AEK Athens F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
AEK Athens

Full name	Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
Nickname(s)	Dikéfalos (Double-Headed Eagle) Énosi (Union) Kitrinómavri (Yellow-blacks)
Short name	AEK
Founded	13 April 1924:100 years ago
Ground	Agia Sophia Stadium
Ground Capacity	32,500
Owner	Marios Iliopoulos
President	Evangelos Aslanidis
Head coach	Matías Almeyda
League	Super League Greece
2023–24	Super League Greece, 2nd of 14
Home colours Away colours Third colours

A.E.K. Football Club (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, romanized: Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos, lit. 'Athletic Union of Constantinople'), known simply as A.E.K (Greek: A.E.K.; [aek]) in Greece and AEK Athens internationally, is a professional football club. It is based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica, Greece.

The club was started in Athens in 1924. It was founded by Greek refugees who came from Constantinople after the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922). AEK is one of the most successful teams in Greek football. They have won 32 national titles. This makes them the only club to win all competitions organized by the Hellenic Football Federation. These include 13 Greek Championships, 16 Greek Cups, 1 League Cup, and 2 Super Cups.

AEK has played many times in European competitions. These include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and the old UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They are the only Greek team to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup (in 1976-77). They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup twice (in 1996-97 and 1997-98).

AEK was also the first Greek team to reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup (1968–69). They were also the first to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (in 1994-95).

History of AEK Athens

How AEK Started (1924–1944)

Many Greek people lived in Constantinople (now Istanbul). They had many sports clubs there. Clubs like Énosis Tatávlon and Iraklís helped promote Greek sports and culture. These clubs were very important for sports in the city before World War I. After the war, these clubs played against teams made of foreign soldiers. Football, athletics, and other sports were popular.

Énosis Tatávlon and Ermís were the top football clubs. Ermís was a very popular sports club, started in 1875. It was later called "Pera Sports Club." Many of its athletes moved to Athens and Thessaloniki after the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922).

The people who started AEK were Greek refugees from Constantinople. Many of them were former athletes from the Pera Sports Club. They met in Athens in 1924. They wanted to create a club that offered sports and cultural activities. This was for the thousands of refugees who had settled in new parts of Athens.

AEK's first team played its first game in November 1924. They won 2–0 against Aias Athinon.

AEK's football team quickly became popular in the 1920s. Many immigrants joined the club. The name "Constantinople" was very meaningful to many refugees. Also, some club leaders had strong connections and money. At first, AEK did not have its own football field. They played games in different places around Athens.

AEK's first president was Konstantinos Spanoudis. He asked the government for land to build a sports ground. In 1926, land in Nea Filadelfeia was given for refugee sports. AEK started training there.

In 1928, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and AEK had a disagreement with the new Hellenic Football Federation (EPO). They decided to leave the Athens league and formed an alliance called POK. They played friendly matches against each other. In 1929, they rejoined the EPO.

In 1930, the land where AEK trained was officially given to the club. The plans for AEK's home stadium, the AEK Stadium, were approved. The first home game was in November 1930. It was a 2–2 draw against Olympiacos.

In 1932, AEK won their first Greek Cup title. They beat Aris 5–3 in the final. The team had star players like Kostas Negrepontis and Mimis Papaioannou.

The club had good success in the 1930s. They won their first Greek Championship and Greek Cup (the double) in 1939. Under coach Kostas Negrepontis, AEK also won the Greek Championship in 1940.

The Nestoridis-Papaioannou Era (1960–1974)

Kostas Nestoridis scored many goals in the early 1960s. He was the top goalscorer for five seasons in a row. Then, Mimis Papaioannou joined the team in 1962. He became the club's all-time top goalscorer. AEK won the 1962–63 championship. Papaioannou scored two goals in the 1963 playoff game against Panathinaikos. This helped AEK win their first championship after the war.

The club also won the Greek Cup in 1964 and 1966. In 1968, AEK easily won the championship again. This was with coach Jenő Csaknády and new great players.

AEK in European Competitions

In the 1968–69 season, AEK made history. They became the first Greek football club to reach the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup. They were eventually knocked out by Spartak Trnava from Czechoslovakia.

With new players, AEK won their fifth championship title in 1971.

The Great AEK of Barlos (1974–1981)

Loukas Barlos, a successful businessman, became president of AEK in 1974. With coach František Fadrhonc, he built one of the best teams in the club's history. This "Golden Era" saw many great players join AEK.

Reaching the UEFA Cup Semi-finals

In the 1976–1977 season, AEK reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. This was a first for a Greek football club. They beat teams like Dynamo Moscow and Derby County. They were finally knocked out by Juventus, who went on to win the title.

