Iraklis
Encyclopedia
Iraklis is a Greek football club, branch of Gymnastic Club Iraklis Thessaloniki
, based in the city of Thessaloniki
, Macedonia
, Greece
. The club used to play in the Greek Superleague and is one of the oldest clubs in Greek football and the oldest in Thessaloniki, hence the nickname Ghireos (meaning the Elder). Iraklis was a founding member of Macedonia Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation. The club has featured in all, but one, seasons of the top tier of Greek football up until 2011, when it was relegated to the amateur divisions of the Greek Football Federation.
Iraklis FC was established in 1908, as Makedonikos Gymnastikos Syllogos, to change its name to Ottomanikos Ellinikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" in 1911. In 1914 the club's operation was accepted by the Greek courts under the name Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis. The club is named after Heracles
, the mythical Greek demigod. Iraklis holds a string of long-standing rivalries with few other clubs; the most notable of these being with neighbours Aris
and P.A.O.K., with whom they regularly contested the Thessaloniki derbies.
Before the formation of the nationwide league of Alpha Ethniki Iraklis competed in the league that was run by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association, winning it in no less than five occasions. The club has also played in five Greek Cup finals, lifting the trophy once. The club's last title was an international one, as Iraklis won the Balkans Cup
in 1985.
that toοk place in the area at that time. Due to the Young Turks'
revolt of 1908
and their promises for ease of ethnic tensions in the area, the club was forced to change its name. Thus a new name was decided for the club, Ottomanikos Ellinikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" (meaning Ottoman Greek Gymnastics Club of Thessaloniki "Iraklis"). The new name was approved, together with a new statute and a new board of directors, by a general assembly of the club on 13 April 1911. After the integration of Thessaloniki in the Kingdom of Greece
, the operation of the club was accepted by the Greek courts in 1914 and on 11 January 1915 Iraklis became a fully registered sports club.
football clubs of the city, Progrès Sportive, Alliance and French-German School Alumni Union, organised the first Thessaloniki Football Championship in January and February 1914. Iraklis won Alliance 3-1, Progrès Sportive 5-1 and after winning the French-German School Alumni Union the club was proclaimed Champion of Thessaloniki. On 6 April 1914 Iraklis played a match against Athinaikos Syllogos Podosfairou, that ended as a draw, the club's first match against a club outside Thessaloniki. In 1914 Iraklis established, the club's youth squad, so the students of the Greek Gymnasium of the city could train in football. A year later Iraklis won the second Thessaloniki Football Championship. The next championship was not held due to World War I
. In the years followin World War I, several football clubs were established in Thessaloniki, and that led to the establishment of the Macedonia Football Clubs Association
in 1923. The first championship from the newly founded association was organised shortly afterwards and Iraklis lost in the tournament's final 4-1 from Aris
. In 1924 Iraklis played its first match against a club from outside the borders of Greece
. It was a match against Yugoslav
club Sport Club Skopje, a contest that ended 2-1 in favour of Iraklis. It was in that same year that Iraklis played its first match abroad, a 3-0 frienly win against Sport Club Bitola. In 1926 Iraklis appointed Hungarian I. Sfeg as manager, the first ever foreign manager in Greece. Under Sfeg's guidance Iraklis won the Championship organised by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association in 1926-27. By winning 6-0 against the reigning champion of West Macedonia
Ermis Shorovich and the champion of East Macedonia and Thrace
Rodopi, Iraklis was proclaimed Champion of Macedonia and Thrace. In the following years Iraklis did not have any success finishing in runner up and even lower positions in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship
. In the 1933-34 season Iraklis won the Northern Group of the National Championship
qualifying for the championship final, where the club had to compete against the champion of the Southern group Olympiacos. The first leg was played in Iraklis Ground on 10 June 1934. Although Iraklis took a 2-0 lead at half time Olympiacos managed to make a comeback in the second half managing to win the game by a 2-3 scoreline. The second leg was played a week later in Pireaus and Olympiacos was proclaimed National champion by winning this match 2-1. In the following years Iraklis faced mid table mediocrity, with the exception of the 1936-37 season, when the club was only one point short to Macedonia Football Clubs Association champions
PAOK. The 1938-39 season was a successful one for Iraklis, as it won both the Macedonia Football Clubs Association championship
and the Northern Group of the National Championship
, the second resulting the qualification of Iraklis in the National final. In the national final Iraklis lost to AEK both away and at home (1-3 and 2-4 respectively), failing to win the silverware. In the following season Iraklis celebrated its consecutive win in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship but failed to qualify for theNational final. All club football in Greece was suspended from 1941 to 1945 due to the German occupation of the country. After the war period, the club was constantly competing with Aris
for the Thessaloniki championship, which gave upon its winner the right to participate in the Greek championship. Iraklis participated in the 1947 Greek Cup final, where was defeated 5–0 by the dominant Greek team of that era, Olympiacos. In the 1950s, the team solidified its position among the top teams in Greece along with Olympiacos, AEK Athens,
Panathinaikos, Aris
and PAOK. Nevertheless, the club struggled
with financial difficulties in an ailing Greek economy. Thessaloniki, where many refugees from
the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 had settled, was particularly damaged by the economic
downturn. The highlight of the decade was the 1957 Greek Cup final, in which Iraklis was
once again defeated by Olympiacos, 2–0.
In the 1960s, the format of the Greek Championship was changed to its present structure. Iraklis was, at the onset of the decade, one of the most consistent performers in the league. However, as the club endeavored to maintain a solid financial position, it became less competitive for the championship title. The organization faced another major setback as Iraklis -and Thessaloniki's only private- stadium was purchased by the state in a compulsory deal to expand the city's Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
. The club plays at the state-owned Kaftanzoglio Stadium
ever since.
The 1970s were arguably Iraklis' peak years. A solid roster was assembled, featuring several players from the club's youth ranks, including Fanaras, Nikoloudis, Zafiridis, Gesios, Papaioannou and Haliabalias. The club acquired Vassilis Hatzipanagis
, an USSR national of Greek descent. Hatzipanagis who was later voted the best football player in Greek history with his unique style attracted huge audiences to Iraklis games. He had an immediate impact upon his arrival as he was involved in all 4 goals of Iraklis in Greek Cup final of 1976, a 6–5 penalty win (4–4 in regular time) against Olympiacos, either by creating goals or scoring them.
) and even though finishing 8th in the final table, the team was demoted by the Greek football federation to the second division for the only time in its 100 history. Iraklis instantly returned to First division after an unforgettable 1980–81 season -even though star player of team Vassilis Hatzipanagis
refused to play out of protest for the decision to relegate the historic club over controversial and unproven charges- in which the team broke all division records for the largest home and away victories and most goals scored. In 1983–84 Iraklis reached its best league position to date, finishing in third place overall. In 1985 the team won the Balkans Cup with an aggregate victory (5–4) against FC Argeş Piteşti
. 17,000 fans travelled to Athens to support Iraklis in the 1987 Greek Cup final -considered the largest away crowd in Greek history-, unfortunately to see their team lose 3–1 on penalties (1–1 regular time) to OFI Crete
.
