AEL Limassol (basketball)

AEL Limassol
Nickname Vasilissa (The Queen)
(Greek: Βασίλισσα)
Leagues Cyprus Basketball Division B
Founded 1966 (1966)
Arena Nicos Solomonides
Arena Capacity 2,500
Location Limassol, Cyprus
Team colors Yellow and Blue
         
President Andreas Sofokleous
Kostas Christodoulou
Championships 13 Cypriot Championships
9 Cypriot Cups
8 Cypriot Super Cups
1 FIBA Regional Challenge Cup
Uniforms
Home
Away

Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού), often abbreviated as AEL (Greek: ΑΕΛ), is a Cypriot professional basketball club based in Limassol. It is part of the multisport club Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou and competed in the Cyprus Basketball Division 1. AEL competes in the second division since the 2015-16 season.

AEL is the most successful basketball club in Cyprus and holds the record for the number of national championships and Super Cups won. It is the only basketball club in Cyprus to have ever clinched a European title (FIBA Regional Challenge Cup, 2003).

History

The club was founded in 1966 and it is one of the founding members of the Cyprus Basketball Federation.[1] AEL took part in the first official championship in 1967 with Michalaki Nikolaidi as coach and it managed early on to establish itself as the "Queen" of Cyprus basketball.[2]

AEL became the dominant team in Cyprus in the 1980s, a decade in which it won 13 titles in total (6 national championships, 5 Cups, and 2 Super Cups).[3]

The 1990s did not bring about much success as the club ended up winning only one title (in 1999), which however was to signal the beginning of another golden era.[4]

By winning 14 domestic competitions in the 2000s (5 national championships, 3 Cups, and 6 Super Cups), as well as a European crown (Regional Challenge Cup, South Conference 2003), AEL enjoyed the most successful period in its history and retained its title as the "Queen" of Cyprus basketball.[5]

To this day, no other basketball club from Cyprus can claim to have ever been crowned with a European title or to have won five consecutive national championships in a row.

In October 2014, the club announced the basketball section would be dissolved due to its economical trouble. In August 2015 AEL Limassol announced it would form a basketball team for the following season.[6]

European record

In 2003, the club was crowned with its first European title after winning the newly established Regional Challenge Cup (South Conference). AEL clinched the title with the astonishing record of 10 victories in 10 games. The victory signalled the beginning of the team's European success.

After winning the Regional Challenge Cup, AEL participated as Cypriot champions the following year in the new FIBA EuroCup and qualified from the group phase to the best of 16. In the group phase, AEL eliminated Peristeri and Paris Basket Racing. The club was eliminated in the round of 16 by Hapoel Tel Aviv.

AEL came close to repeat their achievement in the same competition in 2004-05.

In 2005-06 (when the competition changed format) AEL passed the first group round by finishing second, eliminating PAOK BC and Kallev Tallinn and reaching the second round (round of 16). The team finished last in the group.

The effort to reach the quarter finals was achieved in 2006-07 even though during this time AEL faced tougher opponents than the previous years. Being in a group (in the first round) with former European Champions Virtus Bologna, ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne and Astronauts Amsterdam, very few believed that AEL had a chance to qualify. However, the club achieved the unexpected and after the surprise victory against Virtus Bologna with a score 88-83 and the home win against the French giants Villeurbanne 84-58, AEL finished second in Group 2 and qualified to the second round with four wins and two losses.

Unlike the previous year when AEL finished with 0 points in the second round, being in the same group with CB Estudiantes, Liege Basket and BC Šiauliai, they finished second with 5 victories and 1 defeat - tied with the Estudiantes because of the matches between them. AEL beat Estudiantes 63-62 in order to reach the quarter finals. The club reached the quarter finals but the dream to reach the Final Four didn't become true after they were eliminated by the Ukrainian team Azovmash 2-1 in victories. AEL won at home 85-79 but was beaten away 88 - 63 and 97 - 69.