Thomas Mavros: A Goal-Scoring Machine

During this time, AEK signed Thomas Mavros. He is one of Greece's best strikers ever. He is the all-time top goalscorer in the Greek Championship. He and Dušan Bajević formed a powerful attacking duo. Mavros's amazing goal-scoring helped AEK win the Championship-Cup double in 1978. They also won the 1979 Championship.

Under Loukas Barlos, the Nikos Goumas Stadium was completed. It got its famous "Skepasti" (covered stand). This became home to the most passionate AEK fan group, "Original 21." Young players from AEK's Academy also started playing, like Stelios Manolas.

AEK's Success in the 1980s and 1990s (1981–1999)

In 1983, AEK won the Greek Cup. They beat PAOK 2–0 in the new Athens Olympic Stadium.

AEK finally won the Championship title again in 1989. Coach Dušan Bajević, a former player, led them to victory. Takis Karagiozopoulos scored the winning goal against Olympiacos. AEK also won the Greek Super Cup in 1989.

The Bajević Golden Team: Three Championships in a Row

After 1989, coach Bajević built one of AEK's most successful teams. Led by captain Stelios Manolas, the team dominated the Greek league. They won three championships in a row (1992, 1993, and 1994). AEK also won the only Greek League Cup ever organized in 1990.

First Greek Team in UEFA Champions League Group Stage

In 1994–95, AEK became the first Greek football club to play in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They beat Scottish champions Rangers. They were later knocked out by Ajax and AC Milan. The club won the Greek Cup in 1996.

Former player Petros Ravousis became coach in 1996. He led the team to its second Super Cup in 1996 and its eleventh Cup title in 1997. They beat Panathinaikos in both finals.

This period was very successful for AEK. They signed Temur Ketsbaia and talented young players like Demis Nikolaidis. Nikolaidis, an AEK fan since childhood, chose to play for his favorite club. In 1996–97 and 1997–98, AEK reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1999, former president Dimitris Melissanidis arranged a friendly match against Partizan in Belgrade. This was during a difficult time for Serbia. AEK players and staff traveled to Belgrade to show support. The game ended 1–1. After 60 minutes, thousands of Serbian fans ran onto the field to hug the players.

The 21st Century: Ups and Downs

AEK won its twelfth Cup title in 2000. In 2001–02, they finished second in the Championship. They also beat Olympiacos in the Greek Cup final.

Unbeaten in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League

Dušan Bajević returned as coach in 2002. AEK had a strong team, called the "Dream Team" by fans. They played in the 2002 UEFA Champions League. They drew all their group games against strong teams like AS Roma, Real Madrid, and Racing Genk. They were knocked out but continued to the UEFA Cup.

Off the field, the club faced many problems due to poor management, which led to a lot of debt.

After some issues, Demis Nikolaidis left the club. Coach Bajević resigned in 2004.

The Demis Nikolaidis Era

In 2004, Demis Nikolaidis and other AEK fans formed a group to help the club. Nikolaidis, with other businessmen, bought the club. His main goal was to fix AEK's financial problems. They managed to reduce most of the club's huge debt.

Nikolaidis wanted to rebuild AEK. He brought in experienced people like Ilija Ivić and coach Fernando Santos. AEK fans supported these efforts by buying many season tickets.

AEK signed promising young players. With experienced players like Katsouranis and Liberopoulos, they reached the Greek Cup final. They also finished second in the Championship, earning a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. For the 2006–07 season, Lorenzo Serra Ferrer became the new coach.

AEK reached the Champions League group stage by beating Hearts. They earned 8 points in their group, beating AC Milan and Lille. AEK finished second in the Greek Super League again.

The 2007–08 Championship Controversy

In the 2007–08 season, AEK signed Brazilian legend Rivaldo and other players. AEK initially finished first in the league. However, after a court case involving another team, Olympiacos was awarded extra points. This made Olympiacos finish ahead of AEK. Many at AEK were upset by this decision.

AEK changed coaches several times. Giorgos Donis became head coach, but results were not good. Demis Nikolaidis left the presidency. In November 2008, Dušan Bajević returned as head coach for the third time.

Bajević brought stability. AEK reached the Greek Cup final in 2009, but lost on penalties. They finished second in the playoffs, just missing out on Champions League qualification.

In 2010, AEK signed club legends Nikos Liberopoulos and Traianos Dellas. They also got new players like Papa Bouba Diop. AEK qualified for the 2010–11 Europa League group stage.

On 7 October 2010, Manolo Jiménez became coach. On 30 April 2011, AEK won the Greek Cup for the 14th time.

In 2011, AEK signed Iceland captain Eiður Guðjohnsen. Due to financial problems, AEK legend Thomas Mavros took over the club's management in 2012. Many former AEK players returned to help.