The 1990s were a period of reconstruction for the club, as aging players either left the club or retired. Hatzipanagis
' retirement in 1990 had a major negative impact on the team's success. Fans began calling for a change in the club's management, as club president Petros Theodoridis began selling the team's most talented players (Christos Kostis
, Giorgos Anatolakis, Savvas Kofidis
etc.). Iraklis competed in 1990 against Valencia
in the UEFA Cup
, being eliminated in overtime at Mestalla
.
to Panathinaikos. Newly appointed coach Giannis Kyrastas was widely considered Greece's best, remained at the charge of the team for only one and very disappointing season. Angelos Anastasiadis
was appointed as the new coach, and even though this was considered a controversial move due to his history as a member of rival club PAOK his tenure was a very successful one as the team qualified twice in a row for the UEFA Cup
on a very small budget. In 2004, Mytilineos announced his desire to leave the team and therefore its sale to Giorgos Spanoudakis (a jobless friend of his from schoolyears, who didn't for sure have any credidentials to run a football club of this calibre), for just $1, although heavily in debt. Spanoudakis initiated a series of expensive and unsuccessful deals (Nikos Machlas
, Cezary Kucharski
, Giuseppe Signori
), driving the team close to bankruptcy. He later tried to get rid of the team by selling it to yet another unknown businessman named Dimitris Houlis. After a 5 month period where Houlis controlled the team, The Greek football commission finally annulled the transfer, raising questions in the media regarding its handling of the previous one between Mytilinaios and Spanoudakis too.
In 2004, Savvas Kofidis
, famous as a player of the team in 1980s, became its manager. In 2005–06, he led Iraklis to an acclaimed 4th place finish, playing effective and attractive football but with debts of almost $8,000,000 to players, coaches and the state, Spanoudakis started the 2006/7 season attempting to reconcile Iraklis finances by selling Joël Epalle and Panagiotis Lagos
, who were instrumental in the previous year's success. Next year Kofidis resigned as manager of a considerably weakened team after Iraklis lost 7 and drew 2 of his first nine games in Greek Super League and additionally was eliminated from the UEFA Cup
in extra time by Wisła Kraków. Eventually the 2006–07 season ended with in a hard breaking fashion as the team gained its survival to Greek Super League only in the last matchday, after breaking an 39 matches unbeaten home run of Skoda Xanthi
.
On 13 July 2007, Spanoudakis eventually resigned and the team passed to the hands of a consortium of local businessmen, with prominent Greek singer Antonis Remos
(a life long fan of the team) as their leader.Today the new owners are trying to stabilize the team financially having already paid the debts to Giuseppe Signori (almost 1,000,000 $) and to other players and lenders from the past.
On 4 May 2011 Iraklis were relegated back to Football League (Greece) after failing to obtain a license to participate in 2011-12 Superleague. On 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery
during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically placed in the last position. That is a unique case as Iraklis have never finished in a relegation spot but have been relegated twice. On 26 September, however, the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis from its professional licence and demoted it to the Delta Ethniki.
resting upon his club, a scene inspired by Farnese Hercules
statue, itself a copy of a statue crafted by Lysippos
in the fourth century BC. After the 2000 takeover of the club by Evangelos Mytilinaios
, the logo was changed once again to a more "modern" looking one. During the 2008-2009 season the club used a special logo, created especially for its centenary.
Throughout the entire club's history its colours were blue and white, to resemble the colours of the Greek flag, given the fact that Iraklis was established while Thessaloniki
was a part of the Ottoman Empire
. The team is known in Greece as Kianolefki (Greek
: "Κυανόλευκοι"), meaning the Blue-Whites. Iraklis' away colours are usually either white or orange. Traditionally, the Iraklis shirt is blue and white stripes, but through the years this was changed often to all blue, all white, chess-like, and hooped, among others.
. Its construction was funded by the members of G.S. Iraklis
, but, after Thessaloniki
became a part of Greece
, the club was ousted from its owned ground, so a park could be created in its place. In 1915 Iraklis rented an area in the centre of Thessaloniki for a ten years period, but the club was unable to use its facilities until 1919, due to World War I
. In 1927 the club renewed the contract for the use of the area, but in 1930, newly founded Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
tried to take the ownership of the field. For almost two decades the ground was used by both the athletes of Iraklis and the students of the university, intill in the 1950s the university managed to get the ownership of the ground, so it could demolish it to construct a square, that is nowadays known as Platia Chimiou. On 6 November 1960 Iraklis played its first match in Kaftanzoglio Stadium
, to record a 2-1 win against M.G.S.S. Thermaikos Thessalonikis. Kaftanzoglio is the home ground of Iraklis until nowadays. There are plans for Iraklis to construct a new 22,000 seat stadium, in a club owned area in the eastern extremities of the city, in Mikra. The training facilities, including three football fields and a gym, and the administration building of Iraklis FC are nowadays placed in the area that the club's new stadium is planned to be built.
retirement and the general fall in attendances in Greek football, crowds in Kaftanzoglio
deteriorated to a modest average of 3,000. A record low attendance was recorded during the '90s, as in a match against Paniliakos there were only 384 tickets sold. A brief increase in attendance was recorded after the purchase of the club by Evangelos Mytilineos
, reaching a peak in the 2001-2002 season with an average of 6,790. On 24 January 1971 Iraklis set the highest attendance record for any football match in Alpha Ethniki, with 45,634 tickets sold in the club's contest against Panathinaikos. In the 1987 Greek Cup final a crowd of 17,000 Iraklis fans travelled to Athens, to watch Iraklis lose in penalties against OFI
.
The most prominent supporter's club of Iraklis is Aftonomi Thira 10 (meaning Autonomous Gate 10), a fan club with a total of 15 branches in Northern Greece (2 in Thessaloniki
, also in Kavala
, Kilkis
, Kozani
, Nea Moudania
, Trilofos
, Valmada, Stratoni, Chalastra
, Serres
, Florina
, Lagadas, Alexandreia
, Nea Michaniona
). The club is known for holding an antiracist stance, as it participates in the Ultras Antiracist Festival. Other activities of the club, include the publication of a magazine and the conduct of an annual festival. Other minor supporters' clubs are SFISE, Blue Boys, A.P.A.T.S.I. and Iraklis Fan Club of Athens. Iraklis' supporters hold ties with the supporters of FSV Mainz and Rayo Vallecano
as those have shown their support during Iraklis' supporters rallies against Superleague's refusal to grant Iraklis a license to participate in the 2010-2011 Superleague season.
