Olympiacos SFP (men's volleyball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Olympiacos

Nickname	Thrylos (The Legend) Erythrolefkoi (The Red-Whites)
Founded	1926
Ground	Melina Merkouri Indoor Hall (Capacity: 1,800)
Chairman	Michalis Kountouris
Manager	Andrea Gardini
League	A1 Greek Volleyleague CEV Champions League CEV Cup
2023–24	1st (Champion)
Website	Club home page
Uniforms
Home 　 Away

Olympiacos Men's Volleyball (Greek: Ολυμπιακός, [olimbiaˈkos]), commonly referred to as Olympiacos, Olympiacos Piraeus or with its full name as Olympiacos SFP, is the men's professional volleyball department of the major Greek multi-sport club, Olympiacos SFP, based in Piraeus, Attica. The department was founded in 1926 and their home ground is the Melina Merkouri Indoor Hall in Agios Ioannis Rentis, Piraeus.

Olympiacos is the most successful club in Greek volleyball history, having won 32 Greek Volley League titles, 17 Cups, 6 League Cups, all national records, and 2 Super Cups. They are the only volleyball club in Greece to have won a European title, having actually won 3 European titles, 2 CEV Cups in 1996 and 2005 and 1 CEV Challenge Cup in 2023. Olympiacos is a traditional powerhouse in European volleyball, having played in 8 European finals in all three main CEV competitions: 2 times runners-up in the CEV Champions League in 1992 and 2002 (with 7 CEV Champions League final four participations), 2 times winners (1996, 2005) and 2 times runners-up (1997, 1998) in the CEV Cup, one time winners (2023) and one time runners-up (2018) in the CEV Challenge Cup.

Domestically, Olympiacos holds the record for the most consecutive championships won, with eight in a row (1987–1994), and for winning seven championships undefeated (1968, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2018). Internationally, their most successful period was between 1992 and 2005, when they came to be included amongst the top volleyball powers in Europe. During this period, apart from their two European trophies, they progressed to eleven final fours in total, seven of them consecutive between 1992 and 1998 (the first four in the CEV Champions League and the next three in the CEV Cup Winners' Cup); they also won a fourth place in the CEV Super Cup and a third in the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship. Olympiacos came to European prominence again by playing in the 2017–18 CEV Challenge Cup final; at the same time, the women's department won their respective 2017–18 CEV Women's Challenge Cup. In this way, Olympiacos became the first volleyball club that had men and women playing simultaneously in European finals, and one of the very few to have won European trophies in both departments. In 2023, they won the CEV Challenge Cup, beating rivals Panathinaikos in the semi-finals and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final.

Given the fact that Olympiacos is the most popular sports club in Greece, the men's volleyball department also receives great home support. Apart from some top Greek players such as Marios Giourdas, Giorgos Ntrakovits, Sakis Moustakidis, Vasilis Kournetas, Antonis Tsakiropoulos, Kostas Christofidelis, Mitar Tzourits, Olympiacos has also attracted over the years some foreign world-class players including Ivan Miljković, Lorenzo Bernardi, Jeff Stork, Marcos Milinkovic, Bengt Gustafsson, Raimonds Vilde, Vasa Mijić, Tom Hoff, Goran Vujević, Henk-Jan Held, Osvaldo Hernández, Fabian Drzyzga and Dragan Travica.

Honours

Domestic competitions

Olympiacos first volleyball team in 1926

• Greek Volley League
  • Winners (32) (record): 1968, 1968−69, 1973−74, 1975−76, 1977−78, 1978−79, 1979−80, 1980−81, 1982−83, 1986−87, 1987−88, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1990−91, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1993−94, 1997−98, 1998−99, 1999−00, 2000−01, 2002−03, 2008−09, 2009−10, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2017−18, 2018−19, 2020−21, 2022−23, 2023−24
• Greek Cup
  • Winners (17) (record): 1980−81, 1982−83, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1996−97, 1997−98, 1998−99, 2000−01, 2008−09, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2023−24
• First National Division Cup
  • Winners (1) (record): 1993−94
• Greek League Cup
  • Winners (6) (record): 2012−13, 2014−15, 2015−16, 2016−17, 2017−18, 2018−19
• Greek Super Cup
  • Winners (2): 2000, 2010
• Double
  • Winners (15) (record): 1980−81, 1982−83, 1988−89, 1989−90, 1991−92, 1992−93, 1993−94, 1997−98, 1998−99, 2000−01, 2008−09, 2010−11, 2012−13, 2013−14, 2023−24