On 19 April 2013, AEK faced a big challenge. After fans ran onto the field during a match, the league took away 3 points from AEK. This meant AEK was relegated to the second-tier Football League for the first time in its history. They also started the next season with minus 2 points.

The Melissanidis Return and New Era (2013–2024)

On 7 June 2013, AEK decided to become an amateur football club. They chose to play in the third division to start fresh. Dimitris Melissanidis, a former president, returned to lead the club. He and other AEK fans created a non-profit group to take over the club.

AEK began its comeback with Traianos Dellas as coach. Dellas led AEK to first place in the third division. The next year, AEK played in the 2014–15 Football League. They finished first and were promoted back to the top league, the Greek Super League.

On 20 October 2015, Traianos Dellas resigned. Gus Poyet was appointed coach, but later fired. Stelios Manolas took over again. Manolas guided AEK to a 3rd-place finish and won the Greek Cup. This was their first trophy since 2011. The first season back in the top league was a success.

The new season started with high hopes. AEK signed Dmytro Chyhrynskyi, Hugo Almeida, and Joleon Lescott. Lescott got injured and his contract ended. AEK was knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers. José Morais became coach, then Manolo Jiménez returned for his second time. Jiménez led the team to 4th place and first in the European Playoffs. They reached the Greek Cup final again, but lost.

Unbeaten in Europa League and Greek Champions

The third season back in the top league started with a tough Champions League qualifier loss. AEK then played in the Europa League group stages. They qualified for the round of 32 without losing a single game! This showed they were back among Europe's top teams. In April, AEK won their 12th Greek championship. This was their first championship in 24 years.

UEFA Champions League Return and Cup Finals

The 2018–19 season saw AEK return to the UEFA Champions League group stage for the fifth time. They beat Celtic and MOL Vidi to qualify.

AEK was in a tough group with Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Ajax. They lost all six matches. Many key players left the club. The team finished 3rd in the league and lost their third consecutive cup final.

In 2019–20, the season started badly. New managers came and went. Under Massimo Carrera, AEK improved. They reached the Greek Cup final for the fifth time in a row, but lost to Olympiacos.

AEK qualified for the Europa League group stage again. Their European campaign was not great. Massimo Carrera was replaced by Manolo Jiménez for his fourth time at the club.

Big Signings, New Stadium, and Another Double

AEK hired Vladan Milojević, but he left early. Then Argiris Giannikis became coach, but his time was also short. AEK finally found a new coach in Matías Almeyda.

Before the 2022–23 season, AEK moved into their new Agia Sophia Stadium. Coach Matias Almeyda helped rebuild the team. He brought a high-pressing, attacking style of football. AEK quickly became one of the best teams in Greece. They had great wins against rivals. They also had a 14-game winning streak at their new stadium.

The new Agia Sophia Stadium is a modern, UEFA Category 4 stadium. It can hold 32,500 fans. The stadium opened on 30 September 2022. AEK Athens won their first game there 4–1 against Ionikos.

In summer 2022, AEK Athens signed two famous players: Domagoj Vida from Croatia and Djibril Sidibé from France. Both had played against each other in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final. Sidibé was the most valuable player to ever join the club.

AEK Athens won their 13th Greek championship on 14 May 2023. This was their first title in Nea Filadelfeia since 1994. On 25 May 2023, AEK Athens beat PAOK 2–0 in the 2022–23 Greek Cup final. This meant they won the double (Championship and Cup) for the first time since 1978! The next season, they narrowly missed out on another league title.

The Marios Iliopoulos Era (2024 to Present)

After the 2023–24 season, owner Dimitris Melissanidis announced he was leaving the club. He sold his shares to Seajets owner, Marios Iliopoulos. Melissanidis said he had brought AEK back to the top with a new stadium and a strong team.

Marios Iliopoulos shared his vision for the club. He wants AEK to be a top team in Greek football and a strong force in Europe. He also wants to focus on the club's youth academies. He quickly showed his commitment by selling Ezequiel Ponce for a club record €9,000,000. He also signed famous players like Roberto Pereyra, Erik Lamela, and Thomas Strakosha with record contracts.

The season started with an early elimination from the Conference Cup by FC Noah.

On 19 September 2024, the club announced the signing of former Manchester United player, Anthony Martial. This is the club's highest valued player arrival. In October 2024, Javier Ribalta joined as the new Executive Director.

Club Emblem

In 1924, AEK chose the image of a double-headed eagle (Dikéfalos Aetós) as its emblem. This symbol, along with the yellow and black colors, was chosen by the Greek refugees from Constantinople. It reminds them of their lost homelands and shows the club's connection to Constantinople. The double-headed eagle is also seen on the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose main office is in Constantinople. It was also an important symbol for the Palaiologos dynasty, the last rulers of the Byzantine Empire.

