PAOK FC (Greek:ΠΑΕ ΠΑΟΚ,['pa.ok]),[3] short for Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans (Greek:Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών,romanized: Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstadinoupolitón), is a Greek professionalfootball club based inThessaloniki,Macedonia, Greece. The club is commonly known internationally asPAOK Thessaloniki orPAOK Salonica, while in Greece it is referred to simply asPAOK. PAOK are one of the top domestic clubs and the most successful and widely supported inNorthern Greece.
The team has appeared several times in theUEFA Europa League, but has yet to reach the group stage of theUEFA Champions League. PAOK have reached the quarter-finals of a European competition three times; once in the1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup and twice in theUEFA Conference League, in the2021–22 and2023–24 seasons. PAOK is the only Greek team that has more wins than losses in their European record (99 wins, 68 draws and 87 defeats, as of August 2025) and the 0–7 awayUEFA Cup win overLocomotive Tbilisi on 16 September 1999 is the largest ever achieved by a Greek football club in all European competitions.
PAOK played its first friendly match on 4 May 1926 at the stadium ofThermaikos, defeatingMegas Alexandros Thessaloniki 2–1, coached by Kostas Andreadis, who spent five years on the team's bench without demanding payment. The first professional contract was signed by the club in September 1928 forFrench footballer Raymond Etienne ofJewish descent fromPera Club (the club that PAOK's founding members played in), which ignited further controversy between the two refugee clubs.[8] In March 1929, AEK Thessaloniki was disbanded as asports club and their members joined PAOK. PAOK thereupon changed its emblem, adopting theDouble-headed eagle, as a symbol of the club'sConstantinopolitan heritage. PAOK also got possession of AEK Thessaloniki's facilities located around Syntrivani and settled there, becoming the sole refugee club in the city.
AfterWorld War II, in the early 1950s, a state-of-the-artyouth academy namedPAOK Academy was created by the Austrian coach Wilhelm (Willy) Sevcik, who played for the club in the 1930's. The academy was known as the "chicos of Willi". From the newly founded academy sprang some great football players of the period, such asLeandros Symeonidis, Giannelos Margaritis and Giorgos Havanidis.[11][12]
In 1948, PAOK won their secondMacedonia Championship, and then participated in the final phase of thePanhellenic Championship where they were ranked third. PAOK footballers dedicated the title to the memory of team captain, Thrasyvoulos Panidis, who had lost his life (18 February 1948) in theGreek Civil War a few days prior.[13] In 1950, they becamechampions of Macedonia for a third time, and the following year (1950–51), the team reached their secondCup final, but lost toOlympiacos.[14]
After a busy transfer period in 1953, PAOK's offensive play was significantly strengthened with an effective front three, consisting of Kouiroukidis, Papadakis and Yientzis and the club dominated the Macedonian championship for the rest of the decade, with four consecutive titles from 1954 to 1957, going unbeaten from 1954 to 1956, under the management of Nikos Pangalos, Erman Hoffman andWalter Pfeiffer, albeit results in the Panhellenic Championship were more mixed.[15] The team also reached a thirdCup final in 1955, losing to Panathinaikos.[16] The concluding seasons of the decade were less successful, but the team's performance in the 1958–59 Macedonia Championship secured a spot in the newly found nationwide Alpha Ethniki, which replaced the region–based Panhellenic Championship.
Alpha Ethniki, domestic and international success, professionalism (1959–1989)
Having moved to the newly built and crowdfundedToumba Stadium in September 1959,[17][18] PAOK's first years in the nationwide division were unassuming, finishing no higher than sixth between 1960 and 1966, except for a fourth place finish in 1963. Under the captaincy of Leandros Symeonidis the club slowly built a solid foundation through its youth academy, with emerging youngsters such asGiorgos Koudas andStavros Sarafis.[19][20][21][22] In this period, PAOK became a frequent guest in theInter-Cities Fairs Cup and significantly increased its attacking form underIvor Powell andJane Janevski. In 1968, Koudas' controversial transfer from PAOK to Olympiacos was annuled, in a string of incidents that started aheated rivalry between the two teams.[23]
The 1970s was a successful period for the club, with scouting on behalf of presidentGiorgos Pantelakis building a strong team, including Sarafis,Terzanidis,Iosifidis,Gounaris,Paridis,Aslanidis,Apostolidis,Fountoukidis,Kermanidis,Anastasiadis,Furtula,Guerino and captained by Koudas. From 1970 to 1974, PAOK reached five consecutiveCup finals, defeating Panathinaikos in 1972[24][25] and Olympiacos on penalties in 1974,[26] under the management of EnglishmanLes Shannon. The club came close to its first nationwide league title in the1972–73 season, finishing runners–up and Cup finalists in a controversial manner to Olympiacos. It would eventually clinch its first league title in1976, under the management of former HungarianGolden Team internationalGyula Lóránt.[27] Afterward, the club mounted a 62 game undefeated streak at home from 1976 to 1980.[28]
Giorgos Koudas, the most capped PAOK player with 607 games
In European competitions, the club achieved major wins against clubs likeLyon in 1973 andBarcelona in 1975, reaching the quarter-finals of theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup in 1974, eventually being knocked out byAC Milan.[29] It then lost the 1977 and 1978 Cup finals and failed to defend the title in controversial fashion in1977, with PAOK coming at odds with the Hellenic Football Federation. Further complications ensued after the1978 Thessaloniki earthquake, which damaged Toumba Stadium and eventually led to its Gate 8 collapsing in February 1980.