, of which it was considered a branch. In that season the football branch of Iraklis became an S.A.
owned by local businessmen Tertilinis and Pertsinidis. In the 1983-84 season Iraklis was bought by Giorgos Theodorides who remained at the helm of the club for almost 18 years. From the beginning of the 1999-2000 season there were demonstrations by the supporters of Iraklis, asking for the resignation of Theodoridis from his presidential seat and the sale of his stocks. On 11 February 2000 Greek business magnet Evangelos Mytillineos
bought the stocks of Theodoridis for a reported 1,18 billion drachmas. On 27 January 2003, two days after a 3-1 away defeat of Iraklis against OFI
, Mytilineos gave a press conference in which he announced his withdrawal from Iraklis' affairs, due to his disgust with the establishment of Greek football. Shortly afterwards the ownership of the club was passed to businessman Giorgos Spanoudakis and until 2006 the club had accumulated a debt of 8 million €, partly due to Mytilineos' not the taxes of the players' contract and partly due to Spanoudakis handling of the club's affairs. After a takeover of the club, in 2005, by businessman Dimitris Khoulis failed, Spanoudakis continued having the ownership of Iraklis. In 2007 Spanoudakis declared the club's inability to repay its debts to the players and tried to hand Iraklis' stocks to Cypriot
businessman Pheevos Morides. After the latter failed to fulfill his promises the deal was cancelled. Greek singer Antonis Remos
, a prominent supporter of Iraklis, expressed his interest to undertake the club's fortunes, but he moved back when Spanoudakis asked 500,000 € to pass the club's ownership.
On 10 July 2007 Iraklis' administration building was set on fire by supporters in an attempt to express their discontent for the cancellation of the club's takeover from Antonis Remos. A few days later a deal was reached and Remos took over Iraklis.
On 4 May 2011 Iraklis were relegated back to Football League (Greece) after failing to obtain a license to participate in 2011-12 Superleague. On 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery
during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically placed in the last position. That is a unique case as Iraklis have never finished in a relegation spot but have been relegated twice. On 26 September, however, the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis from its professional licence and demoted it to the Delta Ethniki.
G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis , commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 and is named after Heracles, the mythical Greek demigod...
, based in the city of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The club used to play in the Greek Superleague and is one of the oldest clubs in Greek football and the oldest in Thessaloniki, hence the nickname Ghireos (meaning the Elder). Iraklis was a founding member of Macedonia Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation. The club has featured in all, but one, seasons of the top tier of Greek football up until 2011, when it was relegated to the amateur divisions of the Greek Football Federation.
Iraklis FC was established in 1908, as Makedonikos Gymnastikos Syllogos, to change its name to Ottomanikos Ellinikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" in 1911. In 1914 the club's operation was accepted by the Greek courts under the name Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis. The club is named after Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
, the mythical Greek demigod. Iraklis holds a string of long-standing rivalries with few other clubs; the most notable of these being with neighbours Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
and P.A.O.K., with whom they regularly contested the Thessaloniki derbies.
Before the formation of the nationwide league of Alpha Ethniki Iraklis competed in the league that was run by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association, winning it in no less than five occasions. The club has also played in five Greek Cup finals, lifting the trophy once. The club's last title was an international one, as Iraklis won the Balkans Cup
Balkans Cup
In 1961, a Balkans Cup for football clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia was introduced. It was played 27 times...
in 1985.
Foundation
Iraklis traces its roots back in 1899 when the Omilos Filomouson (meaning Friends of Music) Club was established. The club was established as a cultural union of the Greeks of Thessaloniki but in 1902 it founded a sports department. Football was a new sport, at the time, but rapidly increasing in popularity, and thus the board of directors decided to line up a football team. The first match that was held by the Omilos Filomouson football team was on 23 April 1905, against a team of the Western European diaspora of the city called Union Sportive. Omilos Filomouson won the match by a 3-0 scoreline. Later on the club faced financial problems, but members of the club joined forces with another Greek athletic club of the city, called Olympia. The result of this union was the foundation of a new club on 29 November 1908, called Makedonikos Gymnastikos Syllogos (meaning Macedonian Gymnastics Club), that gained a permission to operate by the Ottoman authorities. The new club's first president was a Greek doctor, A. Maltos. The name of the club had a direct reference to the ethnic tensionsGreek Struggle for Macedonia
The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts between Greeks and Bulgarians in the region of Ottoman Macedonia between 1904 and 1908...
that toοk place in the area at that time. Due to the Young Turks'
Young Turks
The Young Turks , from French: Les Jeunes Turcs) were a coalition of various groups favouring reformation of the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The movement was against the absolute monarchy of the Ottoman Sultan and favoured a re-installation of the short-lived Kanûn-ı Esâsî constitution...
revolt of 1908
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
and their promises for ease of ethnic tensions in the area, the club was forced to change its name. Thus a new name was decided for the club, Ottomanikos Ellinikos Gymnastikos Syllogos Thessalonikis "Iraklis" (meaning Ottoman Greek Gymnastics Club of Thessaloniki "Iraklis"). The new name was approved, together with a new statute and a new board of directors, by a general assembly of the club on 13 April 1911. After the integration of Thessaloniki in the Kingdom of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
, the operation of the club was accepted by the Greek courts in 1914 and on 11 January 1915 Iraklis became a fully registered sports club.
The first years (1908-1959)
Shortly after the end of the Second Balkan War Iraklis, together with the three JewishHistory of the Jews of Thessaloniki
The history of the Jews of Thessaloniki, Greece, reaches back two thousand years.The city of Thessaloniki housed a major Jewish community, mostly of Sephardic origin, until the middle of the Second World War...
football clubs of the city, Progrès Sportive, Alliance and French-German School Alumni Union, organised the first Thessaloniki Football Championship in January and February 1914. Iraklis won Alliance 3-1, Progrès Sportive 5-1 and after winning the French-German School Alumni Union the club was proclaimed Champion of Thessaloniki. On 6 April 1914 Iraklis played a match against Athinaikos Syllogos Podosfairou, that ended as a draw, the club's first match against a club outside Thessaloniki. In 1914 Iraklis established, the club's youth squad, so the students of the Greek Gymnasium of the city could train in football. A year later Iraklis won the second Thessaloniki Football Championship. The next championship was not held due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In the years followin World War I, several football clubs were established in Thessaloniki, and that led to the establishment of the Macedonia Football Clubs Association
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia (Thessaloniki)
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia is a football organization responsible for administering football in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. It was formed in 1923 as Football Union of Macedonia and Thrace and it administrated football in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East...
in 1923. The first championship from the newly founded association was organised shortly afterwards and Iraklis lost in the tournament's final 4-1 from Aris
Aris F.C.