AEK's emblem changed a few times between 1924 and 1982. In 1982, a clear, official design was created. The emblem was updated again in 1989, 1993, and 2013 to its current look.

AEK's Anthem

: Εμπρός της ΑΕΚ παλληκάρια Σουτάρετε και σπάστε τα δοκάρια Τα δίχτυα σκίστε Τη δόξα κατακτήστε Νικήστε, νικήστε, νικήστε!
: Let's go AEK's lads Shoot the ball and break the posts Tear the nets Conquer the glory Win, win, win!

Team Colors and Kits

AEK chose yellow/gold and black as their colors because of their ties to Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.

AEK usually wears gold or yellow shirts with black shorts. In the 1990s, they had unique Kappa kits with a large two-headed eagle design.

For away games, AEK traditionally wears all-black or all-white. Sometimes, they wear a third kit in light blue, silver, dark red, or purple. These colors are inspired by the Byzantine war flag and royal families.

Sponsors and Kit Makers

Since June 1, 2021, Nike has made AEK's kits. Before that, other companies like Adidas, Puma, and Kappa made them.

Since 2015, OPAP has been the main shirt sponsor. Other past sponsors include Nissan, LG, and Jeep.

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
1974–1975	Adidas	—
1975–1976	Puma
1976–1982	Adidas
1982–1983		Citizen
1983–1985	Zita Hellas	Nissan
1985–1989		Ethniki Asfalistiki
1989–1993	Diadora
1993–1995	Basic	Phoenix Asfaleies
1995	Kappa	Ethniki Asfalistiki
1995	Diadora	—
1995–1996	Kappa	Ethniki Asfalistiki
1996–1998		General Bank of Greece
1999		Firestone
1999–2000		Marfin Investment Group
2000–2001	Nike
2001–2002		Alpha Digital
2002–2004		Piraeus Bank
2004		TIM
2005–2006	Adidas
2006–2007		LG
2007–2009	Puma
2009–2010		Diners Club
2010–2013		Kino
2013–2014		Tzoker
2014–2015		Jeep
2015–2018	Nike	Pame Stoixima
2018–2021	Capelli
2021–	Nike

Club Finances

Loukas Barlos was the owner and president from 1974. He was in charge when Greek football became professional in 1979. In 1981, he passed his shares to Andreas Zafiropoulos. In 1982, Michalis Arkadis became president to help with money.

On June 17, 1992, the club got new owners. Businessmen Dimitris Melissanidis and Giannis Karras took over. They continued the club's successful winning seasons.

After a less successful season in 1995, shares were passed to Michalis Trochanas. In 1999, NETMED, a Dutch media company, managed the club. This led to a difficult time with many changes in leadership. In 2004, former AEK player Demis Nikolaidis created a plan to fix the club's money problems. He and other investors took over.

The plan seemed to work at first, but problems continued. The team was relegated in 2013 for the first time ever. To deal with huge debts, the directors decided the team would play in the third division. On the same day, Dimitris Melissanidis, the old president, became the club's administrative leader. He and other AEK fans created a non-profit group called "Union Friends of AEK" to own most of the football club.

In March 2015, AEK FC became the first Greek company listed in the London Stock Exchange's Elite program. This program helps growing businesses.

Current main sponsors are Pame Stoixima and Nike.

Stadiums and Training

Nikos Goumas Stadium was AEK's home stadium in Nea Filadelfeia. It was used mostly for football. It was named after Nicholas Goumas, who helped build it. AEK played there from 1930. The stadium was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1999 and torn down in 2003. The plan was to build a new stadium, but there were many delays.

In 2004, the club moved to the 70,000-seat "Spyros Louis" (Athens Olympic Stadium) in Athens. This Olympic Athletic Center has hosted many big events, including the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Construction for a brand new stadium started on July 28, 2017, at the old Nikos Goumas stadium site. It also faced delays. The stadium was finished in 2022. It holds about 32,500 fans and has a special underground road system for teams.

The Agia Sophia Stadium has a Museum of Refugee Hellenism for AEK Athens. It is open most days.

The stadium officially opened on September 30, 2022. AEK Athens won their first game there 4–1 against Ionikos on October 3, 2022.

Stadium	Capacity	Years
Nikos Goumas Stadium	27,729	1928–1985 and 1987–2003
Athens Olympic Stadium	69,618	1985–1987 and 2004–2022
Agia Sophia Stadium	32,500	2022–

Training Facility

Since December 2010, AEK has used modern training facilities in Spata. This is one of the biggest and most expensive training centers in Greece. It has two natural grass fields and one artificial field for the youth academies. It also has all the necessary modern equipment for team training. The main building has offices, a press room, and player rooms.