European victories

Date Competition Match Place Score Attendance
19 November 1997 Korac Cup 1998 Preliminary Round AEL Limassol - Hapoel Galil Elyon Limassol (CYP) 88 - 83 500
17 October 2001 Korac Cup 2002 Elimination Round II AEL Limassol - Roseto Basket Limassol (CYP) 20 - 0 -
24 October 2001 Korac Cup 2002 Elimination Round II Roseto Basket - AEL Limassol Roseto Degli Abruzzi (ITA) 0 - 20 -
29 October 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 EKA AEL - Nikol Fert-G Limassol (CYP) 84 - 75 350
6 November 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 HKK Brotnjo - EKA AEL Citluk (BIH) 74 - 75 500
13 November 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 EKA AEL - BC Zrinjevac Limassol (CYP) 82 - 70 800
4 December 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 Nikol Fert - EKA AEL Gostivar (MKD) 67 - 87 300
11 December 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 EKA AEL - HKK Brotnjo Limassol (CYP) 94 - 83 1500
18 December 2002 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Qualifying Round		 BC Zrinjevac - EKA AEL Zagreb (CRO) 72 - 77 900
7 January 2003 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Quarter Final		 EKA AEL - HKK Brotnjo Limassol (CYP) 97 - 74 1500
9 January 2003 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Quarter Final		 EKA AEL - HKK Brotnjo Limassol (CYP) 95 - 78 1500
12 January 2003 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Semi Final		 Apollonas - EKA AEL Limassol (CYP) 52 - 73 2000
13 January 2003 Regional Challenge Cup 2003
Final		 EKA AEL - KK Igokea Limassol (CYP) 92 - 82 3500
18 November 2003 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round KK Hemofarm - EKA AEL Vrsac (SCG) 68 - 75 1500
25 November 2003 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Dexia Mons-Hainaut Limassol (CYP) 69 - 68 1200
2 December 2003 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - BC Khimki Limassol (CYP) 87 - 68 2000
16 December 2003 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Paris Basket Racing Limassol (CYP) 72 - 67 2000
13 January 2004 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round ANWIL Wloclawek - EKA AEL Wloclawek (POL) 54 - 68 2500
20 January 2004 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - GS Peristeri Limassol (CYP) 63 - 57 2500
3 February 2004 EuroCup 2004 Qualifying Round Dexia Mons-Hainaut - EKA AEL Mons (BEL) 76 - 81 1700
2 November 2004 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - KK Belgrade Limassol (CYP) 81 - 79 1000
30 November 2004 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Hraklis Thessalonikis Limassol (CYP) 88 - 77 1200
7 December 2004 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Olympia Larissas Limassol (CYP) 89 - 80 1200
23 December 2005 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round KK Belgrade - EKA AEL Belgrade (SRB) 0 - 20 -