In the summer of 1979, football in Greece became fully professional, with PAOK restructuring into a privately owned football limited company, with major stockholder Giorgos Pantelakis as the club's president. With the rise of PAOK'sultras groupGate 4, PAOK would become entangled in ownership controversies that would go on via various means for over two decades. As the advent ofhooliganism rose dramatically in Greece, PAOK would become infamous for various incidents, starting with a loss against Panathinaikos at Toumba in 1980.[30]
The early 1980's were trophyless for PAOK, with the club being a consistent challenger for silverware domestically, despite being struck by tragedy when Gyula Lóránt died of a heart attack in a league match against Olympiacos in 1981.[31] Inspired by promising new players, such asChristos Dimopoulos, the club reached two Cup finals, in 1981 and 1983, ultimately losing both to Olympiacos andAEK Athens respectively, while also losing in Europe toEintracht Frankfurt andBayern Munich, both on penalties.[32] Koudas and Furtula retired from football in the summer of 1984.
In the1984–85 season, under Austrian managerWalter Skocik and leading players, such asSkartados,Alavantas,Singas,Kostikos andPaprica, PAOK clinched their second league title, while falling short of the Cup in the final againstAEL.[33] Captain Kostas Iosifidis retired at the end of the season and the rest of the 1980s were less fruitful for the club. In the1987–88 season, the club fall short of the league title amidst increasing board controversies.
In 1989, Thomas Voulinos became the club's president, initiating a rise in form entering the 1990's, with players such asMagdy Tolba and academy signingGiorgos Toursounidis.[34]. The club slumped to a third place in the 1990 title race and entered a period of on and off–pitch instability, starting with Voulinos protesting on the pitch in a match against Panathinaikos in 1990.[35] After losing in thedouble–legged Cup final in 1992 to Olympiacos, Gate 4 and PAOK's presidency became increasingly at odds, resulting in boycotts from the club's fans and a sharp decrease in attendances at the insistence of Gate 4 throughout the decade.
In Europe, the club had notable encounters in theUEFA Cup withSevilla, losing on penalties andK.V. Mechelen, defeating them away from home, but increasing discontent between Gate 4 and Voulinos resulted in heavy rioting at a UEFA Cup home game againstParis Saint-Germain in October 1992,[36][37] resulting in a two-season ban from European competitions, later reduced to one year. With younger players such asTheodoros Zagorakis, the team achieved a more successful1994–95 season under DutchmanArie Haan. The following season, the club was threatened with its first relegation, ultimately finishing four points clear with a points deduction, following heavy rioting and arson against Thomas Voulinos after a 1–3 loss to AEK Athens in November 1995.