Aris F.C. may refer to*Aris F.C., Greek football club*Aris Limassol F.C., Cypriot football club*FC Aris Bonnevoie, defunct Luxembourg football club...
. In 1924 Iraklis played its first match against a club from outside the borders of Greece
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
. It was a match against Yugoslav
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
club Sport Club Skopje, a contest that ended 2-1 in favour of Iraklis. It was in that same year that Iraklis played its first match abroad, a 3-0 frienly win against Sport Club Bitola. In 1926 Iraklis appointed Hungarian I. Sfeg as manager, the first ever foreign manager in Greece. Under Sfeg's guidance Iraklis won the Championship organised by the Macedonia Football Clubs Association in 1926-27. By winning 6-0 against the reigning champion of West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...
Ermis Shorovich and the champion of East Macedonia and Thrace
East Macedonia and Thrace
East Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the country, comprising the eastern part of the region of Macedonia along with the region of Thrace, and the islands of Thasos and Samothrace....
Rodopi, Iraklis was proclaimed Champion of Macedonia and Thrace. In the following years Iraklis did not have any success finishing in runner up and even lower positions in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia (Thessaloniki)
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia is a football organization responsible for administering football in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. It was formed in 1923 as Football Union of Macedonia and Thrace and it administrated football in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East...
. In the 1933-34 season Iraklis won the Northern Group of the National Championship
Panhellenic Championship
The Panhellenic Championship was a Greek football competition to determine the nation's champion club, which ran from 1906 to 1959.In the beginning , it was run by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics and it was actually a local tournament among clubs from Athens and Piraeus...
qualifying for the championship final, where the club had to compete against the champion of the Southern group Olympiacos. The first leg was played in Iraklis Ground on 10 June 1934. Although Iraklis took a 2-0 lead at half time Olympiacos managed to make a comeback in the second half managing to win the game by a 2-3 scoreline. The second leg was played a week later in Pireaus and Olympiacos was proclaimed National champion by winning this match 2-1. In the following years Iraklis faced mid table mediocrity, with the exception of the 1936-37 season, when the club was only one point short to Macedonia Football Clubs Association champions
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia (Thessaloniki)
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia is a football organization responsible for administering football in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. It was formed in 1923 as Football Union of Macedonia and Thrace and it administrated football in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East...
PAOK. The 1938-39 season was a successful one for Iraklis, as it won both the Macedonia Football Clubs Association championship
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia (Thessaloniki)
Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia is a football organization responsible for administering football in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. It was formed in 1923 as Football Union of Macedonia and Thrace and it administrated football in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East...
and the Northern Group of the National Championship
Panhellenic Championship
The Panhellenic Championship was a Greek football competition to determine the nation's champion club, which ran from 1906 to 1959.In the beginning , it was run by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics and it was actually a local tournament among clubs from Athens and Piraeus...
, the second resulting the qualification of Iraklis in the National final. In the national final Iraklis lost to AEK both away and at home (1-3 and 2-4 respectively), failing to win the silverware. In the following season Iraklis celebrated its consecutive win in the Macedonia Football Clubs Association Championship but failed to qualify for theNational final. All club football in Greece was suspended from 1941 to 1945 due to the German occupation of the country. After the war period, the club was constantly competing with Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
for the Thessaloniki championship, which gave upon its winner the right to participate in the Greek championship. Iraklis participated in the 1947 Greek Cup final, where was defeated 5–0 by the dominant Greek team of that era, Olympiacos. In the 1950s, the team solidified its position among the top teams in Greece along with Olympiacos, AEK Athens,
Panathinaikos, Aris
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
and PAOK. Nevertheless, the club struggled
with financial difficulties in an ailing Greek economy. Thessaloniki, where many refugees from
the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 had settled, was particularly damaged by the economic
downturn. The highlight of the decade was the 1957 Greek Cup final, in which Iraklis was
once again defeated by Olympiacos, 2–0.
The semi-professional Alpha Ethniki era (1959-1979)
| }} |
| 1976 Greek Cup Greek football Cup The Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.... Final starting lineup. |
In the 1960s, the format of the Greek Championship was changed to its present structure. Iraklis was, at the onset of the decade, one of the most consistent performers in the league. However, as the club endeavored to maintain a solid financial position, it became less competitive for the championship title. The organization faced another major setback as Iraklis -and Thessaloniki's only private- stadium was purchased by the state in a compulsory deal to expand the city's Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
. The club plays at the state-owned Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans...
ever since.
The 1970s were arguably Iraklis' peak years. A solid roster was assembled, featuring several players from the club's youth ranks, including Fanaras, Nikoloudis, Zafiridis, Gesios, Papaioannou and Haliabalias. The club acquired Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
, an USSR national of Greek descent. Hatzipanagis who was later voted the best football player in Greek history with his unique style attracted huge audiences to Iraklis games. He had an immediate impact upon his arrival as he was involved in all 4 goals of Iraklis in Greek Cup final of 1976, a 6–5 penalty win (4–4 in regular time) against Olympiacos, either by creating goals or scoring them.
Relegation and rise (1979-2000)
The 1980s began with a scandal for Iraklis. Pellios, a player of local rival PAOK, accused a member of the Iraklis board of trying to bribe him before the second leg of the 1980 Greek Cup semifinal. The incident was very controversial, especially as Iraklis had already won the first (away) leg by 1–0. Despite the team's progress to the 1980 Greek Cup final (losing 5–2 against underdogs KastoriaKastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
) and even though finishing 8th in the final table, the team was demoted by the Greek football federation to the second division for the only time in its 100 history. Iraklis instantly returned to First division after an unforgettable 1980–81 season -even though star player of team Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
refused to play out of protest for the decision to relegate the historic club over controversial and unproven charges- in which the team broke all division records for the largest home and away victories and most goals scored. In 1983–84 Iraklis reached its best league position to date, finishing in third place overall. In 1985 the team won the Balkans Cup with an aggregate victory (5–4) against FC Argeş Piteşti
FC Arges Pitesti
FC Argeş Piteşti is a Romanian professional football club from Piteşti, Argeş county.FC Argeş was one of the most successful Romanian clubs in the 1970s, when it won the national championship twice: in 1972 and 1979, and finished twice as runner-up...
. 17,000 fans travelled to Athens to support Iraklis in the 1987 Greek Cup final -considered the largest away crowd in Greek history-, unfortunately to see their team lose 3–1 on penalties (1–1 regular time) to OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
.
