A.O.K. was founded in 1926. Because of its crest, it is also known as the "Two-Headed Eagle of the North", in contrast with AEK Athens, the "Two-Headed Eagle of the South".

History

P.A.O.K. is the historical continuation of the Hermes Athletic and Cultural Association from the Pera area of Constantinople (present day Istanbul), established by Greek residents of the city in 1875. The need for Constantinople's Greek residents to express and support their Hellenism within Ottoman Turkey was what led to the creation of this club. In 1923, following the failed Greek invasion of Asia Minor and the agreed population swap between Greece and the newly established Turkish Republic, the Greeks of Constantinople renamed their club Pera. The club won many cups and continued to have a strong presence in the sporting sector. However, that situation did not last long. Most players were forced to flee, leaving behind a team, renamed Politakia, consisting of residents of Constantinople. Those who fled settled in Thessaloniki and in 1926 established P.A.O.K., retaining their Greek symbols: the twin-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire, and black and white for their colors, to symbolize the black of mourning for the tragic story of lost homelands, and white for the hope of a better tomorrow. This club history—stretching back to the 19th century—in effect makes P.A.O.K. one of Greece's oldest athletic clubs, but it also means that it shoulders a heavy historical burden.

The club's first charter was approved on 20 April 1926 by a decision of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822).

The club's founding members were A. Angelopoulos, A. Athanassiadis, 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. Maletskas, I. Nikolaidis, L. Papadopoulos, F. Samantzopoulos, T. Tsoulkas, M. Tsoulkas, S. Triantafyllidis, and T. Triantafyllidis (who was also its first Chairman).^[1]

P.A.O.K.'s first Board of Directors, serving between 1926 and 1927, consisted of:

• T. Triantafyllidis (Chairman)
• P. Kalpaktsoglou (1st Vice-Chairman)
• A. Athanassiadis (2nd Vice Chairman)
• V. Karapiperis (3rd Vice Chairman)
• K. Kritikos (Hon. Secretary)
• M. Tsoulkas (Secretary)
• T. Ioakimopoulos (Treasurer)
• A. Angelopoulos (Football Steward)
• M. Konstantinidis (Director)
• S. Triantafyllidis (Director)

After the club's establishment and two months of preparation, the team began competing against the other teams in Thessaloniki. The desire to see the new team compete led many to the Iraklis Football Ground on 26 July 1925, where the club won 2–1. The first professional contract was signed by the Club on 5 September 1928. The contract stipulated that the footballer Etien, who had come from the Constantinople club Peraclub, would be paid 4,000 drachmas per month. The contract was signed by Dr. Meletiou (P.A.O.K. Chairman) and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, Hon. Secretary. The Syntrivaniou Football Ground was officially opened on 12 December 1930 as a home base. This was followed by a friendly match against Aris with the home team winning 2–1.

Symbols

The original logo was a horseshoe and a four-leaf clover. The current one sice 1929 is the two-headed eagle. The eagle symbolizes the origins of the club and the legacy of the refugees of the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople.

Rivalries

P.A.O.K.'s main rivals are the teams of Olympiacos, Aris, Panathinaikos, AEK, and Iraklis. The biggest rivalry is against Olympiacos and second with arch-rivals Aris. The derby against Olympiacos is the fiercest, representing more than any other, the animosity between Athens and Thessaloniki. The rivalry started in the 1960s when Olympiacos tried, and failed, to sign Giorgos Koudas, one of the best players of his time, from P.A.O.K., through direct negotiations with the player.

Honours

• Total Titles: 54

Football

• Total Titles: 19

Domestic

• Greek Championships: 2
  • 1976, 1985
  • Runners-up: 1937, 1940, 1973, 1978, 2010, 2013

• Greek Cup: 4
  • 1972, 1974, 2001, 2003
  • Runners-up: 1939, 1951, 1955, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1992, 2014

International Regional

• Greater Greece Cup: 1
  • Winners (1): 1973

Regional

• EPSM Championship (local level until 1959)
  • Winners (7): 1936–37, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57

Youth

• Greek U–20 Championship
  • Winners (3): 2002–03, 2006–07, 2013-14
• Greek U-17 Championship
  • Winners (1): 2012-13
• Greek U–15 Championship
  • Winners (1): 2014-15

Women's Football

• Total Titles: 13
• Greek A Division
  • Winners (10) (record): 2001-02, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15
• Greek Cup
  • Winners (3) (record): 2001-02, 2012-13, 2013-14

Basketball

• Total Titles: 7
• Greek Championships: 2
  • 1959, 1992
  • Runners-up : 1960, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000

• Greek Cups: 3
  • 1984, 1995, 1999
  • Runners-up : 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991

• Cup Winners' Cup 1
  • 1991
  • Runners-up: 1992, 1996

• Korać Cup:1
  • 1994

Volleyball

• Total Titles: 2
• 1 Greek Championship: 2015
• 1 Greek Cup: 2015
  • Runners-up: 1983

Handball

• Total Titles: 4
• 2 Greek Championships: 2009, 2010
  • Runners-up: 2011
• 2 Greek Cup: 2012, 2015
  • Runners-up: 2013

Women's Handball

• Total Titles: 2
  • 1 Greek Championship: 2013
  • 1 Greek Cup: 2014
    • Runners-up: 2015

Athletics

• Total Titles: 5
  • 3 Greek women's Open Athletics Championships: 1976, 1977, 1982
  • 2 Greek women's Cross Country Championships : 1968, 1974

Weightlifting

• 1 Greek Championships: 2006

Boxing

• 2 Greek Championships: 2003, 2007

Women's swimming

• 1 Greek OPEN Championship: 1987

References

PAOK F.C. Players Managers Seasons Current season History PAOK in Europe 1975–76 Alpha Ethniki 1984–85 Alpha Ethniki Stadium Toumba Stadium Training ground PAOK Sports Center Rivalries Aris rivalry Olympiacos rivalry AEK rivalry Other sports PAOK B.C. PAOK V.C. PAOK H.C. PAOK FC (women) A.S. PAOK Other Grounds PAOK Sports Arena Related Double-headed eagle Byzantine Empire PAOK Channel (defunct) Seasons 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 Figures Les Shannon Stavros Sarafis Ioannis Gounaris Christos Terzanidis Giorgos Koudas Mladen Furtula Neto Guerino Gyula Lóránt Konstantinos Iosifidis Giorgos Skartados Pablo Gabriel García Parent club: P.A.O.K.

Football in Greece Overview Hellenic Football Federation Awards By number of titles List of clubs List of venues National teams Greece men U-23 U-21 U-20 U-19 U-17 U-16 Greece women Greece Beach Soccer men Military football team League competitions Superleague Football League Football League 2 Delta Ethniki Local Championships Football League System Panhellenic Championship (defunct) Champions Top goalscorers Superleague Football League Women's top division Cup competitions Greek Cup Super Cup League Cup (defunct) Amateurs Cup Women's Cup Miscellaneous Koriopolis scandal Greek football clubs in Europe