In 1996, Thomas Voulinos handed over a debt-free PAOK toGiorgos Batatoudis. Numerous successful players such asZisis Vryzas,[38]Spyros Marangos, free kick specialistKostas Frantzeskos,[39]Percy Olivares[40] andJoe Nagbe were signed under the new administration. Under former player Angelos Anastasiadis, after a five-year absence from European competitions, PAOK qualified for the UEFA Cup.[41] The club's reappearance at European level was marked by a victory and qualification over eventual double winnersArsenal.[42] UnderDušan Bajević, PAOK won the domestic Cup in 2001,defeating Olympiacos 4–2 in the final[43][44] to claim the club's first trophy in 16 years.[45]Bajević departed in 2002, to be replaced by Angelos Anastasiadis, who led PAOK to a 1–0 defeat oflocal rivalsAris in the2003 Cup final, becoming the first former player to win a trophy as manager.[46][47][48][49] Batatoudis's shares were transferred, he was removed from the presidency following the Cup win and was succeeded by Giannis Goumenos following a rise in the club's debt.[50]
This period would be overshadowed by the untimely death of 21 year old playerPanagiotis Katsouris in February 1998[51] and the Vale of Tempe disaster in 1999, which claimed the lives of six PAOK fans following an away match against Panathinaikos.[52][53] Ceremonies take place every year in remembrance of the tragedies, with Katsouris' jersey number (No. 17) being permanently retired and a bust being erected in his memory in 2000.[54]
After a successful2003–04 season, in which the club qualified for theUEFA Champions League third qualifying round for the first time, the club failed to qualify to the group stage while fieldingLiasos Louka, who was an ineligible player.[55] The club's financial situation worsened, as managerial and boardroom crisis culminated in the emergence of the club's poor financial position; players declared they had been unpaid for months, which led to a decision byUEFA to ban the club from european competitions,[56] bringing the club close to dissolution. The organized supporters' groups launched an all-out war, occupying the club's offices during the summer of 2006.[57][58] After possible takeover bids failed and embezzlement allegations arose, especially after the transfer ofDimitris Salpingidis to Panathinaikos,[59] Goumenos resigned in November 2006, with a temporary administration assuming control, as debt had tripled in Goumenos' three year presidency.[60]
In June 2007, former player and captain Theodoros Zagorakis retired[61] and assumed the presidency of the club.[62][63] PAOK's finances gradually improved thanks to new sponsorship deals and the rising attendance from the club's fans, which contributed to the completion of thePAOK FC Sport Center in 2009.[64] He was followed by Zisis Vryzas, who retired in 2008 to become director of football.[65]
In his first season, the early replacement ofGeorgios Paraschos byFernando Santos[66] did little to prevent a ninth-place finish in the league. The next season was more successful, with new signings such as club favouritesVieirinha,Pablo Contreras andPablo García,[67] qualifying for european football for the first time since 2005. After a successful2009–10 season, where the team narrowly missed out on the league title and qualified for the Champions League qualifying round, Santos left the club, with former playerPavlos Dermitzakis leading the club to qualification in the rebrandedUEFA Europa League againstFenerbahçe, before being sacked in October. UnderMakis Chavos, PAOK reached the knockout stages before being eliminated byCSKA Moscow.[68][69] The next season, under RomanianLászló Bölöni,[70] was highlighted by a 1–2 win againstTottenham Hotspur atWhite Hart Lane. PAOK finished top of its Europa League group,[71] ultimately being defeated in the next round byUdinese. In January 2012, Zagorakis resigned from the club's presidency and was replaced by director Zisis Vryzas, in a transitional effort brought forth by increasing fan discontent following the sale of Vieirinha toVfL Wolfsburg.[72][73]
On 10 August 2012,Ivan Savvidis[74][75] acquired PAOK ownership by depositing a fee of €9,951,000 and thus becoming the major shareholder of the club.[76][77] Following the takeover, the club sought to eliminate its debts, successfully doing so over the course of three years, a fee of over 10 million euros, becoming the first Greek sports club to fully repay its loans.[78][79]
The first years under the new presidency were ambitious but lackluster, with the club remaining trophyless after losing the domestic Cup final in 2014 to Panathinaikos[80] and failing to third place after leading the table at Christmas the following season, under returning Angelos Anastasiadis. Whilst european form was more positive, highlighted by a surprise 1–0[81] away win overBorussia Dortmund atSignal Iduna Park, domestic form was underwhelming, withIgor Tudor being replaced in March 2016 by youth-team coach and former playerVladimir Ivić[82], who led the team to a return in the Champions League third qualifying round. The next season saw the club's successful return to the Europa League knockouts and a controversial 2–1 win over AEK Athens in theCup final,[83] which was maligned by off pitch incidents that resulted in a points deduction for the club.[84]