The training ground is used by the main team and youth teams. It includes a fitness and health center with weight rooms, a cryotherapy center, and more. There are plans for an AEK Museum, a hotel, and more sports fields. Since 2014, the training center is officially called "OPAP Sports Centre." In 2018, Dimitrios Melissanidis bought the Sports Centre and donated it to AEK. He also bought more land to expand the training area.

Fans and Rivalries

AEK Supporters

AEK Athens has a large fan base across Greece. They are the third most popular Greek football team. About 20% of all Greek football fans support AEK. Their fan base in Greece is estimated to be over 1 million. AEK's traditional fans come from Nea Filadelfeia, where the club is based.

AEK also has many fans in the Greek diaspora, especially in Cyprus. Many Greek Cypriots relate to AEK's history as a refugee club, similar to their own experiences after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. AEK also has strong support in Australia, the US, the UK, Germany, and France. The most dedicated AEK supporters are "Original 21." This is the club's largest fan group, known for its strong support.

Supporter Friendships

There is a "triangle of brotherhood" between the main left-wing fan clubs of AEK, Marseille, and Livorno. This connection is mostly based on shared ideas. AEK's and St. Pauli's left-wing fans also have a strong friendship for similar reasons.

There is an informal friendship between AEK and Fenerbahçe fans. In a 2017 Euroleague final, Fenerbahçe fans showed a banner saying "Same City's Sons."

Club Anthem

AEK's club anthem, Embrós tis AEK Palikária (Advance AEK's Lads), was written by Christos Kolokotronis and composed by Stelios Kazantzidis. The most popular version is sung by former football player Mimis Papaioannou.

Rivalries

AEK FC's biggest rivals are Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. They play against their city neighbors Panathinaikos in the Athens local football derby. This rivalry started because both teams compete for major titles. Also, many AEK fans have refugee backgrounds, while Panathinaikos was seen as representing Athens' high society. The rivalry with Olympiacos comes from both clubs being very successful. This rivalry became more intense after 1996. That's when AEK's former star player and coach Dušan Bajević moved to Olympiacos. It also grew after the controversial 2007–08 Super League season, which Olympiacos won.

Club Achievements

Type	Competition	Titles	Seasons	Ref.
Domestic	Super League Greece	13	1938–39, 1939–40, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2017–18, 2022–23
	Super League Greece 2	1	2014–15
	Gamma Ethniki	1	2013–14 (Group 6)
	Greek Cup	16	1931–32, 1938–39, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1955–56, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2022–23
	Greek League Cup	1	1990
	Greek Super Cup	2	1989, 1996
Regional	Athens FCA First Division	5	1939–40, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50
Other	Easter Cup	4	1938, 1944, 1955, 1958
	Christmas Cup	4	1938, 1944, 1955, 1958

•      record

Winning the Double

• Winners (3): 1938–39, 1977–78, 2022–23

AEK Athens in European Competitions

• UEFA Champions League
  • Quarter-finals (1): 1969

• UEFA Europa League
  • Semi-finals (1): 1977

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  • Quarter-finals (2): 1997, 1998

• Balkans Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1967

Tournaments Won

• Sydney Football Festival
  • Winners (1) (Record): 2010

• Pre-Mediterranean Cup
  • Winners (1) (Record): 1991

• Nova Supersports Cup
  • Winners (1) (Joint record): 1999
  • Runners-up (2): 2000, 2001

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

European Performance Highlights

Best Seasons

Season	Manager	Round	Eliminated by	Results
Champions League / European Cup
1968–69	Branko Stanković	Quarter-finals	Spartak Trnava	1–2 in Trnava, 1–1 in Nea Filadelfeia
1978–79	Ferenc Puskás	Round of 16	Nottingham Forest	1–2 in Nea Filadelfeia, 1–5 in West Bridgford
1989–90	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	Marseille	0–2 in Marseille, 1–1 in Nea Filadelfeia
1992–93	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	PSV	1–0 in Nea Filadelfeia, 0–3 in Eindhoven
1994–95	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	Milan	0–0 in Nea Filadelfeia, 1–2 in Trieste
Cup Winners' Cup
1995–96	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	Borussia M'gladbach	1–4 in Mönchengladbach, 0–1 in Nea Filadelfeia
1996–97	Petros Ravousis	Quarter-finals	Paris Saint-Germain	0–0 in Paris, 0–3 in Nea Filadelfeia
1997–98	Dumitru Dumitriu	Quarter-finals	Lokomotiv Moscow	0–0 in Nea Filadelfeia, 1–2 in Moscow
Europa League / UEFA Cup
1976–77	František Fadrhonc	Semi-finals	Juventus	1–4 in Turin, 0–1 in Nea Filadelfeia
1991–92	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	Torino	2–2 in Nea Filadelfeia, 0–1 in Turin
2000–01	Toni Savevski	Round of 16	Barcelona	0–1 in Nea Filadelfeia, 0–5 in Barcelona
2001–02	Fernando Santos	Round of 16	Internazionale	1–3 in Milan, 2–2 in Nea Filadelfeia
2002–03	Dušan Bajević	Round of 16	Málaga	0–0 in Málaga, 0–1 in Nea Filadelfeia
2006–07	Lorenzo Serra Ferrer	Round of 32	Paris Saint-Germain	0–2 in Paris, 0–2 in Marousi
2007–08	Nikos Kostenoglou	Round of 32	Getafe	1–1 in Marousi, 0–3 in Getafe
2017–18	Manolo Jiménez	Round of 32	Dynamo Kyiv	1–1 in Marousi, 0–0 in Kyiv
Balkans Cup
1966–67	Tryfon Tzanetis	Final	Fenerbahçe	2–1 in Nea Filadelfeia, 0–1 and 1–3 in Istanbul

