Iraklis F.C. (Thessaloniki) facts for kids

Iraklis F.C. (pronounced ee-rah-KLEES) is a professional football club from Thessaloniki, Greece. It's one of the oldest football clubs in Greece, founded way back in 1908. The club is part of a bigger sports club called G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis.

The team's colors are blue and white, just like the flag of Greece. They play their home games at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium. Iraklis is sometimes called "The Elder" because it's the oldest football club in Thessaloniki. The name "Iraklis" comes from the ancient Greek hero Heracles (also known as Hercules).

Iraklis was a founding member of the local football association in Macedonia and also helped start the Hellenic Football Federation, which is the main football organization in Greece. Before a national league was formed, Iraklis won the local Thessaloniki league five times. They have also played in five Greek Cup finals, winning the trophy once in 1976. They even won an international title, the Balkans Cup, in 1985.

Club History

Early Days (1899–1914)

Iraklis started as a cultural club called Ómilos Filomoúson (Music Friends Club) in 1899. By 1902, they added a sports section, and football quickly became popular. Their first football match was in 1905, which they won 3–0!

Later, this club joined with another local sports club called Olýmpia. Together, they formed a new club on November 29, 1908, named Makedonikós Gymnastikós Sýllogos (Macedonian Athletic Club). This new club was given permission to operate by the Ottoman authorities, as Thessaloniki was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time.

Because of political changes, the club had to change its name again in 1911 to include "Ottoman Greek Athletic Club". But after Thessaloniki became part of Greece, the name was officially changed to Gymnastikós Sýllogos Thessaloníkis "Iraklís" (Thessaloniki Athletic Club "Heracles") in 1915.

Growing Strong (1914–1959)

After the Balkan Wars, Iraklis helped organize the first Thessaloniki Football Championship in 1914 and won it! They won it again the next year. In 1914, Iraklis also started a youth team for students to train.

After World War I, more football clubs started in Thessaloniki. This led to the creation of the Macedonia Football Clubs Association in 1923. Iraklis played in the first championship organized by this new association. In 1924, Iraklis played its first international match against a club from outside Greece and won. They even played their first game abroad that same year.

In 1926, Iraklis hired Joseph Sveg from Hungary, who was the first foreign coach in Greece. Under his leadership, Iraklis won the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship in 1926–27.

In the 1933–34 season, Iraklis reached the final of the Panhellenic Championship, which was the national championship. They played against Olympiacos but lost both games. Iraklis won the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship again in 1938–39 and 1939–40. However, they lost in the national final to AEK Athens in 1939.

Football in Greece stopped during World War II from 1941 to 1945. After the war, Iraklis often competed with Aris for the Thessaloniki championship. In 1947, Iraklis reached the Greek Cup final but lost to Olympiacos. During the 1950s, Iraklis became one of the top teams in Greece. They reached the Greek Cup final again in 1957 but lost to Olympiacos once more.

Professional Era Begins (1959–1975)

Iraklis was part of the very first season of A' Ethniki in 1959–60, which was the new national top league. They finished 10th. The club's football academy was also started around this time.

In the early 1960s, Iraklis played in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was an early European competition. They also reached the Greek Cup semi-finals in 1960–61. In 1965, a very important player named Kostas Aidiniou joined the team. He, along with Zacharias Chaliabalias, became key players for the next decade.

In the 1970–71 season, Iraklis finished 5th in the league, which was their best position since the A' Ethniki started. That season, they also set a club record for ticket sales with 45,634 fans at a home game against Panathinaikos. In 1972, Dimitris Gesios joined the club and became Iraklis's all-time top scorer in the league.

The Vassilis Hatzipanagis Era (1975–1990)

On November 22, 1975, Iraklis signed Vassilis Hatzipanagis, a player who would become a legend. He was later named Greece's "Golden Player" by UEFA.

In 1976, Iraklis had an amazing run in the Greek Cup. They beat Panathinaikos in the semi-finals and then faced Olympiacos in the final. On June 9, 1976, Iraklis won the Cup after a thrilling penalty shootout! Hatzipanagis scored twice in the final, which ended 4–4 after extra time. This was the club's only major domestic trophy.

In the 1978–79 season, Iraklis had a great year, finishing sixth in the league. They also achieved their biggest win in A' Ethniki, beating Rodos 8–1.

