APOEL ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") is a major
multi-sport club
A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports.
Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
based in
Nicosia, Cyprus.
APOEL, which was founded in 1926, is the most popular sports club in Cyprus
and the most successful, achieving to win 165 official senior titles in several sports.
The club is parent to fourteen different competitive departments including
football,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
,
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
,
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
, handball, table tennis, bowling, cycling, archery, swimming, water polo and a runners team.
History
The early years
The club was formed as POEL ( el, ΠΟΕΛ; Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, links=no, ''Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia) on 8 November 1926. The club's formation came about when a group of forty people, with a common vision, met and set the foundations for creating a football club that would represent the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
residents of the
capital and express their deep desire for Cyprus' incorporation (
enosis) into Greece. The meeting took place at a traditional confectionery, owned by Charalambos Hadjioannou, downtown in
Ledra Street
Ledra Street ( el, Οδός Λήδρας ''Odos Lidras''; tr, Ledra Caddesi) is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the ''de facto'' Northern Cyprus, an ...
and the first president of the club was Giorgos Poulias.
The first clubhouse was the "Athenians Club" () at the end of Ledra Street.
After a journey to the football club in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, Egypt in 1927 the General Assembly of 1928 decided the players showed that they were not just good footballers but also excellent track and field athletes. Hence it was decided to create a track and field team in addition to the football team. The name APOEL was adopted to reflect this, with the 'A' standing for 'Athletic'. Soon after more sports departments were established, including
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
, table tennis, rugby football, boxing, cycling, field hockey and
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
(a few years later). Also the club issued a sports newspaper, the "Athlitiki Echo", the first Cypriot sport newspaper.
The foundation of CFA and the club's first ever official title
Cyprus did not have any country-wide league until 1932. Football clubs of the time played friendly matches only. In 1932,
Pezoporikos Larnaca
Pezoporikos Club Larnaca ( el, Πεζοπορικός Όμιλος Λάρνακας, ''Pezoporikos Omilos Larnakas'') was a Cypriot sports club based in Larnaca with football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1927, the football club ...
organised an unofficial league, the first island-wide league, and it was won by APOEL after defeating
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou ( el, Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού, translation=Athletic Union of Limassol) commonly known as AEL, is a Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team.
AEL also maintai ...
in the final by 4–0. In 1934, there was a disagreement between
Trust
Trust often refers to:
* Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality
It may also refer to:
Business and law
* Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another
* Trust (bus ...
and
Anorthosis Famagusta
Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
on the organisation of the fourth unofficial league. APOEL and
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou ( el, Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού, translation=Athletic Union of Limassol) commonly known as AEL, is a Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team.
AEL also maintai ...
organised a meeting for the foundation of a country-wide governing body and an official country-wide league. The meeting took place in APOEL's clubhouse on 23 September and the establishment of the
Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
was agreed. Two years later the APOEL football team celebrated its first
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
title of the official
Cyprus football league.
The 1948 conflicts
Politics, however, would soon spark conflict within the team. On 23 May 1948 the board of the club send a telegram to the
Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics
The Hellenic Athletics Federation (Greek: ; abbreviated SEGAS) is Greece's governing body for amateur sport.
SEGAS was created in 1897 and has been the principal organiser of many international sporting competitions held in Greece. The associatio ...
( el, Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition, which included wishes that "the rebellion" is finished. Several leftist club members perceived the telegram as a political comment on the
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος}, ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom and ...
and they distanced themselves from the club.
A few days later, on 4 June 1948, they founded
Omonia, which until today is the arch rival of APOEL and there has been a traditional animosity between the fans of the two teams.
1955–59 period
More conflicts led to further struggles for APOEL. Athletes belonging to the club frequently participated in national clashes. During the 1955–59 national uprising against the British, many of APOEL's athletes and members of the club were active members of
EOKA (the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), the most outstanding example being the club's track and field athlete
Michalakis Karaolis who was hanged by the British colonial authorities. During this period the football team had their closest brush with relegation as most football players were actively taking part in the national struggle.