The 1990s were a period of reconstruction for the club, as aging players either left the club or retired. Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
' retirement in 1990 had a major negative impact on the team's success. Fans began calling for a change in the club's management, as club president Petros Theodoridis began selling the team's most talented players (Christos Kostis
Christos Kostis
Christos Kostis is a former Greek international football player who played as a second striker.-Club career:...
, Giorgos Anatolakis, Savvas Kofidis
Savvas Kofidis
Savvas Kofidis is a Greek football coach and former midfielder player.-Career:He started his career in Iraklis, debuting in 18 January 1981 when Iraklis was participating in the Beta Ethniki. In Iraklis's team he played seven seasons before heading to Olympiacos...
etc.). Iraklis competed in 1990 against Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, being eliminated in overtime at Mestalla
Mestalla
Estadio Mestalla is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home ground of Valencia Club de Fútbol. With a capacity of 55,000 seats, it ranks as the fifth-largest stadium in Spain...
.
Modern era (2000-2011)
The team was sold in 2000 to prominent Greek businessman Evangelos Mytilineos for almost $3,000,000. The new club president's first move was the surprising sale of highly rated striker Michalis KonstantinouMichalis Konstantinou
Michalis Konstantinou is a Cypriot football striker. He plays for the Cyprus national football team, and is already the all-time leading scorer with 32 goals in 80 appearances....
to Panathinaikos. Newly appointed coach Giannis Kyrastas was widely considered Greece's best, remained at the charge of the team for only one and very disappointing season. Angelos Anastasiadis
Angelos Anastasiadis
Angelos Anastasiadis is a Greek football head coach and former international footballer. He was the manager of Cyprus from 2004 to 2011.-Coaching career:...
was appointed as the new coach, and even though this was considered a controversial move due to his history as a member of rival club PAOK his tenure was a very successful one as the team qualified twice in a row for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
on a very small budget. In 2004, Mytilineos announced his desire to leave the team and therefore its sale to Giorgos Spanoudakis (a jobless friend of his from schoolyears, who didn't for sure have any credidentials to run a football club of this calibre), for just $1, although heavily in debt. Spanoudakis initiated a series of expensive and unsuccessful deals (Nikos Machlas
Nikos Machlas
Nikolaos Machlas is a Greek retired footballer and now chairman of OFI Crete. He finished his career as a striker for Cypriot team APOEL.-Club career:...
, Cezary Kucharski
Cezary Kucharski
Cezary Kucharski is a retired Polish football player.He played for clubs such as FC Aarau , Legia Warsaw, Sporting de Gijón , Iraklis and Górnik Łęczna ....
, Giuseppe Signori
Giuseppe Signori
Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori is a retired Italian football striker, one of the top scorers in Serie A history and widely regarded as one of the best football players to have never received a winners medal in competitive football. He was a fast, left footed striker who was prolific goalscorer...
), driving the team close to bankruptcy. He later tried to get rid of the team by selling it to yet another unknown businessman named Dimitris Houlis. After a 5 month period where Houlis controlled the team, The Greek football commission finally annulled the transfer, raising questions in the media regarding its handling of the previous one between Mytilinaios and Spanoudakis too.
In 2004, Savvas Kofidis
Savvas Kofidis
Savvas Kofidis is a Greek football coach and former midfielder player.-Career:He started his career in Iraklis, debuting in 18 January 1981 when Iraklis was participating in the Beta Ethniki. In Iraklis's team he played seven seasons before heading to Olympiacos...
, famous as a player of the team in 1980s, became its manager. In 2005–06, he led Iraklis to an acclaimed 4th place finish, playing effective and attractive football but with debts of almost $8,000,000 to players, coaches and the state, Spanoudakis started the 2006/7 season attempting to reconcile Iraklis finances by selling Joël Epalle and Panagiotis Lagos
Panagiotis Lagos
Panagiotis Lagos is a Greek football player currently playing as a left wingback for AEK Athens F.C. in the Greek Super League.-Iraklis Thessaloniki:Lagos started his professional football career with Iraklis in 2002...
, who were instrumental in the previous year's success. Next year Kofidis resigned as manager of a considerably weakened team after Iraklis lost 7 and drew 2 of his first nine games in Greek Super League and additionally was eliminated from the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in extra time by Wisła Kraków. Eventually the 2006–07 season ended with in a hard breaking fashion as the team gained its survival to Greek Super League only in the last matchday, after breaking an 39 matches unbeaten home run of Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi
Skoda Xanthi F.C. , or F.C. Skoda Xanthi Athletic Club, is a Greek football club, based in the city of Xanthi. The club currently competes in the Super League Greece.-History:...
.
On 13 July 2007, Spanoudakis eventually resigned and the team passed to the hands of a consortium of local businessmen, with prominent Greek singer Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos , is a Greek laïko singer.-Early life:Antonis Remos was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He was raised there by his Greek parents, and later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During his childhood he got involved with music and...
(a life long fan of the team) as their leader.Today the new owners are trying to stabilize the team financially having already paid the debts to Giuseppe Signori (almost 1,000,000 $) and to other players and lenders from the past.
On 4 May 2011 Iraklis were relegated back to Football League (Greece) after failing to obtain a license to participate in 2011-12 Superleague. On 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically placed in the last position. That is a unique case as Iraklis have never finished in a relegation spot but have been relegated twice. On 26 September, however, the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis from its professional licence and demoted it to the Delta Ethniki.
Crest and Colours
Iraklis crest has changed through times. The original club logo was a capital Η (Eta), the first letter of the word Iraklis (Ηρακλής) in Greek, surrounded by a circle. Currently it depicts the demigod HeraclesHeracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
resting upon his club, a scene inspired by Farnese Hercules
Farnese Hercules
The Farnese Hercules is an ancient sculpture, probably an enlarged copy made in the early third century AD and signed by a certain Glykon, from an original by Lysippos that would have been made in the fourth century BC...
statue, itself a copy of a statue crafted by Lysippos
Lysippos
Lysippos was a Greek sculptor of the 4th century BC. Together with Scopas and Praxiteles, he is considered one of the three greatest sculptors of the Classical Greek era, bringing transition into the Hellenistic period. Problems confront the study of Lysippos because of the difficulty of...
in the fourth century BC. After the 2000 takeover of the club by Evangelos Mytilinaios
Mytilineos Holdings
Mytilineos Holdings S.A. is a Greek-based industrial conglomerate whose companies are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC. The firm, which was founded in 1990 as a metallurgical company of international trade and participations, is an evolution of an old metallurgical family...
, the logo was changed once again to a more "modern" looking one. During the 2008-2009 season the club used a special logo, created especially for its centenary.
Throughout the entire club's history its colours were blue and white, to resemble the colours of the Greek flag, given the fact that Iraklis was established while Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
was a part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The team is known in Greece as Kianolefki (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: "Κυανόλευκοι"), meaning the Blue-Whites. Iraklis' away colours are usually either white or orange. Traditionally, the Iraklis shirt is blue and white stripes, but through the years this was changed often to all blue, all white, chess-like, and hooped, among others.
