Aris Thessaloniki F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Aris Thessaloniki Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Theós tou polémou (God of War) Kitrinomavroi (The Yellow-Blacks) |
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| Founded | 25 March 1914 | |||
| Stadium | Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium | |||
| Stadium capacity |
22,800 | |||
| Owner | Amani Swiss | |||
| Chairman | Irini Karipidis | |||
| Head coach | Akis Mantzios | |||
| League | Super League Greece | |||
| 2024–25 | Super League Greece, 5th of 14 | |||
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Aris FC (which means "Aris Football Club") is a Greek professional football team. It's based in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Aris is one of the biggest and most popular clubs in Greece. They play in the top Greek football league, called the Super League Greece.
The club was started on March 25, 1914. It was one of the first teams to join the football associations in Greece. Aris's team colors are gold/yellow and black. The yellow color is important in the history of Macedonia and reminds people of the old Byzantine Empire in Thessaloniki. The club is named after Ares, the ancient Greek "God of War." Ares is known for courage and strength. You can see his image on the club's logo, inspired by an old sculpture called the Ludovisi Ares.
Aris was a very strong team in Greece between the 1920s and 1940s. They have won the Greek championship three times (in 1928, 1932, and 1946). They also won the Greek Cup once in 1970. For a long time, from 1968 to 2020, they had an amazing record in European games, not losing a single home match for 28 games! Their home stadium is called the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium.
Contents
History of Aris FC
How Aris Started and Its Early Wins: 1920s–1950s
Aris FC was founded by 22 young friends on March 25, 1914. They met in a coffee shop in Thessaloniki. They named the club "Aris" after Ares, the ancient Greek god of war. This name was chosen because of the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), when Greece fought for its freedom. In Greek stories, Ares often fought with Heracles. This is interesting because Aris's rival team, Iraklis, is named after Heracles! Aris also has a big rivalry with another team called PAOK.
At first, Aris was located near a famous old arch in Thessaloniki. Later, the club moved to a new area. Their first stadium was built where a park called Mars Field is now. The club quickly became very popular. Soon, Aris started teams for other sports, not just football.
In the early days, Greece didn't have one big professional football league. Instead, there were three smaller leagues in different cities. The winners of these leagues would play each other to find the national champion. Aris played its first official game in 1923 against another Thessaloniki team, Megas Alexandros. That same year, Aris won its first regional championship in Macedonia. They won it again the next year!
In 1926, the club changed its name to "Athletic Club Aris Thessaloniki." This showed that they now had teams for many different sports.
Aris won its first big title in 1928. They became the first Greek champions! They beat teams like Atromitos and Ethnikos Piraeus. Their coach was Thomas Kessler from Germany. Famous players from that team included Kostas Vikelidis and Nikos Aggelakis.
Aris won its second championship in 1932. This time, they played against other big teams like Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. Aris played very well, winning games by big scores. For example, they beat Panathinaikos 7–0! New star players like Kitsios and Bogdanos helped the team. Their coach was De Valer from Belgium.
In 1932, the Greek Cup competition also started for the first time. Aris did well, reaching the final. But they lost to AEK Athens, so they didn't win both the league and the cup that year.
Aris won their third championship in 1946. They beat AEK Athens and Olympiacos. Since 1959, when the main Greek First Division started, Aris has not won another championship. But before 1959, Aris won the Macedonian division 14 times!
Aris in More Recent Times: 1950s–1980s
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Aris stayed a strong team during this time. A big event was the building of their new home stadium, the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium. It was named after the legendary player Kleanthis Vikelidis. Before World War II, Aris's old stadium was in the city center. But in 1951, the club bought land in a new area called Charilaou. This is where the new stadium was built.
In 1959, the old system of three small leagues changed. A new, single national championship was created.
Aris achieved a lot during these years. They were one of the first Greek teams to play in European tournaments. Players like Alexandros Alexiades and Takis Loukanidis were very important.