The formation of APOEL FC Company
APOEL Football (Public) Ltd was established in May 1997, after the decision of APOEL committee. This had a significant effect on the club because it separated the activities of the
football team
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all-s ...
from those of the sports club. The formation of the company was necessitated by the financial difficulties the team faced at the time. The company began its operations with a capital of CY £600,000. The company's main activity is the management, operation and commercial exploitation of
APOEL Football Club. The company owns all the rights for the football department under an agreement with APOEL sports club and pays the club CY£100,000 annually for the privilege.
The agreement between the company and the club is renewed every five years. The company has 1745 shareholders
and besides the football club, also maintains a team boutique (Orange Shop), the APOELFC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛFC) magazine and th
apoelfc.com.cywebsite among others.
Colours and badge
![APOEL - Chelsea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/APOEL_-_Chelsea.jpg)
APOEL's colours are blue and yellow. Blue symbolizes Greece and yellow symbolizes
Byzantium.
The logo is a blue and yellow shield with the name of the club written diagonally in blue.
The
football club badge has a small difference on it. The badge has remained the same since the establishment of the club, but after the football team of APOEL won their 20th championship (
2008–09 season), two stars were added above the football club's logo to symbolize the 20 championship titles (one star for every ten championships won).
Supporters
![APOEL- Wisla Krakov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/APOEL-_Wisla_Krakov.jpg)
APOEL is the most popular team in Cyprus.
APOEL fans are right-wing in their majority but there are no strong ties between the organised fans and any political party.
That wasn't always the case but during the past years they have actively avoided association with any political party.
The main supporter group is PAN.SY.FI ( el, ΠΑΝ.ΣΥ.ΦΙ). PAN.SY.FI was founded in 1979
and has branches in all major cities in Cyprus and also in other countries. The PAN.SY.FI (and most ultras) wear orange jackets (or T-shirts). The first game they sported the orange jackets was during the first round game of the 1992–93 championship against
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou ( el, Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού, translation=Athletic Union of Limassol) commonly known as AEL, is a Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team.
AEL also maintai ...
in
Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium ( el, Μακάρειο Στάδιο), is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly u ...
.
APOEL have reserved the shirt number 79 in honour of PAN.SY.FI. (APOEL Ultras), to denote the year the group was founded, 1979.
Stadiums
APOEL football club's home ground since 23 October 1999, is the 22,859 seater
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards ...
. It is the largest stadium in Cyprus and they share it with local rivals
Omonia and
Olympiakos Nicosia
Olympiakos Nicosia ( el, Ολυμπιακός Λευκωσίας, ''Olympiakos Lefkosias'') is a football club based in Nicosia, Cyprus and competes in the Cypriot First Division. The club was founded in 1931, and is a founding member of the C ...
. Before moving to
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards ...
, APOEL used as home grounds the
Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium ( el, Μακάρειο Στάδιο), is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly u ...
(from 1978 until 1999) and the
old GSP Stadium (prior to 1978).
The club's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
,
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
and
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
teams host their matches in the 2,100 seater
Lefkotheo Indoor Arena which was built in 1980. For many years the
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team used as home venue the 6,000 capacity
Eleftheria Indoor Hall
Eleftheria Athletic Center (Greek: Αθλητικό Κέντρο "Ελευθερία"), officially named Tassos Papadopoulos Eleftheria Indoor Hall ( el, κλειστό στάδιο "Τάσσος Παπαδόπουλος - Ελευθερία" .
1926
Events January
* January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece.
* January 8
**Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...
- APOEL's official magazine
''1926'' is the official magazine of the multi-sports club APOEL. A Cyprus monthly
sports magazine
A sports magazine is usually a weekly, biweekly or monthly, magazine featuring articles or segments on sports. Some may be published a specific number of times per year. A wide range of sports are covered by these magazines which include genera ...
published in
Nicosia, it was founded in 2013 with its first edition appearing on 7 March 2013. The magazine is named after the founding year of the club and covers all of APOEL's teams (
football,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
,
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
,
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
, water polo), as well as individual sports (archery, bowling, cycling, running, swimming, table tennis), with feature stories, interviews, retro, and presentations. The main focus is on football, since that sport is the most popular in Cyprus.