Stadium
The first ground of Iraklis was placed in the centre of Thessaloniki, nearby the White TowerWhite Tower
-Geography and history:* White Tower of Thessaloniki, a monument and museum in Greece* White Tower of Tehran, Iran* White Tower of Tsarskoye Selo, landscape architecture element in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia...
. Its construction was funded by the members of G.S. Iraklis
G.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis , commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 and is named after Heracles, the mythical Greek demigod...
, but, after Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
became a part of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the club was ousted from its owned ground, so a park could be created in its place. In 1915 Iraklis rented an area in the centre of Thessaloniki for a ten years period, but the club was unable to use its facilities until 1919, due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1927 the club renewed the contract for the use of the area, but in 1930, newly founded Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is the largest Greek university, and the largest university in the Balkans. It was named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, Chalcidice, about 55 km east of Thessaloniki, in Central Macedonia...
tried to take the ownership of the field. For almost two decades the ground was used by both the athletes of Iraklis and the students of the university, intill in the 1950s the university managed to get the ownership of the ground, so it could demolish it to construct a square, that is nowadays known as Platia Chimiou. On 6 November 1960 Iraklis played its first match in Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans...
, to record a 2-1 win against M.G.S.S. Thermaikos Thessalonikis. Kaftanzoglio is the home ground of Iraklis until nowadays. There are plans for Iraklis to construct a new 22,000 seat stadium, in a club owned area in the eastern extremities of the city, in Mikra. The training facilities, including three football fields and a gym, and the administration building of Iraklis FC are nowadays placed in the area that the club's new stadium is planned to be built.
Supporters
Iraklis was well supported right from the start of its establishment. Even though the football section wasn't the most popular among club loyals in the very first years, it soon became the "flag" of the association as football became more and more popular. In 70s and 80s, the club attracted crowds of around 10.000 people, to reach a peak in the 1983-84 season with an average attendance of 16,559. In the 90s, following Hatzipanagis'Vassilis Hatzipanagis
Vassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
retirement and the general fall in attendances in Greek football, crowds in Kaftanzoglio
Kaftanzoglio Stadium
Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans...
deteriorated to a modest average of 3,000. A record low attendance was recorded during the '90s, as in a match against Paniliakos there were only 384 tickets sold. A brief increase in attendance was recorded after the purchase of the club by Evangelos Mytilineos
Mytilineos Holdings
Mytilineos Holdings S.A. is a Greek-based industrial conglomerate whose companies are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC. The firm, which was founded in 1990 as a metallurgical company of international trade and participations, is an evolution of an old metallurgical family...
, reaching a peak in the 2001-2002 season with an average of 6,790. On 24 January 1971 Iraklis set the highest attendance record for any football match in Alpha Ethniki, with 45,634 tickets sold in the club's contest against Panathinaikos. In the 1987 Greek Cup final a crowd of 17,000 Iraklis fans travelled to Athens, to watch Iraklis lose in penalties against OFI
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
.
The most prominent supporter's club of Iraklis is Aftonomi Thira 10 (meaning Autonomous Gate 10), a fan club with a total of 15 branches in Northern Greece (2 in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, also in Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
, Kilkis
Kilkis
Kilkis is an industrial city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2001 there were 17,430 people living in the city proper, 24,812 people living in the municipal unit, and 56,336 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional unit of Kilkis.-Name:Kilkis is located in a...
, Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
, Nea Moudania
Nea Moudania
Nea Moudania is the seat of the municipality of Nea Propontida, Chalkidiki, Greece and its main town. The town is located 60 km south of Thessaloniki and is considered to be the financial and commercial center of the peripheral unit of Chalkidiki...
, Trilofos
Trilofo, Thessaloniki
Trilofos is a developing suburb of south-east Thessaloniki, Greece. It is part of the municipality Thermi. The community Trilofos includes the village Ano Scholari....
, Valmada, Stratoni, Chalastra
Chalastra
Chalastra is a town and was a former municipality in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delta, of which it is a municipal unit. The town is located 20 km west from the city of Thessaloniki, on the north side of Greek...
, Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
, Florina
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
, Lagadas, Alexandreia
Alexandreia
Alexandreia is a city in the Imathia peripheral unit, Greece.-Municipality:The municipality Alexandreia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:* Alexandreia...
, Nea Michaniona
Michaniona
Michaniona was a former municipality in the Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, the town/suburb is part of the municipality of Thermaikos, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 9,425 . The seat of the municipality was in Nea Michaniona and included the...
). The club is known for holding an antiracist stance, as it participates in the Ultras Antiracist Festival. Other activities of the club, include the publication of a magazine and the conduct of an annual festival. Other minor supporters' clubs are SFISE, Blue Boys, A.P.A.T.S.I. and Iraklis Fan Club of Athens. Iraklis' supporters hold ties with the supporters of FSV Mainz and Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
as those have shown their support during Iraklis' supporters rallies against Superleague's refusal to grant Iraklis a license to participate in the 2010-2011 Superleague season.
Ownership and finances
Until 1979 Greek football was semi-professional and football clubs were run by a board and a president appointed by its respective multi-sport clubsG.S. Iraklis Thessaloniki
Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis , commonly referred to as Iraklis, is a Greek sports club based in Thessaloniki. The club was founded in 1908 and is named after Heracles, the mythical Greek demigod...
, of which it was considered a branch. In that season the football branch of Iraklis became an S.A.
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
owned by local businessmen Tertilinis and Pertsinidis. In the 1983-84 season Iraklis was bought by Giorgos Theodorides who remained at the helm of the club for almost 18 years. From the beginning of the 1999-2000 season there were demonstrations by the supporters of Iraklis, asking for the resignation of Theodoridis from his presidential seat and the sale of his stocks. On 11 February 2000 Greek business magnet Evangelos Mytillineos
Mytilineos Holdings
Mytilineos Holdings S.A. is a Greek-based industrial conglomerate whose companies are active in the sectors of metallurgy, energy and EPC. The firm, which was founded in 1990 as a metallurgical company of international trade and participations, is an evolution of an old metallurgical family...
bought the stocks of Theodoridis for a reported 1,18 billion drachmas. On 27 January 2003, two days after a 3-1 away defeat of Iraklis against OFI
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
, Mytilineos gave a press conference in which he announced his withdrawal from Iraklis' affairs, due to his disgust with the establishment of Greek football. Shortly afterwards the ownership of the club was passed to businessman Giorgos Spanoudakis and until 2006 the club had accumulated a debt of 8 million €, partly due to Mytilineos' not the taxes of the players' contract and partly due to Spanoudakis handling of the club's affairs. After a takeover of the club, in 2005, by businessman Dimitris Khoulis failed, Spanoudakis continued having the ownership of Iraklis. In 2007 Spanoudakis declared the club's inability to repay its debts to the players and tried to hand Iraklis' stocks to Cypriot
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
businessman Pheevos Morides. After the latter failed to fulfill his promises the deal was cancelled. Greek singer Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos , is a Greek laïko singer.-Early life:Antonis Remos was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He was raised there by his Greek parents, and later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During his childhood he got involved with music and...