After Ivić departed in the summer of 2017, he was briefly succeeded byAleksandar Stanojević, who was let go after two Europa League matches and was succeeded byRăzvan Lucescu[85]. Captained by returning playerVieirinha, PAOK came second in the2017–18 campaign. It became a highly controversial season, most notably for the home league matches against Olympiacos and AEK Athens which were both interrupted and lost by court decision.[86][87][88] A few months later, PAOK claimed its second consecutive domestic Cup, beating AEK Athens 2–0 in thefinal held at theOlympic Stadium of Athens (AEK home ground at the time). During the post-game press conference, manager Lucescu and captain Vieirinha (final MVP[89]) both stated that the2018 league title was stolen from PAOK.[90][91]
Inspired by initial European success, the2018–19 season became the most successful in the club's history, claiming PAOK's third league title and finishing undefeated, becoming only the second Greek team to do so after Panathinaikos in the 1963–64 season.[92] PAOK also claimed their third consecutive Greek Cup, beating AEK Athens in thefinal for the third year in a row to seal the club's firstdouble.[93] Lucescu departed shortly after, and his successorAbel Ferreira[94] brought the club close to Champions League qualification, defeatingBenfica andBeşiktaş before being elinimated byKrasnodar. Former player and captain Pablo García succeeded him in October 2020, leading the club to an eighth Greek Cup,defeating Olympiacos 2–1 in the final, in May 2021. Lucescu would return to the managerial post shortly after, with talented emerging players such asGiannis Konstantelias andKonstantinos Koulierakis[95] leading the club to the quarter-finals in the newly foundUEFA Europa Conference League in 2022, a feat the club would repeat in 2024, and reaching successive Cup finals, losing to Panathinaikos[96] and AEK Athens in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The first emblem ofPAOK depicted a four-leaf clover and a horseshoe. The leaves were green and above them were the initials of the word "PAOK". Kostas Koemtzopoulos, one of PAOK's founding members, came up with this idea, inspired by his favourite brand of cigarettes.[99]
On 20 March 1929, Enosis Konstantinoupoliton Thessalonikis (A.E.K.) was dissolved and absorbed by PAOK and a mournful version of thedouble-headed eagle with the wings closed instead of stretched, indicating the grief for thelost homelands, was adopted as the club's new emblem.[100]
On 11 June 2013, under the presidency ofIvan Savvidis, a golden outline was added to the crest, as a symbol of the club'sByzantine heritage.[101][102]
During the 2018–19 season, the first emblem was used on the third kit.
The club's colours have always been black and white, black for the sorrow related to countless thousands ofGreek refugees who were forced to leave the land their ancestors had been living in for centuries (Asia Minor,Eastern Thrace,Pontus,Caucasus) and white for the hope of a new beginning that came with settling in a new home.[103] PAOK's traditional kit features a black and white vertical striped shirt, combined with black or white shorts and socks. Various types of shirts were used throughout the club's history and the most common alternatives were those with thinner or wider stripes, the all-black one and the all-white one.[104][105][106] Over the years, several other colours were used on the3rd kit, such as grey, silver, blue, purple, orange and red.[107]
The current kit manufacturer isMacron, a collaboration that started in July 2015 and was renewed twice until 2027.[108][109][110]Stoiximan, a Greekonline gambling company, is the shirt sponsor since June 2017, with the sponsorship deal extended twice and set to last until 2025.[111]
PAOK's current home ground isToumba Stadium, which was built in 1959. During the years, this artifact of modern architecture has been used as an owned country house by fellow citizens of Thessaloniki, commemorating the actual roots of this great club.
PAOK administration have already presented to the Greek public authorities an architecture study of a new atToumba Stadium. TheGreek Council of State (CoS), the country's supreme court, in April 2022 approved a proposal to set up the complete redevelopment of Toumba Stadium, with the CoS deeming legal a draft Presidential Decree concerning the approval of a Special Urban Plan for the district ofToumba, where the venue is located. On 21 June 2022, PAOK has formalized the beginning of a collaboration with a team consisting of domestic engineering and consulting firm SALFO and global architectural design companyPopulous to deliver the project.[121][122] It is estimated that PAOK will be granted a building permit in 2023 and the new stadium will be completed by 2026 and will have a capacity of 41,926 spectators.[123] PAOK would probably move toKaftanzoglio Stadium until the new Stadium is built.
NewToumba Stadium project plans present some significant changes to the original stadium, notably a giant roof covering the entire stadium which counters a common criticism of the current ground regarding exposure to weather and elements outside of Gates 1 and 2. The existing stands would be demolished and reconstructed, moving closer to the pitch and eliminating the distance from the former running track.However, as of early 2024, the project has been in a continuous stalemate.