The 1979–80 season was the first year of fully professional football in Greece. Iraklis finished 8th. A big highlight was a 6–0 win against Panathinaikos, which is still Panathinaikos's biggest league defeat. Iraklis reached the Greek Cup final again that season but lost to Kastoria.

After this, Iraklis faced a difficult time. They were moved down to the second division (Beta Ethniki) due to a scandal, even though they were later found not guilty. In the 1980–81 season, Iraklis won the Beta Ethniki championship and returned to the top league. They even had a record 12–0 win against Edessaikos that season!

In 1983–84, Iraklis achieved its best-ever league finish, coming in third place. Hatzipanagis was a key player, scoring 12 goals.

In the 1984–85 season, Iraklis won its only international trophy, the Balkans Cup. They beat strong teams like Galatasaray from Turkey and Argeș Pitești from Romania to win the title.

In 1987, 17,000 Iraklis fans traveled to Athens to support their team in the Greek Cup final, but they sadly lost to OFI Crete in a penalty shootout. On November 9, 1990, the great Hatzipanagis retired from football.

Changes and Challenges (1990–2011)

The 1990s were a time of rebuilding for Iraklis as many older players left or retired. Hatzipanagis's retirement had a big impact. Fans started asking for changes in the club's management.

In 2000, a Greek businessman named Evangelos Mytilineos bought the team. Even though they signed many promising players, the team finished 5th in 2000–01. They did have a memorable win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the UEFA Cup. In 2003, Mytilineos decided to sell the team because of his disappointment with Greek football.

The club then went through several ownership changes and faced serious financial problems. Despite these challenges, Iraklis managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup again in 2005–06, finishing 4th in the league.

However, the financial issues continued. In 2011, Iraklis was moved down to the second division because they couldn't get a license to play in the Super League. Later, they were even moved down to the fourth division because their professional license was taken away. This was a very tough time for the club and its fans.

New Beginnings (2012–Present)

In 2012, to keep the club alive, Iraklis merged with another team called Pontioi Katerinis. The new team was named AEP Iraklis F.C. and kept the Iraklis badge and colors. This new club is seen as a continuation of the original Iraklis.

In 2014, Spyros Papathanasakis became the main owner. Iraklis quickly moved up from the second division to the Super League in 2014–15. However, in 2017, the club faced major financial problems again and was dissolved as a professional club. They had to start over in the third division.

Despite the difficulties, a new committee, including former Iraklis legends and fans, worked hard to save the club. They brought in new players, and Iraklis won their group in the third division in 2017–18, earning promotion back to the second tier.

In 2019, due to more changes in the Greek championships and financial issues, Iraklis was moved down to the amateur fourth division. A new club called Iraklis 2015 was formed through the Iraklis volleyball club. They won their regional championship in 2019–20, winning all 15 games!

In July 2021, Iraklis made an agreement with another club, Triglia F.C., and officially returned to the Super League Greece 2, which is the second tier of Greek football. In the 2022–23 season, they finished fifth in their group and scored the most goals in the league!

The 2023–24 season started with more legal problems and many players leaving. But on October 6, 2023, something amazing happened: Iraklis fans and members came together and raised a large amount of money in just three days to help the club pay off old debts. This showed incredible support and unity from the Iraklis community.

Club Look

Crest and Colours

Shirt of Iraklis from the 1987–1988 season

Iraklis's logo has changed over the years. The first logo was simply the Greek letter "Η" (Eta), which is the first letter of "Iraklis."

The crest used today shows the demigod Heracles leaning on his club. This image is inspired by an ancient statue called the Farnese Hercules.

Throughout its history, Iraklis has always used blue and white as its colors. These colors were chosen to represent the Greek flag, especially since the club was founded when Thessaloniki was still part of the Ottoman Empire. Because of their colors, the team is often called Kianolefkoi in Greek, which means "Cyan-Whites." The team's away colors are usually white or orange.

The traditional Iraklis shirt had blue and white stripes, but over the years, they have also worn all-blue, all-white, checkered, and hooped designs.

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  Older crest of the club

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  Crest of the club until 2017

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  Crest of the club (2020–2021)

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  Crest of the club (2021–2024)

Kit Evolution

1930

1983–84

1984–85

2012–13

2014–15

2015–16

Alternative Kits

1984–85

2012–13

2015–16

Sponsors

• Main Shirt Sponsor: Venetis Bakery
• Official Sportswear: Lotto

Facilities

Stadium

A plaque marking Iraklis's first ground near the White Tower of Thessaloniki.

