Difference between revisions of "AEK FC"

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[[Image:AEK-team-crest.png|thumb|250px|AEK - the team crest]]
 
[[Image:AEK-team-crest.png|thumb|250px|AEK - the team crest]]
 
==Club History==
 
==Club History==
 +
===1920s - 1930s===
 
A group of refugees that came to [[Athens]] in [[1922]] had a great desire to keep their home-land tradition going by creating on [[April 13]], [[1924]] the '''Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos''' ('''AEK''') soccer club. This was not the rebirth of one of the clubs that used to be in [[Constantinople]] but a brand new team. The reason that this team was formed was to keep tradition going, as well as to keep all the Constantinople refugees united.
 
A group of refugees that came to [[Athens]] in [[1922]] had a great desire to keep their home-land tradition going by creating on [[April 13]], [[1924]] the '''Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos''' ('''AEK''') soccer club. This was not the rebirth of one of the clubs that used to be in [[Constantinople]] but a brand new team. The reason that this team was formed was to keep tradition going, as well as to keep all the Constantinople refugees united.
  
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In November [[1924]], AEK played it's first game against the united team of [[Piraeus]] and won 3-2. This was the first win which was followed by the [[Athens]] championships in [[1925]], and [[1926]]. In [[1927]] AEK came second.
 
In November [[1924]], AEK played it's first game against the united team of [[Piraeus]] and won 3-2. This was the first win which was followed by the [[Athens]] championships in [[1925]], and [[1926]]. In [[1927]] AEK came second.
 +
 +
In [[1928]], AEK joined [[Panathinaikos FC|Panathinaikos]] and [[Olympiakos FC|Olympiakos]] in their dispute with the [[Hellenic Football Federation]] ([[EPO]]) and did not participate in the first official Greek football championship.
 +
 +
By [[1929]], the dispute was resolved. AEK won their first title in [[1932]]: the very first [[Greek Football Cup]] ever contested. By the late [[1930s]], AEK became a powerhouse winning two consecutive league titles ([[1939]], [[1940]]) and became the first Greek club to win the domestic double in [[1939]].
 +
===1940s - 1950s===
 +
[[World War II]] brought AEK's streak to an end, however the war did not affect their squad, unlike Olympiakos and Panathinaikos who lost players either in the war itself or the civil disturbances that followed it commencing in December, [[1944]] ([[Dekemvriana]]). Yet, the late [[1940s]] and the [[1950s]] were dry years for AEK league-wise. Success was limited to winning the Greek Cup in [[1949]], [[1950]] and [[1956]].
 +
 +
[[1930s]] superstar, [[Kleanthis Maropoulos]] retired in the late [[1940s]] but a new name arrived in Nea Filadelfia in [[1957]]: [[Kostas Nestoridis]].
 +
===1960s===
 +
Led by "Nestoras", AEK came within a whisker of winning the first Greek national title in [[1960]]: with just two games remaining, they were three points ahead of [[Panathinaikos FC|Panathinaikos]]. However, disaster struck as they drew against [[Proodeftiki FC|Proodeftiki]] and lost to [[Panionios FC|Panionios]] to finish even on points with Panathinaikos. The one-game playoff was won by the greens 2-1, leaving AEK supporters with very bitter memories of what might have been.
 
[[Image:Papaioannou-Mavros.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Mimis Papaioannou]] and [[Thomas Mavros]] at a more recent date.]]
 
[[Image:Papaioannou-Mavros.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Mimis Papaioannou]] and [[Thomas Mavros]] at a more recent date.]]
  

Revision as of 15:22, July 4, 2007


AEK - the team crest

Club History

1920s - 1930s

A group of refugees that came to Athens in 1922 had a great desire to keep their home-land tradition going by creating on April 13, 1924 the Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos (AEK) soccer club. This was not the rebirth of one of the clubs that used to be in Constantinople but a brand new team. The reason that this team was formed was to keep tradition going, as well as to keep all the Constantinople refugees united.

This new club created by these refugees not only grew strong roots and followers from Constantinople but throughout Greece as well. Since its inception the club has always been a contender in the Greek soccer championship. The individuals responsible for creating AEK were Aimilios and Menelaos Ionas, and Kostas Dimopoulos who had sports stores in Athens. It was in these stores that young people from Constantinople used to gather and throw out ideas of creating a soccer club.

It was on that April 1924 night that the Ionas brothers, Kostas Dimopoulos, Miltos Ieremiadis, Timoleon Tagaris, Menelaos Karotseris, Paulos Kehayas, and Kostas Spanoudis (a man that worshipped sports) made the decision to create a soccer club. The name was to be Athlitiki Enosis Konstantinoupoleos, it's crest was to be the Byzantine "two-headed eagle", and the colors of the team yellow and black.

The old team crest
1949 team photo

The first board of directors, elected on May 29 of that year, was comprised of Kostas Spanoudis (President), Nikos Eleopoulos (Vice President), Kostas Dimopoulos (General Secretary), Timoleon Tagaris (Treasurer), and Menelaos Karotseris and Miltos Ieremiadis (board members). These were the beginning stages for the soon to be club that would unite all the Greeks from Constantinople, Asia Minor and from all parts of the country.

The first team consisted from Kitsios, M. Ieremiadis, Asderis, Kehayas, Paraskevas, Dimopoulos, Karagiannidis, Baltas, Milas, Iliadis, and Georgiadis. One of the first hurdles that AEK encountered was the absence of a soccer pitch. In the first days of the club the players used to have practice at the grounds of the Zeus Temple but later they were invited to use the Panathinaikos stadium.

In November 1924, AEK played it's first game against the united team of Piraeus and won 3-2. This was the first win which was followed by the Athens championships in 1925, and 1926. In 1927 AEK came second.

In 1928, AEK joined Panathinaikos and Olympiakos in their dispute with the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) and did not participate in the first official Greek football championship.

By 1929, the dispute was resolved. AEK won their first title in 1932: the very first Greek Football Cup ever contested. By the late 1930s, AEK became a powerhouse winning two consecutive league titles (1939, 1940) and became the first Greek club to win the domestic double in 1939.

1940s - 1950s

World War II brought AEK's streak to an end, however the war did not affect their squad, unlike Olympiakos and Panathinaikos who lost players either in the war itself or the civil disturbances that followed it commencing in December, 1944 (Dekemvriana). Yet, the late 1940s and the 1950s were dry years for AEK league-wise. Success was limited to winning the Greek Cup in 1949, 1950 and 1956.

1930s superstar, Kleanthis Maropoulos retired in the late 1940s but a new name arrived in Nea Filadelfia in 1957: Kostas Nestoridis.

1960s

Led by "Nestoras", AEK came within a whisker of winning the first Greek national title in 1960: with just two games remaining, they were three points ahead of Panathinaikos. However, disaster struck as they drew against Proodeftiki and lost to Panionios to finish even on points with Panathinaikos. The one-game playoff was won by the greens 2-1, leaving AEK supporters with very bitter memories of what might have been.

Mimis Papaioannou and Thomas Mavros at a more recent date.

The Anthem

The official anthem was writen by Stelios Kazantzidis and performed by Mimis Papaioannou.The latest anthem was written by Lefteris Papadopoulos (a famous Greek composer and an AEK fanatic), music by Christos Nikolopoulos and performed by Yannis Frangoulis. The new anthem was broadcasted for the first time on the 2nd of August 1995.

Titles

Championships

Greek Cups

League Cup

Star Players

20s - 40s

50s - 60s

70s - 80s

90s - Today

Coaches

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