Winning the Cup in 1970
Aris finished high in the league during the 1960s and 1970s. The best moment was winning the Greek Cup in 1970. They beat their big rival, PAOK, in the final match.
In the 1970s, Aris got many talented young players from Thessaloniki. These included Dinos Kouis, Giorgos Foiros, and Giorgos Zindros. One of their best achievements was in the 1980 UEFA Cup. They beat famous teams like Benfica from Portugal and Perugia from Italy. Aris was the first Greek club to win a game in both Italy and Portugal! In Greece, they finished tied for first place with Olympiacos in 1980. But they lost the championship in a special playoff game.
Tougher Years: 1981–2006
After the mid-1980s, many of Aris's older, famous players retired. The team started to struggle. They didn't often qualify for European leagues or finish high in the Greek League. The club also faced serious money problems. Because of these issues, Aris was moved down to the Second Division in 1997 and 2005. However, both times, Aris managed to quickly return to the top division.
The Aris Members' Society Era: 2006–2014
In more recent years, things started to look up for Aris. A group called the "Aris Members' Society" was created to help manage the club. Aris qualified for the UEFA Europa League several times. They finished fourth in the Super League three times. They also reached the Greek Cup Final four times, but lost in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2010. In 2010, an amazing 25,000 Aris fans traveled to Athens for the cup final. This was the biggest fan movement in Greece!
In the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, Aris did very well. They won against Atlético Madrid, who were the champions of the Europa League at the time! This was the first time in the club's history that they played in Europe after Christmas. The club also planned to build a new, modern stadium and improve their training facilities. In 2009, Aris even started its own radio station, Aris FM 92.8, to connect with fans. However, in 2014, due to more money problems, Aris was moved down to the third tier of Greek football.
Relegation and Comeback
After being moved down, many wondered who would lead the team. An American businessman, Alex Kalas, took charge for a season. But the team didn't get promoted. In 2015, Theodoros Karipidis became the head of the football department. He signed many new players, including former Greek player Andreas Tatos and former Real Madrid defender Raul Bravo. He also brought back club legend Sergio Koke.
Theodoros Karipidis appointed Nikos Anastopoulos as the manager. In the 2015–16 season, Aris won their league and were promoted to the second division of Greece. They finished 21 points ahead of the second-place team! Later, Irene Karypidis became the main owner of the club.
Aris Fans
Aris has fans from all walks of life across Thessaloniki and Greece. Their biggest rivals are PAOK. Matches against PAOK are called "Derbies of Thessaloniki" and they really divide the city! Aris also has rivalries with big clubs from Athens, like Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and Olympiakos Piraeus.
Aris's main fan club is called Super 3. Their symbol is a bulldog. This fan club started in 1988 and has over 50 smaller clubs across Greece and Europe. There are between 12,000 and 20,000 Super 3 members! Aris also has fan clubs in other countries like Germany, Italy, and Sweden. Some surveys say Aris is the 5th most popular team in Greece, with about 500,000 fans. This is a lot, especially since the team hasn't won many titles in recent decades.
The club's song, called Aris Victorious, was written way back in 1926.
Team Look: Crest and Colors
Crest Evolution
The club's name, Aris, was inspired by Ares, the ancient Greek "God of War." This was chosen after Greece won important battles during the Balkan Wars and freed Thessaloniki in 1912. The team's emblem shows Ares resting, just like in the famous Ludovisi Ares sculpture. This emblem was chosen in the late 1970s. Before that, they used a simpler logo since 1914. In the 2000s, a meander pattern (a winding line design) was added to the crest.
The team's main colors are yellow or gold, which represent glory. This color is very important in the history of Macedonia. Black is the other main color. Sometimes, the team also uses white or dark red uniforms. In the 2000s, they even used a shade of lime green.
Facilities
Stadium
Aris Thessaloniki's stadium is called Kleanthis Vikelides. It's named after the club's famous player, Kleanthis Vikelidis. The stadium is in Thessaloniki and was built in 1951. It has been updated several times, including a full renovation in 2004. It can hold up to 22,800 fans.