Kaftanzoglio Stadium

Iraklis's first football ground was in the center of Thessaloniki. It was built with money from the club's members. However, after Thessaloniki became part of Greece, the club lost its ground to make way for a park.

In 1915, Iraklis rented a new area for their stadium. For many years, the club shared its ground with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Eventually, the university took full ownership to build a square.

Since November 6, 1960, Iraklis has played its home matches at Kaftanzoglio Stadium. This stadium has been their home ever since. For a couple of seasons (2002–03 and 2003–04), Iraklis used another stadium, Makedonikos Stadium, because Kaftanzoglio was being renovated for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Iraklis also owns a training ground and facilities in the Chortatzides area, close to Kaftanzoglio Stadium. This is where the club's youth teams train.

Training Facility

The Iraklis Sports Center is located in Mikra, Thessaloniki. This is the club's own training ground. It has three football fields, a gym, a sauna, and a swimming pool. The club's main office building is also there.

Supporters

Iraklis supporters during an away match.

Iraklis supporters in Gate 10 of Kaftanzoglio.

Iraklis has always had strong support from its fans. Even though football wasn't the most popular sport at first, it quickly became the most important part of the club. In the 1970s and 1980s, about 10,000 people would come to watch games. In the 1983–84 season, the average attendance was over 16,500!

In 1971, Iraklis set a record for the highest attendance in the top Greek league, with 45,634 tickets sold for a match against Panathinaikos. In the 1987 Greek Cup final, 17,000 Iraklis fans traveled to Athens to cheer on their team. Recent polls show Iraklis is the 6th most popular football club in Greece.

The most well-known supporters' group is Aftonomi Thira 10 (meaning Autonomous Gate 10). This fan club has many branches across Northern Greece. They are known for being against racism in football and participate in the Ultras Antiracist Festival.

Iraklis fans also have friendly connections with supporters of other clubs around the world, like 1. FSV Mainz 05 from Germany and Hércules CF from Spain. Since 2003, fans of Iraklis and Hércules CF have formed a special friendship online, and there's even a Hércules CF fan club named "Iraklis"!

Club Management

Board of Directors

Office	Nationality	Staff
Financier		Panagiotis Monemvasiotis
Chairman		Aristotelis Perrakis
1st Vice President		Vasileios Tarnanas
2nd Vice President		Elli Perraki
Members		Georgios Dimitriadis
		Andreas Giannakoudakis

Management Team

Office	Nationality	Staff
General Manager		Vaggelis Aggelis
Sporting Director		Manolo Salvador
Team Manager		Ilias Papathanasiou

Coaching Staff

Office	Nationality	Staff
Head Coach		Pavlos Dermitzakis
Assistant Coaches		Pantelis Boussias
		Lefteris Velentzas
		Ieroklis Stoltidis
Goalkeeping Coach		Ilias Vouras
Fitness Coach		Antonis Kouris

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Gabriele Marchegiani 2 DF Petros Kaloutsikidis 3 DF Christos Tasoulis (vice–captain) 4 MF Stephen Hammond (on loan from Levadiakos) 5 MF Orestis Tsintonis 6 MF Antonis Papasavvas 7 MF Josete Miranda 8 MF Anthony Belmonte 9 FW Kristian Kushta 10 MF Lazaros Christodoulopoulos 11 FW Theodoros Tsirigotis 12 DF Antonis Anastasiou 15 DF Apostolos Diamantis 17 MF Cheick Doukouré

No. Position Player 18 MF Facundo Bertoglio 19 DF Kyriakos Kivrakidis (captain) 21 MF Manolis Patralis 22 MF Álvaro Jiménez 24 DF Georgios Sideras 26 FW Panagiotis Kynigopoulos 33 GK Makis Giannikoglou 40 DF Christos Sioutas 44 DF William Klaus 71 GK Dimitris Moularas 77 FW Ilias Moysidis 82 GK Vasile Șova 91 GK Dimitrios Stournaras

Trophies and Achievements

Regional Competitions

• Thessaloniki Championship
  • Winners (2): 1914, 1915
• Macedonia FCA Championship
  • Winners (5): 1926–27, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1950–51, 1951–52
• Macedonia FCA Championship Fourth Division
  • Winners (1): 2019–20