UEFA Ranking

Rank	Team	Points
140	Olimpija Ljubljana	10.500
141	Dnipro-1	10.500
142	FCSB	10.500
143	KÍ Klaksvik	10.000
144	AEK Athens	10.000

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Thomas Strakosha 2 DF Harold Moukoudi 3 DF Stavros Pilios 4 MF Damian Szymański (third-captain) 5 MF Nordin Amrabat 6 MF Jens Jønsson 7 FW Levi García 8 MF Mijat Gaćinović 9 MF Erik Lamela 10 MF Steven Zuber (fourth-captain) 11 FW Aboubakary Koïta 12 DF Lazaros Rota 13 MF Orbelín Pineda 14 FW Frantzdy Pierrot 16 MF Sotiris Tsiloulis

No. Position Player 18 DF Alexander Callens 19 MF Niclas Eliasson 20 MF Petros Mantalos 21 DF Domagoj Vida (captain) 22 MF Paolo Fernandes 23 MF Robert Ljubičić 24 DF Gerasimos Mitoglou 25 MF Konstantinos Galanopoulos (vice-captain) 26 FW Anthony Martial 28 DF Ehsan Hajsafi 29 DF Moses Odubajo 37 MF Roberto Pereyra 91 GK Alberto Brignoli 99 GK Georgios Theocharis

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 27 DF Vedad Radonja (at Lamia until 30 June 2025) 35 FW Michalis Kosidis (at Puszcza Niepołomice until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player 55 DF Konstantinos Chrysopoulos (at Anorthosis Famagusta until 30 June 2025) 90 FW Zini (at Levadiakos until 30 June 2025)

Other Players Under Contract

No. Position Player GK Cican Stanković

Reserve Team and Youth Academy

Statistics and Records

Club Records

What it is	Record
Fewest goals allowed in a Greek Championship season	12 (2017–18)
Consecutive times reaching the knock-out stage in Greek Cup	15 (2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20)
Biggest win in a Greek Cup final	7–1 (vs Apollon Smyrnis, 1995–96)
Biggest away victory in Greek Championship	0–8 (vs Egaleo, 1961–62)

What it is	European Records
Consecutive unbeaten matches in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League	6 (vs Real Madrid, Roma and Genk, 2002–03)
Consecutive times reaching the Round of 16 in a European competition	4 (1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98)
Consecutive games without a loss in any European competition	14 (vs Club Brugge, Milan, Rijeka, Austria Wien, Dynamo Kyiv, Celtic and MOL Vidi, 2017–18 and 2018–19)

What it is	International Records
Consecutive draws in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League	6 (vs Real Madrid, Roma and Genk, 2002–03)

Players Who Played for Only One Club (One-Club Men)

Player	Position	Debut	Last match
Ilias Iliaskos	FW	1927	1933
Christos Ribas	GK	1929	1947
Tryfon Tzanetis	FW	1933	1950
Georgios Magiras	MF	1933	1949
Kleanthis Maropoulos	FW	1934	1952
Michalis Delavinias	GK	1938	1955
Michalis Papatheodorou	MF	1944	1956
Antonis Parayios	DF	1948	1957
Andreas Stamatiadis	FW	1950	1969
Stelios Serafidis	GK	1953	1972
Spyros Ikonomopoulos	GK	1977	1996
Stelios Manolas	DF	1979	1998

Top Scorers in Super League

AEK has a great history of having top goal-scoring players. 14 different AEK players have been the top scorer in the Super League 24 times in total.