Presidential history
APOEL has had numerous presidents over the course of their history. Since the establishment of APOEL Football Ltd, the presidents of the board of directors of the company (chairmen) have assumed all presidential duties for the football club. Here are complete lists of both:
Presidents:
* 1926–1958 – Georgios Poulias
* 1958–1967 – Εfthyvoulos Αnthoullis
* 1967–1968 – Michalakis Triantafyllides
* 1968–1969 – Takis Skarparis
* 1969–1971 – Constantinos Loukos
* 1971–1974 – Michalakis Zivanaris
* 1974–1975 – Kikis Lazarides
* 1975–1983 – Iakovos Filippou
* 1983–1988 – Michalakis Zivanaris
* 1988–1991 – Andreas Papaellinas
* 1991–1992 – Kykkos Fotiades
* 1992–1994 – Mike Ioannides
* 1994–1996 – Christos Triantafyllides
* 1996–1999 – Ouranios Ioannides
* 1999–2000 – Dinos Palmas
* 2002–2004 – Dinos Fisentzides
* 2004–2007 – Yiannos Ioannou
* 2007–2008 – Costas Schizas
* 2008–2009 – Christodoulos Ellinas
* 2009–2011 – Prodromos Petrides
* 2011–2012 – Aris Vasilopoulos
* 2012–2014 – Christoforos Potamitis
* 2014–2016 – Marios Charalambous
* 2016–present – Christoforos Potamitis
Chairmen:
* 1997–1998 – Mike Ioannides
* 1998–2000 – Christos Triantafyllides
* 2000–2001 – Harris Papanastasiou
* 2001–2006 – Prodromos Petrides
* 2006–2008 – Kyriakos Zivanaris
* 2008–2013 – Phivos Erotokritou
* 2013–present – Prodromos Petrides
APOEL Football
APOEL Football Club is a professional
football club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
based in
Nicosia, Cyprus. They are one of the founding members of the
Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football (soccer), football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It ...
.
APOEL are the most successful football team in Cyprus with an overall tally of 26
championships, 21
cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...
and 13
super cups.
APOEL's greatest moment in the
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
competitions occurred in the season
2011–12, when the club participated in the
group stages of the
2011–12 UEFA Champions League (along with
FC Porto,
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
and
Zenit St. Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
) and achieved qualification for the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
of the competition by topping the group and eliminating
Olympique Lyonnais in the
last 16, becoming the only Cypriot club to reach the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
quarter-finals.
APOEL's European competitions highlights include also appearances in the group stages of the
2009–10 &
2014–15 UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
and the group stages of the
2013–14 &
2015–16 UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. They marked their most successful
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
campaign during the
2016–17 season, when they managed to top their group (along with
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
,
Young Boys and
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, tho ...
) and eliminated
Athletic Bilbao in the
round of 32
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, to reach the
last 16 of the competition for the first time in their history.
APOEL is the only Cypriot club who have reached the group stages (and the knockout stages) of both major
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
competitions (
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
&
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
). APOEL FC is also an ordinary member of the
European Club Association
The European Club Association (ECA) is a body representing the interests of professional association football clubs in UEFA. It is the sole such body recognised by the confederation, and has member clubs in each UEFA member association. It was fo ...
, an organization that replaced the previous
G-14
The G-14 was an organisation of European football clubs that existed between 1998 and 2008. It consisted of 14 European top class teams initially, later expanded to 18. It was disbanded in 2008 and was replaced by the European Club Association ...
which consists of major football clubs in Europe.
Honours
*
Cypriot Championship
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
: Winners (28) (record):
1935–36,
1936–37,
1937–38,
1938–39,
1939–40,
1946–47,
1947–48,
1948–49,
1951–52,
1964–65,
1972–73,
1979–80,
1985–86,
1989–90,
1991–92,
1995–96,
2001–02,
2003–04,
2006–07,
2008–09,
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2013–14,
2014–15,
2015–16,
2016–17,
2017–18,
2018–19
*
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
: Winners (21) (record): 1936–37, 1940–41, 1946–47, 1950–51, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79,
1983–84,
1992–93
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...
,
1994–95,
1995–96,
1996–97,
1998–99,
2005–06,
2007–08,
2013–14,
2014–15
*
Cypriot Super Cup
The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is u ...
: Winners (13): 1963, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
APOEL FC Football Academies
* Cypriot U21 Championships:
* Cyprus U21 Cup:
* Cypriot U19 Championships:
* Cypriot U17 Championships:
* Cypriot U16 Championships:
* Cypriot U15 Championships:
* Cypriot U13 Championships:
APOEL Basketball
APOEL Basketball Club is a professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team based in the city of
Nicosia, Cyprus. APOEL's basketball team was formed in 1947
and is one of the most successful
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
clubs in Cyprus by winning 11
Championships, 12
Cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...
and 11
Super Cups.