12 January 2005 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Khimik Yuzhny Limassol (CYP) 83 - 64 1800
18 January 2005 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round EKA AEL - Paris Basket Racing Limassol (CYP) 64 - 58 1800
1 February 2005 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round Hraklis Thessalonikis - EKA AEL Thessaloniki (GRE) 87 - 89 500
8 February 2005 EuroCup 2005 Qualifying Round Olympia Larissas - EKA AEL Larissa (GRE) 69 - 73 100
26 October 2005 EuroCup 2006 Round 1 Privatbank EKA AEL - BC Kalev Limassol (CYP) 67 - 49 1500
2 November 2005 EuroCup 2006 Round 1 PAOK - Privatbank EKA AEL Thessaloniki (GRE) 74 - 75 500
9 November 2005 EuroCup 2006 Round 1 Privatbank EKA AEL - Fenerbahçe Limassol (CYP) 82 - 81 3000
15 November 2005 EuroCup 2006 Round 1 BC Kalev - Privatbank EKA AEL Tallinn (EST) 65 - 71 1500
23 November 2005 EuroCup 2006 Round 1 Privatbank EKA AEL - PAOK Limassol (CYP) 84 - 67 1500
14 November 2006 EuroCup 2007 Round 1 DTL EKA AEL - Amsterdam Astronauts Limassol (CYP) 82 - 49 1200
21 November 2006 EuroCup 2007 Round 1 DTL EKA AEL - Virtus Europonteggi Bologna Limassol (CYP) 88 - 83 3100
29 November 2006 EuroCup 2007 Round 1 DTL EKA AEL - Adecco ASVEL Villeurbanne Limassol (CYP) 84 - 58 3500
4 December 2006 EuroCup 2007 Round 1 Amsterdam Astronauts - DTL EKA AEL Amsterdam (NED) 79 - 95 350
16 January 2007 EuroCup 2007 Round 2 DTL EKA AEL - Liege Basket Limassol (CYP) 70 - 64 2500
23 January 2007 EuroCup 2007 Round 2 BC Siauliai - DTL EKA AEL Siauliai (LTU) 79 - 85 850
30 January 2007 EuroCup 2007 Round 2 DTL EKA AEL - Club Estudiantes Limassol (CYP) 63 - 62 3500
13 February 2007 EuroCup 2007 Round 2 Liege Basket - DTL EKA AEL Liege (BEL) 58 - 77 1000
20 February 2007 EuroCup 2007 Round 2 DTL EKA AEL - BC Siauliai Limassol (CYP) 94 - 85 2100
9 March 2007 EuroCup 2007 Quarter-Final DTL EKA AEL - Azovmash Mariupol Limassol (CYP) 85 - 79 3450
20 November 2007 EuroCup 2008 Elimination Round 2 BC Dnipro - Proteas EKA AEL Dnepropetrovsk (UKR) 53 - 64 5000
27 November 2007 EuroCup 2008 Elimination Round 2 Proteas EKA AEL – BC Dnipro Limassol (CYP) 104 - 69 600
19 December 2007 EuroCup 2008 Qualifying Round Proteas EKA AEL – KK Zagreb Limassol (CYP) 103 - 80 1100
15 January 2008 EuroCup 2008 Qualifying Round Proteas EKA AEL – Olympia Larissas Limassol (CYP) 91 - 71 800
22 January 2008 EuroCup 2008 Qualifying Round Spartak St. Petersburg - Proteas EKA AEL St. Petersburg (RUS) 77 - 81 800
29 January 2008 EuroCup 2008 Qualifying Round Proteas EKA AEL – Spartak St. Petersburg Limassol (CYP) 72 - 71 2500
19 February 2008 EuroCup 2008 Quarter Final Round Proteas EKA AEL – Khimik Limassol (CYP) 70 - 65 2000
26 February 2008 EuroCup 2008 Quarter Final Round Khimik - Proteas EKA AEL Yuzhny (UKR) 76 - 87 1700