Rank	Player	Times	Season(s)
1	Kostas Nestoridis	5 (national record)	1959–1963
2	Thomas Mavros	3	1978, 1979, 1985
3	Vasilis Dimitriadis	2	1992, 1993
4	Mimis Papaioannou	2	1964, 1966
5	Ismael Blanco	2	2008, 2009
6	Kleanthis Maropoulos	2	1939, 1940
7	Alexis Alexandris	1	1994
8	Template:Flag=GRE Nikos Liberopoulos	1	2007
9	Kostas Vasiliou	1	1939
10	Georgios Dedes	1	1976
11	Demis Nikolaidis	1	1999
12	Vasilios Tsiartas	1	1996
13	Dušan Bajević	1	1980
14	Henrik Nielsen	1	1988

Player and Manager Records

• Most club appearances: 593–Stelios Manolas
• Most club goals: 299–Mimis Papaioannou
• Most club titles won by a manager: 8–Dušan Bajević

Contribution to the Greece National Team

AEK has had many great Greek players who also played for the national team. These include Papaioannou, Nestoridis, Mavros, and Nikolaidis.

Five AEK players were part of the famous team that won the UEFA Euro 2004:

• UEFA Euro 2004 (6 players): Thodoris Zagorakis (player of the tournament), Vasilis Tsiartas, Michalis Kapsis, Kostas Katsouranis, Demis Nikolaidis, and Vasilis Lakis.

A total of 113 AEK players have played for the Greece national football team up to November 17, 2024.

Notable Former Players

• 

  Anastasios Bakasetas

• 

  André Simões

• 

  Angelos Basinas

• 

  Bruno Alves

• 

  Bruno Cirillo

• 

  Diego Buonanotte

• 

  Cala

• 

  Christos Patsatzoglou

• 

  Daniel Majstorović

• 

  Dionysis Chiotis

• 

  Dmytro Chyhrynskyi

• 

  Dušan Bajević

• 

  Eidur Gudjohnsen

• 

  Fabián Vargas

• 

  Grzegorz Krychowiak

• 

  Lazaros Christodoulopoulos

• 

  Lefter Küçükandonyadis

• 

  Hugo Almeida

• 

  Ioannis Okkas

• 

  Ignacio Scocco

• 

  Ismael Blanco

• 

  Jakob Johansson

• 

  Joleon Lescott

• 

  Juanfran

• 

  Kostas Katsouranis

• 

  Kostas Manolas

• 

  Leonardo

• 

  Marko Livaja

• 

  Nélson Oliveira

• 

  Nikos Liberopoulos

• 

  Paulo Assunção

• 

  Rivaldo

• 

  Sokratis Papastathopoulos

• 

  Traianos Dellas

• 

  Vasilios Tsiartas

Club Staff

Ownership and Board

Position	Staff
Owner	Marios Iliopoulos
President	Evangelos Aslanidis
First Vice President & CEO	George Kosmas
Second Vice President	Alexis Alexiou
Board Member	Anthi Papakosta

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Executives

Administration Department

Position	Staff
General Manager	Angeliki Arkadi
CFO	Andreas Christakos
Commercial Director	Nikos Karaouzas
Media Consultant	Stamatis Voulgaris
Press Officer	Tasos Tsatalis

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Football Department

Position	Staff
Director of Football	Javier Ribalta
Deputy Director of Football	Konstantinos Stavrothanasopoulos
Strategic Consultant & Ambassador	Bruno Alves
Technical Director	Radek Kucharski
Team Managers	Dimitris Nalitzis Panos Anastasopoulos
Scouts	Fanouris Goundoulakis Dimitris Xouris Akis Petrou

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Coaching and Medical Staff

Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Head Coach	Matías Almeyda
Assistant Coach	Daniel Vega
Fitness Coaches	Guido Bonini Kostas Parousis Sotiris Mavros
Goalkeeper Coach	Carlos Roa
Kinesiologist	Fabio Álvarez
Analysts	Agustín Zalazar Giannis Antonopoulos
Rehabilitation Coach	Ignatios Sakellaridis

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Medical Staff

Position	Staff
Medical Director	Lakis Nikolaou
Head of Physiotherapy	Christos Karvounidis
Team Doctor	Charis Lalos
Head of Rehabilitation	Dimitris Ioannou
Podiatrist	Manos Arvanitakis
Physiotherapists	Konstantinos Pavlidis Dimitris Dimas
Assistant Physiotherapists	Lefteris Gaitanos Alexis Asprogiannis
Ergophysiologist	Dimitris Stergiopoulos
Nutritionist	Daniel Kapsis

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Other Staff

Position	Staff
Team Manager Assistant	Antonis Maos
Kit Men	Giorgos Baliotis Spyros Mallioras Manolis Fanelakis

Source: AEK Athens F.C.

Presidents of AEK Athens F.C.