National Competitions

• Super League (First Division)
  • Runners up (3): 1933–34, 1938–39, 1946–47
• Football League (Second Division)
  • Champions (1): 1980–81
• Gamma Ethniki (Third Division)
  • Champions (1): 2017–18
• Greek Cup
  • Winners (1): 1975–76
  • Runners up (4): 1946–47, 1956–57, 1979–80, 1986–87

International Competitions

• Balkans Cup
  • Winners (1): 1984–85

Managerial History

Years	Nationality	Name
1959–1960		Panos Markovic
1960		Iakovos Magoulas
1960–1961		Aleksandar Tomašević
1961–1962		Panos Markovic
1962		Bozidar Pajević
1962–1963		Theodor Brinek Jr.
1963		Josip Takač
1963–1964		Adam Pitsoudis
1964		Gyula Lázár
1964–1965		Ratomir Čabrić
1965		Giorgos Chatzigiannidis
1965		Bozidar Pajević
1965–1966		Slavko Milošević
1966–1967		Bozidar Pajević
1967–1968		Kostas Karapatis
1968–1969		Dragoslav Pivić
1969–1971		Ljubiša Spajić
1971–1972		Lakis Petropoulos
1972–1974		Jack Mansell
1974		Thomas Zachariadis
1974–1975		Ljubiša Spajić
1975		Giorgos Chatzigiannidis
1975–1976		Les Shannon
1976		Theofilos Kourtidis
1976		Milovan Ćirić
1976		Theofilos Kourtidis
1976–1977		Milan Ribar
1977		Michalis Bellis
1977–1978		Kostas Karapatis
1978		Vassilis Papathanasiou
1978–1979		Antoni Brzeżańczyk
1979–1980		Michalis Bellis
1980		Kostas Karapatis
1980–1981		Aristotelis Batakis
1981–1983		Apostol Chachevski
1983		Aristotelis Batakis
1983–1984		Friedel Rausch
1984–1985		Aristotelis Batakis
1985		Jerzy Kopa
1985–1986		Nikos Alefantos
1986–1987		Diethelm Ferner
1987		Christos Archontidis
1987		Kostas Aidiniou Giorgos Koudas
1987		Grigoris Fanaras
1987–1988		Nikos Alefantos
1988		Grigoris Fanaras
1988–1990		Agne Simonsson
1990–1991		Aristotelis Batakis
1991		Vassilis Lioftis
1991–1994		Thijs Libregts
1994–1996		Dušan Mitošević
1996		Vasilios Antoniadis
1996–1997		Alketas Panagoulias
1997		Manolis Giovanopoulos
1997–1998		Georgios Paraschos
1998		Kostas Maloumidis
1998		Kiril Dojčinovski
1998–1999		Mats Jingblad
1999–2000		Angelos Anastasiadis
2000–2001		Giannis Kyrastas
2001–2002		Angelos Anastasiadis
2002		Ivan Jovanovic
2002–2003		Eugène Gerards
2003		Giorgos Karaiskos
2003–2004		Mats Jingblad
2004		Giorgos Karaiskos
2004		Sergio Markarián
2004–2006		Savvas Kofidis
2006		Thodoris Eleftheriadis
2006–2007		Jozef Bubenko
2007		Ivan Jovanovic
2007		Giannis Tzifopoulos
2007–2008		Ángel Pedraza
2008		Rodolfo Borrell
2008–2009		Makis Katsavakis
2009		Christos Zifkas
2009		Oleh Protasov
2009–2010		Savvas Kofidis
2010		Jozef Bubenko
2010–2011		Marinos Ouzounidis
2011		Georgios Paraschos
2011		Vassilis Spirogiannis
2011–2012		Fotis Gizelis
2012		Leonidas Bilis
2012		Soulis Papadopoulos
2012–2013		Georgios Strantzalis
2013		Nikos Theodosiadis
2013		Giannis Chatzinikolaou
2013		Siniša Gogić
2013		Giorgos Karaiskos
2013–2014		Guillermo Hoyos
2014–2016		Nikos Papadopoulos
2016		Ioannis Amanatidis
2016–2017		Savvas Pantelidis
2017		Miloš Kostić
2017–2018		Sakis Anastasiadis
2018		Spyros Baxevanos
2018		Alekos Vosniadis
2018		Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos
2018		Anastasios Katsabis
2018–2019		José Manuel Roca
2019		Marcello Troisi
2019–2020		Margaritis Kechagias
2020		Giorgos Akritopoulos
2020–2021		Spyros Baxevanos
2021		Thalis Theodoridis
2021–2022		Konstantinos Georgiadis
2022		Anastasios Katsabis
2022–2023		Sakis Tsiolis
2023		Thanos Kourtoglou
2023–2024		Periklis Amanatidis
2024		Soulis Papadopoulos
2024		Lefteris Velentzas
2024		Sokratis Ofrydopoulos
2024		Thanasis Staikos
2024		Ieroklis Stoltidis
2024–		Pavlos Dermitzakis