, a prominent supporter of Iraklis, expressed his interest to undertake the club's fortunes, but he moved back when Spanoudakis asked 500,000 € to pass the club's ownership.
On 10 July 2007 Iraklis' administration building was set on fire by supporters in an attempt to express their discontent for the cancellation of the club's takeover from Antonis Remos. A few days later a deal was reached and Remos took over Iraklis.
Summers 2010 and 2011 authorisation issues and reactions
At 2010 summer Ioannis Takis took charge as new chairman.1 June announced to Iraklis that he did not take the permission to play at next season's Greek Superleague. That summer, Iraklis's fans rallied for the permission in Thessaloniki for more than 10 days. Also there were 2 rallies in Athens and other important places in Greece like Malgara and Tempi. Finally on 25 June, Iraklis received permission to play in Greek Superleague for the 2010–11 season.On 4 May 2011 Iraklis were relegated back to Football League (Greece) after failing to obtain a license to participate in 2011-12 Superleague. On 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically placed in the last position. That is a unique case as Iraklis have never finished in a relegation spot but have been relegated twice. On 26 September, however, the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis from its professional licence and demoted it to the Delta Ethniki.
Current squad
Managerial history
EWLINE
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Notable former players
League top scorers
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Most league appearances
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Greek Golden Player - UEFA Jubilee Awards
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...
- Vassilis HatzipanagisVassilis HatzipanagisVassilis Hatzipanagis is a retired football attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League...
Top foreign league goalscorer
| Player | Nationality | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Michalis Konstantinou Michalis Konstantinou Michalis Konstantinou is a Cypriot football striker. He plays for the Cyprus national football team, and is already the all-time leading scorer with 32 goals in 80 appearances.... |
 |
63 |
Foreigner leading in league appearances
| Player | Nationality | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Ivan Jovanović Ivan Jovanovic (coach) Ivan Jovanović is a Serbian football manager and former footballer. He is the coach of APOEL since January 7, 2008.-Club career:Jovanović played for FK Rad in the Yugoslav First League during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons. The next season, he transferred to the Greek side Iraklis Thessaloniki... |
   |
271 |
Records
- League victory: 12-0 v EdessaikosEdessaikos F.C.Edessaikos F.C. is a football club based in Edessa, Greece currently playing in the top league of Pella . Edessaikos was founded in 1959.-History:...
, 1980–811980–81 Beta EthnikiIn the 1980-81 Beta Ethniki season was 22nd edition of second tier nationwide championship of Greece. Forty teams participated in the league, divided in two groups, the South and the North Group. Iraklis was named champion of the North Group and got promoted to the Alpha Ethniki...
League statistics
Positioning in Greek league| 1959–60 | 9th | 1969–70 | 6th | 1979–80 | 8th 1 | 1989–90 | 5th | 1999-00 | 6th | 2009–10 | 10th |
| 1960–61 | 8th | 1970–71 | 5th | 1980–81 | |||||||
| 1990–91 | 5th | 2000–01 | 5th | 2010–11 | 11th 2 | ||||||
| 1961–62 | 9th | 1971–72 | 9th | 1981–82 | 6th | 1991–92 | 9th | 2001–02 | 6th | 2011–12 | |
| 1962–63 | 6th | 1972–73 | 8th | 1982–83 | 8th | 1992–93 | 6th | 2002–03 | 7th | 2012–13 | |
| 1963–64 | 12th | 1973–74 | 7th | 1983–84 | 3rd | 1993–94 | 6th | 2003–04 | 8th | 2013–14 | |
| 1964–65 | 11th | 1974–75 | 8th | 1984–85 | 5th | 1994–95 | 6th | 2004–05 | 7th | 2014–15 | |
| 1965–66 | 12th | 1975–76 | 8th | 1985–86 | 4th | 1995–96 | 4th | 2005–06 | 4th | 2015–16 | |
| 1966–67 | 9th | 1976–77 | 12th | 1986–87 | 6th | 1996–97 | 13th | 2006–07 | 13th | 2016–17 | |
| 1967–68 | 13th | 1977–78 | 9th | 1987–88 | 6th | 1997–98 | 6th | 2007–08 | 10th | 2017–18 | |
| 1968–69 | 11th | 1978–79 | 6th | 1988–89 | 4th | 1998–99 | 9th | 2008–09 | 10th | 2018–19 |
1 Demoted to second division due to a match fixing scandal in a cup game against PAOK FC
PAOK FC
P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club...
.
2 Demoted to fourth division (amateur division) because the Professional Sports Committee stripped Iraklis from its professional licence.