Training Facilities
Since the late 1970s, Aris Thessaloniki has had its own training grounds. They are located in Neo Rysio, just outside Thessaloniki, near the airport. These facilities are called the Dasygenio Sports Center. They cover a large area and include football fields, a gym, a pool, a sauna, a press room, offices, a restaurant, and locker rooms. The facilities were rebuilt in 2010 and renovated again in 2018 and 2019.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Honors and Achievements
National Titles
- Greek Championship
- Winners (3): 1928, 1932, 1946
- Second Place (3): 1930, 1933, 1980
- Second Division Greece
- Winners (1): 1998
- Second Place (1): 2018
- Third Division Greece
- Winners (1): 2016
- Second Place (1): 2015
- Greek Football Cup
- Winners (1): 1970
- Runners-up (9): 1932, 1933, 1940, 1950, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2024
- Greater Greece Cup
- Winners (1): 1971
- Macedonia Championship
- Winners (13): 1923, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1946, 1949, 1953, 1959
Aris in European Competitions
Aris Thessaloniki has played in many European football tournaments over the years. They have faced teams from all over Europe.
- UEFA Europa League: Aris has played in this competition 13 times. They have won 21 matches, drawn 15, and lost 17.
- UEFA Conference League: They have played in this newer competition 3 times, winning 6 matches, drawing 1, and losing 3.
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: Aris played in this cup once.
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: They played in this older competition 5 times.
Some notable moments include:
- In 1979–80, Aris beat famous teams like Benfica and Perugia in the UEFA Cup.
- In 2010–11, Aris had a great run in the Europa League. They even beat the defending champions, Atlético Madrid, both at home and away! They made it to the Round of 32, which was a big achievement.
Team Statistics
Top Scorers in the League
- Dinos Kouis: 141 goals
- Alekos Alexiadis: 127 goals
- Kostas Papaioannou: 65 goals
- Konstantinos Drampis: 48 goals
- Georgios Zindros: 46 goals
- Vasilis Dimitriadis: 46 goals
Most League Appearances
- Dinos Kouis: 473 matches
- Theodoros Pallas: 368 matches
- Christos Nalbantis: 303 matches
- Georgios Firos: 303 matches
- Giannis Venos: 303 matches
Most Goals in a Single League Match
- Nikolaos Angelakis scored an amazing 6 goals in one game! This happened on April 10, 1932, when Aris beat Apollon Smyrnis 6–1.
Super League Top Scorers (for Aris)
- Nikos Kitsos: Top scorer 3 times (1931, 1932, 1934)
- Dinos Kouis: Top scorer 1 time (1981)
- Nikolaos Angelakis: Top scorer 1 time (1928)
- Kleanthis Vikelidis: Top scorer 1 time (1946)
- Vasilis Grigoriadis: Top scorer 1 time (1949)
- Loren Morón: Top scorer 1 time (2024)
Team Management
Ownership and Board
- Owner: Amani Swiss
- President & CEO: Irini Karipidis
- Vice President: Panagiotis Biliris
- Board Member: Panagiotis Pissanidis
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Akis Mantzios
- Assistant Managers: Georgios Chorianopoulos
- Fitness Coaches: Sotiris Vino, Dimitris Mouras
- Goalkeeper Coach: Giannis Plavoukos
- Analyst: Kleanthis Efstathiadis
Images for kids
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Wilf McGuinness was a manager for Aris.
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Dettmar Cramer also managed the team.
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Dušan Bajević was another manager.
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Héctor Cúper managed Aris from 2009 to 2011.
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Nikos Anastopoulos has managed Aris multiple times.
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Michał Probierz was a manager in 2011–12.
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See Also
In Spanish: Aris Salónica Fútbol Club para niños
- Aris Thessaloniki
- Aris BC
- Aris Volleyball Club