Famous Former Players

Top League Scorers

Player	Nationality	Goals
Dimitrios Gesios		74
Michalis Konstantinou		64
Daniil Papadopoulos		64
Fanis Toutziaris		62
Vasilis Hatzipanagis		61

Most League Appearances

Player	Nationality	Matches
Daniil Papadopoulos		419
Makis Sentelidis		312
Babis Xanthopoulos		283
Vasilis Hatzipanagis		281
Zacharias Chaliabalias		280

Greek Golden Player – UEFA Jubilee Awards

• Vasilis Hatzipanagis

Top Foreign League Goalscorer

Player	Nationality	Goals
Michalis Konstantinou		64

Foreigner with Most League Appearances

Player	Nationality	Appearances
Ivan Jovanović		271

Records and Statistics

Club Records

• Biggest win:
  • 14–1 vs Enosi Charilaou, 1959–60 Greek Cup
  • 13–0 vs Odysseas Kordelio, 1955–56 Greek Cup
• Biggest away win:
  • 8–1 vs Apollon Krya Vrysi, 1993–94 Greek Cup
• Biggest league win:
  • 12–0 vs Edessaikos, 1980–81 Beta Ethniki
• Biggest top tier win
  • 8–1 vs AEK, 1930–31 Panhellenic Championship
  • 8–1 vs Rodos, 1978–79 Alpha Ethniki

League Statistics

Positioning in Greek League

¹ Moved to second division due to a past issue in a cup game.
² Moved to fourth division (amateur league) because the club lost its professional license.
³ Moved to fourth division (amateur league) due to changes in national championships and financial state.

Total League Record

Head-to-Head Record Against City Rivals

Highest Attendances

Statistics in Europe

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Source
1961–1962	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	1st round	Bye
		2nd round	F.K. Vojvodina	2–1	1–9
1963–1964	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	1st round	Real Zaragoza	0–3	1–6
1976–1977	Cup Winners' Cup	1st round	A.P.O.E.L.	0–0	0–2
1989–1990	UEFA Cup	1st round	F.C. Sion	1–0	0–2
1990–1991	UEFA Cup	1st round	Valencia C.F.	0–0	0–2 (aet)
1993–1994	Intertoto Cup	Group stage (Group 8)	S.G. Dynamo Dresden	1–1
			Wiener S.C.		2–4
			F.C. Aarau	0–1
			Beitar Jerusalem		2–1
1995–1996	Intertoto Cup	Group stage (Group 12)	S.K. Vorwärts Steyr		0–3
			Spartak Plovdiv	0–0
			Eintracht Frankfurt		1–5
			F.K. Panerys Vilnius	3–1
1996–1997	UEFA Cup	2nd Qual. Round	A.P.O.E.L.	0–1	1–2
1997–1998	Intertoto Cup	Group stage (Group 12)	S.V. Ried		1–3
			Merani Tbilisi	2–0
			F.K. Torpedo Moscow		1–4
			Floriana F.C.	1–0
1998–1999	Intertoto Cup	2nd round	F.C. Naţional București	3–1	0–3
2000–2001	UEFA Cup	1st round	F.C. Gueugnon	1–0	0–0
		2nd round	F.C. Kaiserslautern	1–3	3–2
2002–2003	UEFA Cup	1st round	Anorthosis Famagusta	4–2 (a)	1–3
2006–2007	UEFA Cup	1st round	T.S. Wisła Kraków	0–2 (aet)	1–0

UEFA Club Competitions' Record

Images for kids

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  Omilos Filomouson football team in 1905

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  Iraklis' football team for the 1930–31 season

• 

  Ivan Jovanović, player and later coach of the team

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  Iraklis squad for the 1999–2000 season

See also

In Spanish: Iraklis de Tesalónica para niños