| Best positioning | |
| Demoted to second division | |
| Demoted to fourth division (amateur division) | |
| Worst positioning |
Total league record
| League | Seasons | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Ethniki/Superleague | 50 | 1596 | 602 | 433 | 561 | 2019 | 1911 | |
| Beta Ethniki Beta Ethniki Football League, former Beta Ethniki, is the second highest professional football league in Greece.-History:In its first years, the system of conduct was very intriguing. It began in 1954 as regional championship, separated in two groups, North and South. Then, the participating teams were the... |
1 | 38 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 99 | 22 | |
GP:games played; W:games won; D:gamed drawn; GF:goals for; GA:goals against; GD:goal difference
Head to head record against city rivals
As of March 5, 2011
| Competition | Played | Iraklis | Draw | PAOK PAOK FC P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek League Super League Greece The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each... |
102 | 23 | 41 | 38 |
| Competition | Played | Iraklis | Draw | Aris |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek League Super League Greece The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each... |
99 | 30 | 39 | 30 |
Highest attendances
| Opponent | Stadium | Date | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
24 January 1971 | 45.530 |
| Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
12 February 1984 | 41.700 |
| PAOK PAOK FC P.A.O.K. F.C. is a Greek association football club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is the largest supported football club in Macedonia.PAOK FC is the football department of Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans , a multi-sport club. Since its formation in 1926 the football club... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
13 February 1972 | 38.752 |
| Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
23 May 1982 | 37.297 |
| Panathinaikos Panathinaikos FC Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most... |
Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio Stadium Kaftanzoglio stadium is a sports stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece. The stadium was built with money donated by the Kaftanzoglou Foundation, hence its name. At the time of its opening on 27 October 1960, the stadium was one of the highest quality stadiums in the Balkans... |
23 September 1973 | 37.169 |
Statistics in Europe
Iraklis' matches in Europe| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961–62 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials... |
1st Round | Bye | ||
| 2nd Round |  Novi SadFK Vojvodina FK Vojvodina is a football club from Novi Sad, Serbia. The club currently competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. FK Vojvodina is the third oldest football club in Serbia's SuperLiga, after OFK Beograd which was founded in 1911 and FK Javor which was founded in 1912.-History:FK Vojvodina was founded... |
2–1 | 1–9 | ||
| 1963–64 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials... |
1st Round |  Real ZaragozaReal Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... |
0–3 | 1–6 |
| 1976–77 | Cup Winners' Cup | 1st Round | APOEL |
0–0 | 0–2 |
| 1989–90 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1st Round |  FC SionFC Sion FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also... |
1–0 | 0–2 |
| 1990–91 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1st Round |  ValenciaValencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the... |
0–0 | 0–2 (aet) |
| 1993–94 | Intertoto Cup | Group Stage (Group 8) |
 Dynamo DresdenDynamo Dresden SG Dynamo Dresden are a German association football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. They were founded in 1950, as a club affiliated with the East German police, and became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German football, winning eight league titles... |
1–1 | |
 Wiener |
2–4 | ||||
| Aarau FC Aarau FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14... |
0–1 | ||||
 Beitar Jerusalem |
2–1 | ||||
| 1995–96 | Intertoto Cup | Group Stage (Group 12) |
Vorwärts SK Vorwärts Steyr SK Vorwärts Steyr is an Austrian association football club based in Steyr. It was founded in 1919. They play at the Vorwärts Stadium.- Current squad :*On loan from Westside Strikers FC... |
0–3 | |
 Spartak PlovdivFC Spartak Plovdiv FC Spartak Plovdiv is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv. Spartak Plovdiv currently plays its home matches at the 3,000-seat Todor Diev Stadium in the Kichuk Parizh district of Plovdiv. The stadium is named after the club's all-time greatest player Todor Diev... |
0–0 | ||||
| Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :... |
1–5 | ||||
 Panerys VilniusFK Panerys Vilnius FK Panerys Vilnius is a defunct Lithuanian football club from the capital Vilnius, which was founded in 1975. During the 1998-1999 season in the A Lyga the club retired after six matches and was dissolved.-Season-by-season: Lithuania... |
3–1 | ||||
| 1996–97 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
2nd Qual. Round | APOEL |
0–1 | 1–2 |
| 1997–98 | Intertoto Cup | Group Stage (Group 12) |
Ried SV Ried SV Ried is an Austrian association football club from Ried im Innkreis. The team plays its home matches at the 7,680 capacity Keine-Sorgen Arena. The club currently plays in the Bundesliga after winning promotion from the Erste Liga in the 2004/05 season... |
1–3 | |
 FC Merani TbilisiFC Merani Tbilisi FC Merani Tbilisi is a Georgian football club based in Tbilisi. They play in the Meore Liga, the third division in Georgian football. They play their home games at Sinatle Stadium.It name after the hotel in Tbilisi.Colours all red, all white.... |
2–0 | ||||
 Torpedo MoscowFC Torpedo Moscow FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009... |
1–4 | ||||
 Floriana |
1–0 | ||||
| 1998–99 | Intertoto Cup | 2nd Round |  Naţional Bucureşti |
3–1 | 0–3 |
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1st Round |  GueugnonFC Gueugnon Football Club Gueugnonnais was a French association football club based in Gueugnon. The club was formed in 1940 and played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football, before entering liquidation in April 2011. Gueugnon played its home matches at the Stade Jean Laville... |
1–0 | 0–0 |
| 2nd Round | Kaiserslautern 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900... |
1–3 | 3–2 | ||
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1st Round | Anorthosis Anorthosis Famagusta FC Αnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which is originally based in Famagusta, but is now temporarily based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis is one of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, having won 13 league titles, 10 Cypriot Cups and 6... |
4–2 (a Away goals rule The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal... ) |
1–3 |
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
1st Round |  Wisła Kraków |
0–2 (aet) | 1–0 |
UEFA club competitions' record
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| UEFA Cup UEFA Cup The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League... |
14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 19 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 19 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued... |
12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| Total | 32 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 31 | 63 |
Achievements
Regional- Thessaloniki Championship
- Champions (2): 1914, 1915
- EPSM ChampionshipUnion of Football Clubs of Macedonia (Thessaloniki)Union of Football Clubs of Macedonia is a football organization responsible for administering football in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki. It was formed in 1923 as Football Union of Macedonia and Thrace and it administrated football in the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and East...
- Champions (5): 1926-27, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1950–51, 1951–52
- Runners up (6): 1923-24, 1925–26, 1929–30, 1936–37, 1946–47, 1952–53
National
- Greek LeagueSuper League GreeceThe Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
- Runners up (3): 1934, 1939, 1947
- Beta Ethniki
- Champions (1): 1980-811980–81 Beta EthnikiIn the 1980-81 Beta Ethniki season was 22nd edition of second tier nationwide championship of Greece. Forty teams participated in the league, divided in two groups, the South and the North Group. Iraklis was named champion of the North Group and got promoted to the Alpha Ethniki...
- Champions (1): 1980-81
- Greek CupGreek football CupThe Greek Football Cup , commonly known as the Greek Cup or for sponsorship reasons the Football Cup OPAP, is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation....
- Winners (1): 1976Greek Cup 1975-76The Greek Cup 1975-76 was the 34th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Nikos Goumas Stadium, Athens on 9 June 1976...
- Runners up (4): 1947Greek Cup 1946-47The Greek Cup 1946-47 was the 5th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short. It was the first Greek Cup tournament that held after the end of World War II....
, 1957Greek Cup 1956-57The Greek Cup 1956-57 was the 15th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.The competition culminated with the Greek Cup Final, held at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus on 29 July 1957...
, 1980Greek Cup 1979-80The Greek Cup 1979-80 was the 38th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:Totally 58 teams participated, 18 from Alpha Ethniki and 40 from Beta Ethniki. It was held in 6 rounds, included final....
, 1987Greek Cup 1986-87The Greek Cup 1986-87 was the 45th edition of The Greek Football Cup, or Greek Cup for short.-Tournament details:A total of 76 teams participated, 16 from Alpha Ethniki, 20 from Beta, and 40 from Gamma. It was held in 7 rounds, the final included...
- Winners (1): 1976
International
- Balkans CupBalkans CupIn 1961, a Balkans Cup for football clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia was introduced. It was played 27 times...
- Winners (1): 1985
External links
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