European competitions

• CEV Champions League
  • Runners-up (2): 1991−92, 2001−02
  • 3rd place (2): 1992–93, 1994–95
  • 4th place (3): 1981–82, 1993–94, 2000–01
• CEV Cup Winners' Cup / CEV Top Teams Cup / CEV Cup
  • Winners (2): 1995−96, 2004−05
  • Runners-up (2): 1996−97, 1997−98
  • Semifinals (1): 2018–19
• CEV Challenge Cup
  • Winners (1): 2022–23
  • Runners-up (1): 2017–18
• CEV European Super Cup
  • 4th place (1): 1996

Worldwide competitions

• FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship:
  • 3rd place (1): 1992

International record

The road to 3 CEV European titles

The road to 2 CEV Cups victories

1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup victory

Round	Team	Home	Away
Group Stage (Group B)	VK Dukla Liberec		1–3
	Desimpel Torhout	3–0
	Lokomotyv Kharkiv		0–3
	Legia Warsaw	3–0
	Belogorie Belgorod		3–0
	Bayer Wuppertal	3–0
	Eczacıbaşı Istanbul		0–3
Semifinal	Alcom Capelle	3–1
Final	Bayer Wuppertal	3–2

2005 CEV Top Teams Cup victory

Round	Team	Home	Away
Qualification Round (Group 7)	Rabotnicki Skopje	3–0
	Pafiakos Pafos	3–0
	Brčko Brčko	3–0
Group Stage (Group A)	Šoštanj Topolšica	3–0	0–3
	Concordia Näfels	3–0	0–3
	Fenerbahçe Istanbul	3–0	1–3
Quarterfinal	Ziraat Bankası Ankara	3–0	0–3
Semifinal	VK Dukla Liberec	3–0
Final	Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam	3–0

The road to the CEV Challenge Cup victory

2023 CEV Challenge Cup victory

Round	Team	Home	Away
Round of 32	Spartak Komárno	3–0	1–3
Round of 16	Burgas	3–0	3–2
Quarterfinals	Steaua Bucuresti	3–1	2–3
Semifinals	Panathinaikos Athens	1–3	1–4 (Golden Set)
Finals	Maccabi Tel Aviv	3–0	0–3

Supporters

Olympiacos volleyball logo

Olympiacos fans are renowned for their passionate and fervent support to the team, with the atmosphere at home matches regarded as extremely intense and intimidating to such an extent that is rarely seen in volleyball matches. In the decade of the 1900s and the early 2000s, Olympiacos was among the top powers in European volleyball (7 consecutive European Final Four participations, four in the CEV Champions League –1992, 1993, 1994, 1995– and three in the CEV Cup Winners' Cup –1996, 1997, 1998–, winners of the 1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup, twice Runners-up of the CEV Champions League in 1992 and 2002, twice Runners-up of the CEV Cup Winners' Cup in 1997 and 1998, third place in the world in the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship in 1992 and fourth place in the 1996 CEV European Super Cup) and one of the best supported volleyball teams in Europe.

In the 1992 CEV Champions League Final Four in Piraeus, an estimated 20,000 Olympiacos fans crowded the Peace and Friendship Stadium for the semi-final against CSKA Moscow and 20,000 more for the final against il Messaggero Ravenna. Volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, Hall of Famer and three times Olympic gold medalist, a key member of il Messaggero Ravenna at the time, talked about the 1992 CEV Champions League Final in a 2018 interview: "That particular CEV Champions League Final Four in Piraeus was really a very special experience. Even now as we speak, the first thing that comes to my mind was the unbelievable atmposhere that we all lived in that volleyball game in Athens 26 years ago. In that day I cherished the Greek supporters and the passion of Olympiacos fans for volleyball. It was something unique."

In the 1996 CEV Cup Winners' Cup Final Four which was held again in Piraeus and the Peace and Friendship Stadium, an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 Olympiacos fans filed into SEF and created the most intense atmosphere, pushing the team to their first ever European title against the German side Bayer Wuppertal, after a hard-fought 3–2 win. After the victory, hundreds of ecstatic Olympiacos fans stormed the court and celebrated the title with the players.

Olympiacos hosted the Final Four of the CEV Top Teams Cup in 2005 and Olympiacos supporters relived some of the 1990s moments. 15,000 fans packed the Peace and Friendship Stadium and provided once again an electric atmosphere, helping Olympiacos to win their second European title, after a 3–0 win against the Dutch side Ortec Nesselande Rotterdam in the final.