On 19 January 2024, a blessing of the land where the club's new training center will be built took place. The newly acquired plot of land is located on the 8th road of theTagarades farmland in thecommunity of theThermi municipality.[125]
PAOK FC is the most widely supported football club inNorthern Greece[126] and with the 3rd largest fanbase in the country, according to the latest polls and researches.[127][128][129][130][131]
PAOK's traditional fanbase comes from the city ofThessaloniki, where the club is based, as well as from the rest ofMacedonia region and Northern Greece. They also have fans all over the country and in theGreek Diaspora (Germany, Australia, USA, etc.). Research byMarca in August 2018 reported that PAOK are the most popular Greek football team onsocial media.[132][133][134]
Toumba Stadium is infamous for its hostile atmosphere, a factor that led to the attribution of the Stadium as "The Black Hell".[135][136] On high-profile encounters, when the players walk out of the tunnel, the songHells Bells byAC/DC is heard from the stadium's speakers.[137] The notorious Gate 4 is home to many PAOK organized supporters' groups from around the globe, with the homonymousGate 4 fan club which was founded in April 1976, being the most familiar everywhere.[138][139] The supporters' group fromNeapoli district of Thessaloniki that was founded in 1963 is the oldest one.[140] One of the biggest banners in the world was created by PAOK's fan club inMichaniona.[141]
No 12 jersey is dedicated to the fans, the symbolic 12th man on the pitch. It was permanently retired by the club on 16 August 2000.[142][143]
3,000 PAOK fans descended to theOlympic Stadium of Athens for the game againstPanathinaikos on 3 October 1999. A few hours later, on its way back toThessaloniki, the double-decker bus of theKordelio fan club collided with a truck and fell into a ditch in theVale of Tempe,Thessaly. The aftermath of the bus crash was devastating. SixPAOK fans lost their lives (Kyriakos Lazaridis,Christina Tziova,Anastasios Themelis,Charalampos Zapounidis,Georgios Ganatsios,Dimitris Andreadakis) and many others were injured. Aroadside memorial was erected at the site of the crash bearing the following inscription: "Their love for PAOK brought them here, left them here and went beyond".[52]
Seven supporters of PAOK were killed and three others injured in a minibus crash in westernRomania while traveling to Lyon for a UEFA Europa League match. The accident occurred onDN6 (Drumul Național 6), asingle-carriageway connecting western Romania, during an overnight journey. Romanian and Greek media reported that the vehicle lost control while overtaking. A doctor treating one of the survivors stated that a lane-keeping assist system may have activated during the maneuver, after which the driver was unable to regain control. The group consisted of 10 supporters en route to theLyon v PAOK match scheduled for Thursday evening.[144]
The injured were initially taken to a hospital inLugoj and later transferred to the county hospital inTimișoara. One sustained minor injuries, another suffered non-serious fractures, and a third incurred multiple fractures, including injuries to the neck and spine, though medical staff reported that his life was not in danger. Following the crash, approximately 200 PAOK supporters who had traveled to Romania gathered outside the Timișoara hospital for information and subsequently canceled their trip to France. PAOK supporters held a vigil atToumba Stadium inThessaloniki, where flags were flown at half-mast.[145]
TheGreek government confirmed the deaths and stated that it was coordinating with Romanian authorities through the Greek embassy to provide assistance to the victims’ families and the injured. PAOK officials traveled to Romania to support those affected, and messages of condolence were issued by the club, rival Greek teams, andOlympique Lyonnais. Lyon announced that a tribute would be held during the Europa League match, and the section reserved for visiting PAOK supporters was closed at the request of the club and supporters’ groups.
PAOK fans maintain a strong friendship with the supporters of Serbian clubPartizan, theGrobari. On many occasions, fans from both clubs traveled to watch each other's games.[146][147][148]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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^"Ιστορία".acpaok.gr (in Greek). Retrieved24 July 2019.
^Chrisanthos Dovletoglou (11 June 2013)."Το νέο λογότυπο του ΠΑΟΚ" [PAOK's new logo].contra.gr (in Greek). Archived fromthe original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved22 June 2017.
^Kostas Pallis (6 February 2016)."Η ιστορία του σήματος του ΠΑΟΚ" [PAOK logo history].oldfootball.gr (in Greek). Archived fromthe original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved14 October 2019.
^Michalis Koutsogiannis (16 August 2019)."Όταν αποσύρθηκε η φανέλα "12"" [When No 12 jersey was retired].inpaok.com (in Greek). Retrieved13 October 2019.
^Stavros Sountoulidis (8 October 2016)."Ίδιο χρώμα, ίδια θρησκεία, ίδιο αίμα!" [Same colour, same religion, same blood!].gazzetta.gr (in Greek). Retrieved24 April 2020.
^Vasilis Sambrakos (14 May 2014)."Μία Πολίτικη ιστορία" [A Besiktas fan article on Constantinople's football history].gazzetta.gr (in Greek).
^Manolis Sarris (10 October 2011)."Κάπως έτσι ξεκίνησε η φιλία ΟΦΗ–ΠΑΟΚ" [How OFI–PAOK friendship started].gentikoule.gr (in Greek). Retrieved11 October 2019.
^Chrisanthos Dovletoglou (28 September 2013)."ΠΑΟΚ–ΟΦΗ, μία αληθινή φιλία" [A true friendship].contra.gr (in Greek). Retrieved11 October 2019.
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