Home arena

Nicolos Solomonides
Outside

AEL plays its home games at the Nicos Solomonides indoor arena which was built in 2005 and which has a capacity of 2,500 seats.[7]

It features the club's offices, official club shop, a cafe-restaurant, workout area and 12 VIP boxes.

The name was given after a former president of the club.[8]

Supporters

Gate 3 at a basketball game, Nicos Solomonides

The SY.F.AEL (Greek: ΣΥ.Φ.ΑΕΛ – Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων ΑΕΛ), οtherwise known as Gate 3, are the supporters of AEL basketball club.

They also support other clubs within the AEL sports association, particularly the football and volleyball clubs.

Gate 3 are well known for their amazing atmosphere in the Nicos Solomonides arena, particularly against arch-rivals Apollon Limassol.

Honours

Honour No. Years
Cyprus Basketball DIVISION A: 13 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Cyprus Basketball DIVISION B: 2 2016, 2017
Cyprus Cups: 9 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 2004, 2008, 2009
Super Cups: 9 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 2004, 2008, 2009
European Titles: Regional Challenge Cup 1 2003

Milestones

Year Milestone
1966: The Cyprus Basketball Association is formed with AEL among its founding members.
1974: AEL wins its first national championship.
1977: AEL becomes the first Cypriot basketball club to participate in a European competition.
1983: AEL beat Ethnikos with 177-39 and set a new Cyprus league record of best offense and biggest difference in a game. The record remains to this day.
1994: AEL are relegated to the 2nd division for the first time in its history.
2003: The basketball team of AEL writes a golden page in the history of Cypriot sport after it conquers the European Regional Challenge Cup, undefeatable.
2007: AEL becomes the only team in Cyprus to win five consecutive championships in a row.

Team records

Record For From - Until
Most Championships in Row 5 Years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Most Cups in Row 4 Years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
Most Super Cups in Row 5 Years 2005, 2006, 2007,2008, 2009
Most Wins in a Row (European League) 10 Games 30.10.2002 - 13.02.2003
Most Home Wins in a Row at Nikos Solomonides (European league) 15 Games 01.02.2006–present

Accumulated historical results

Season Competition Place Games Won/Lost
2009 FIBA EuroChallenge
2008 FIBA EuroCup 3rd 12 9/3
2007 FIBA EuroCup 5th 15 10/5
2006 FIBA EuroCup 12 5/7
2005 FIBA Europe League Men 14 8/6
2004 FIBA Europe League 14 7/7
2003 FIBA Europe Regional Challenge Cup (South Conference) Champion 10 10/0
2002 Korac Cup 8 2/6
2001 Korac Cup 2 0/2
2000 Korac Cup 2 0/2
1999 Korac Cup 2 0/2
1998 Korac Cup 6 1/5
1995 Korac Cup
1992 European Cup Radivoj Korac 2 0/2

Current roster

As of 4 November 2012. [9][10]
Players Coaches
Pos. Νο. Nat. Name Ht.
G 4 Cyprus Marios, Moniatis 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
G 8 Cyprus Antoniou, Simeon 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
9 Cyprus Migkos, Vaitelis
F 11 Cyprus Mantovani, Roberto Alexander 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)
F 13 Cyprus Georgiou, Marios (Basketball player) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
F 14 Cyprus Loizidis, Christos 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
C 15 Cyprus Markou, Panayiotis 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Head coach
  • Cyprus Marcos Asonitis
  • Cyprus Aristos Aristou
Assistant coach(es)
Team Manager
Legend
  • (C) Team captain

See also

Former players

Women's basketball club

AEL also maintains a women's basketball club. It competes in the Cyprus Women's Basketball Division 1 and is one of the most successful clubs in Cyprus. The club holds the record for the most national championships (14) and most Cypriot Cups won (13).[11]

It participates regularly in European competitions such as the Eurocup Women.

Honours (Women's basketball club)

Honour No. Years
Championship titles: 15 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Cup titles: 14 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
Super Cup titles: 9 1998, 2006, 2007,2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

References

  1. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/baskethistory/
  2. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/baskethistory/
  3. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/titloibasket/
  4. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/titloibasket/
  5. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/titloibasket/
  6. ↑ "Ανακοίνωση Καλαθοσφαιρικής ΑΕΛ" (in Greek). Lions-radio.com. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_hVe7XloZHmQvcBxvZ-gFw0.coid_jcGmKDiSJasdtNi-1,CV00.articleMode_on.html
  8. ↑ http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_hVe7XloZHmQvcBxvZ-gFw0.coid_jcGmKDiSJasdtNi-1,CV00.articleMode_on.html
  9. ↑ http://www.basketball.org.cy/kok/el/common/PreviewDocument.ashx?itemId=10001110&refItemId=T449BASKETGAMES&refTableId=449&language=EL
  10. ↑ http://www.all4basketball.com/team-detail.php?tm=14
  11. ↑ http://www.lions-radio.com/titloibasket/

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