AEK Athens 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) Spyridon Skouras (1949–50) Georgios Melas (1950–52) Eleftherios Venizelos (1952) Georgios Chrisafidis (1952–57) Nikos 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 Kyriopoulos (1997)	Alexis Kougias (1997) Lakis Nikolaou (1997–98) Dimitris Melissanidis (1998–99) Stefanos Mamatzis (1999–2000) Cornelius Sierhuis (2000–01) Filonas Antonopoulos (2001) Petros Stathis (2001) Chrysostomos 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) Evangelos Aslanidis (2014–24) Marios Iliopoulos (2024–)

Notable Managers

• 

  František Fadrhonc led AEK Athens to the 1976–77 UEFA Cup semi-finals

• 

  Zlatko Čajkovski won the 1977–78 Alpha Ethniki and 1977–78 Greek Cup

• 

  The famous Ferenc Puskás, manager in the 1978–79 season

• 

  Dušan Bajević won 4 Greek Leagues, 1 Greek Cup, 1 Greek League Cup, and 1 Greek Super Cup

• 

  Fernando Santos won the 2001–02 Greek Cup

• 

  Manolo Jiménez won the 2017–18 Greek Super League and 2010–11 Greek Cup

• 

  Traianos Dellas led the club to promotion to the Greek Super League

• 

  Matías Almeyda won the 2022–23 Greek Super League and 2022–23 Greek Cup

Manager	From	To	Trophies
Kostas Negrepontis	1933 1937 1944 1955 1958	1936 1940 1948 1956 1959	2 Greek Leagues 1 Greek Cup
Jack Beby	1948	1951	2 Greek Cups
Mario Magnozzi	1952	1953	—
Tryfon Tzanetis	1954 1956 1960 1965	1955 1957 1962 1966	1 Balkans Cup Runner-up
Heinrich Müller	1963	1964	1 Greek Cup
Jenő Csaknády	1962 1967	1963 1968	2 Greek Leagues
Branko Stanković	1968	1973	1 Greek League
Stan Anderson	1973	1974	—
František Fadrhonc	1974	1977	—
Zlatko Čajkovski	1977 1982	1978 1982	1 Greek League 1 Greek Cup
Ferenc Puskás	1978	1979	—
Helmut Senekowitsch	1983	1983	1 Greek Cup
Giannis Pathiakakis	2000	2001	1 Greek Cup
Fernando Santos	2001 2004	2002 2006	1 Greek Cup
Lorenzo Serra Ferrer	2006	2008	—
Dušan Bajević	1988 2002 2008	1996 2004 2010	4 Greek Leagues 1 Greek Cup 1 Greek League Cup 1 Greek Super Cup
Manolo Jiménez	2010 2017	2011 2018	1 Greek Cup 1 Greek League
Traianos Dellas	2013	2015	1 Football League 2 1 Football League
Stelios Manolas*	2015 2016	2015 2016	1 Greek Cup
Matías Almeyda	2022	present	1 Greek League 1 Greek Cup

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.

See Also

In Spanish: AEK (fútbol) para niños

• A.E.K. (sports club)
• AEK Athens B F.C.
• AEK Athens F.C. Academy
• History of AEK Athens F.C.
• List of AEK Athens F.C. seasons
• List of AEK Athens F.C. records and statistics
• List of AEK Athens F.C. managers
• AEK Athens F.C. in European football
• European Club Association

Images for kids

• 

  Konstantinos Spanoudis, first president of AEK.

• 

  Players of Pera Club. Kostas Negrepontis is on the left.

• 

  Tryfon Tzanetis

• 

  Dušan Bajević

• 

  Kostas Katsouranis

• 

  Sokratis Papastathopoulos

• 

  Fernando Santos

• 

  Rivaldo

• 

  Ismael Blanco

• 

  Eidur Gudjohnsen

• 

  Petros Mantalos

• 

  Diego Buonanotte

• 

  Dmytro Chyhrynskyi

• 

  Joleon Lescott

• 

  Manolo Jiménez

• 

  Djibril Sidibé

• 

  Domagoj Vida

• 

  Matías Almeyda, the current head coach of AEK Athens

• 

  Palaiologos dynasty and Byzantium emblem

• 

  Alternative AEK shirts (2008–09)

• 

  Serafidio Stadium at Spata Training Centre

• 

  František Fadrhonc led AEK Athens to the 1976–77 UEFA Cup semi-finals

• 

  Zlatko Čajkovski 1977–78 Alpha Ethniki champion and 1977–78 Greek Cup winner

• 

  The "Mighty Magyar" Ferenc Puskás, manager of the club in the 1978–79 season

• 

  Dušan Bajević 4 times Alpha Ethniki champion, 1 time Greek Cup, Greek League Cup and Greek Super Cup winner

• 

  Fernando Santos winner of the 2001–02 Greek Cup

• 

  Manolo Jiménez 2017–18 Greek Super League champion and 2010–11 Greek Cup winner

• 

  Traianos Dellas led the club to promotion to the Greek Super League

• 

  Matías Almeyda 2022–23 Greek Super League champion and 2022–23 Greek Cup winner