In 2018 Peace and Friendship Stadium lived once again some of its timeless glory, as an estimated 12,000 Olympiacos fans created an extraordinary atmosphere in the final of the 2017–18 CEV Challenge Cup against Bunge Ravenna. Ravenna's Austrian star Paul Buchegger talked about the atmosphere in the post-game interview: "The atmosphere, the fans were really great. It was a "red hell", when I entered the court I had goose bumps. I have never played in front of such a big crowd."

On 15 March 2023, 13,000 Olympiacos fans created an amazing atmosphere in a fully packed Peace and Frienship Stadium, as they helped Olympiacos win the 2022–23 CEV Challenge Cup, their third European title, after beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–0 in the second leg of the finals.

Notable players

• 

  Ivan Miljković

• 

  Lorenzo Bernardi

• 

  Dragan Travica

• 

  Salvador Hidalgo Oliva

• 

  Tom Hoff

• 

  Fabian Drzyzga

• 

  Goran Vujević

• 

  Janne Heikkinen

• 

  Mitar Đurić

• 

  Plamen Konstantinov

• 

  Boyan Yordanov

• 

  Osvaldo Hernández

• 

  Alen Pajenk

• 

  Todor Aleksiev

• 

  Olli Kunnari

Notable coaches

Ljubomir Travica

Zoran Gajić

Season 2023–2024 squad

Daniel Castellani

Shirt No	Nationality	Player	Birth Date	Height	Position
1	Greece	Vangelis Vaiopoulos	(2004-05-23) May 23, 2004 (age 21)	2.01	Middle blocker
2	Slovenia	Alen Pajenk	(1986-04-23) April 23, 1986 (age 39)	2.02	Middle blocker
3	Greece	Dimitrios Gkaras	(1985-11-12) November 12, 1985 (age 39)	1.85	Libero
4	Greece	Dimitris Komitoudis	(1995-10-04) October 4, 1995 (age 29)	1.94	Setter
5	Slovenia	Štern, TončekTonček Štern	(1995-11-14) November 14, 1995 (age 29)	2.00	Opposite
6	Greece	Vasilis Karasavvidis	(1995-03-17) March 17, 1995 (age 30)	1.98	Setter
8	Brazil	Gustavo Bonatto	(1986-01-02) January 2, 1986 (age 39)	2.15	Middle blocker
10	Greece	Rafail Koumentakis	(1993-05-05) May 5, 1993 (age 32)	2.03	Οutside Hitter
11	Greece	Spyros Chandrinos	(2001-02-24) February 24, 2001 (age 24)	2.00	Οutside Hitter
12	Greece	Nikos Zoupani	(1989-03-18) March 18, 1989 (age 36)	2.02	Opposite
14	Italy	Dragan Travica (c)	(1986-08-28) August 28, 1986 (age 38)	2.00	Setter
15	Greece	Dimitris Tziavras	(1999-02-16) February 16, 1999 (age 26)	1.77	Libero
17	Greece	Anestis Dalakouras	(1993-06-18) June 18, 1993 (age 31)	1.99	Outside hitter
21	Greece	Mitar Tzourits	(1989-04-25) April 25, 1989 (age 36)	2.11	Middle blocker
23	Cuba	Salvador Hidalgo Oliva	(1985-12-27) December 27, 1985 (age 39)	1.98	Οutside Hitter

Technical and managerial staff

Name	Job
Andrea Gardini	Head Coach
Antonis Vourderis	Assistant Coach

Captains

• Michalis Triantafyllidis (1989–1994)
• Sakis Moustakidis (1994–1996)
• Giorgos Dragovits (1996–2001)
• Marios Giourdas (2001–2003)
• Antonis Tsakiropoulos (2003–2007)
• Vasilis Kournetas (2007–2009)
• Dimitris Soultanopoulos (2009–2010)
• Andreas Andreadis (2010–2012)
• Kostas Christofidelis (2012–2015)
• Menelaos Kokkinakis (2015–2017)
• Kostas Christofidelis (2017–2019)
• Giorgos Petreas (2019–2020)
• Kostas Stivachtis (2020–2022)
• Dragan Travica (2022–present)

Historical performance in Volleyleague

Stats

Positions

Kit manufacturer

The table below shows the history of kit providers for the Olympiacos team.

See also

• Olympiacos Women's Volleyball Team