The team's first ever basketball title was the
Cypriot Super Cup
The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is u ...
that won in 1972. At the end of the same season (1972–73), APOEL won their second title, the
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
. The team achieved to win their first ever
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
title three years later, in season 1975–76. The 90's decade was the most successful for APOEL. The team won 4
Championships, 5
Cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...
and 4
Super Cups during that period, including one double on the 1995–96 season.
After winning the double in 2001–02 season, APOEL managed to win again the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
in 2008–09 season, after 6 years without winning any title. The next season (2009–10), the team won their second consecutive
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
title and reached the quarterfinals of the
FIBA EuroChallenge
FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08) was the 3rd-tier level transnational men's professional continental club basketball competition in Europe, from 2003 to 2015. It was organized and run ...
, marking their most successful campaign in the European competitions. After four years without winning any title, APOEL managed to win again the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
in 2013–14 season, which was their 11th league title in their history. During 2015–16 season, APOEL managed to win their 12th
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
trophy, thirteen years after they won their last Cypriot Cup title. The next season (2016–17), APOEL returned in the European competitions after a five years break and managed to reach the second round (Last 24) of the
FIBA Europe Cup
The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in natio ...
, marking one of their most successful seasons in the European competitions.
Honours
*
Cypriot Championship
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
: Winners (11): 1975–76, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14
*
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
: Winners (12) (record): 1972–73, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2015–16
*
Cypriot Super Cup
The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is u ...
: Winners (11) (record): 1972, 1976, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2014
APOEL Women's basketball team
APOEL also maintains a women's team which is competing in the Women's Cypriot First Division. In their most successful seasons, APOEL Women's team reached the Championship finals twice (2003–04 & 2004–05) and qualified two times for the semi-finals of the Cup (2004–05 & 2006–07).
APOEL Volleyball
APOEL Volleyball Club is a professional
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
team based in the city of
Nicosia, Cyprus. APOEL's volleyball team was formed in 1928
and won 10 championships (4 held by the Cypriot Local Committee for Sports and 6 held by the
Cyprus Volleyball Federation) and 5 Cups. The 1980s was the most successful decade for the team, winning 6
Championships and 5 Cups between 1979 and 1985. Also, the decade of the 1990s was amazing for the youth teams of APOEL (U15, U17, U21) by winning 16 trophies in just 7 years.
Since then, the team had some good seasons with participations in 2003–04
CEV Top Teams Cup
The CEV Cup is the second tier official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe. The competition takes place every year.
Until 2000, it was the CEV Cup Winners' Cup. In 2000 it was renamed CEV Top Teams Cup and in 2007 it was renamed CE ...
and 2004–05
CEV Cup
The CEV Cup is the second tier official competition for men's Volleyball clubs of Europe. The competition takes place every year.
Until 2000, it was the CEV Cup Winners' Cup. In 2000 it was renamed CEV Top Teams Cup and in 2007 it was renamed CE ...
, but without any title outcome. In the 2008–09 season APOEL relegated to the Second Division and suspended its activities due to financial difficulties. That was the first and only time which a team from APOEL multisport club was relegated.
In season 2012–13, the volleyball club of APOEL was reactivated and participated in the Cypriot Second Division. They became champions by winning all their league matches (15 wins out of 15 matches) and promoted to the
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
for the 2013–14 season.
Honours
*
Cypriot Championship
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
: Winners (10): 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85
* Cypriot Cup
: Winners (5): 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85
*Cypriot Second Division
: Winners (1): 2012–13
APOEL Women's volleyball team
APOEL women's volleyball team was formed in 1974. The women's team won their only title in 1977, when they managed to win
AEL Limassol
Athlitiki Enosi Lemesou ( el, Αθλητική Ένωση Λεμεσού, translation=Athletic Union of Limassol) commonly known as AEL, is a Cypriot sports club based in the city of Limassol, most famous for its football team.
AEL also maintai ...
3–2 in the season's Cup final. The team suspended its operation in 1990, due to financial problems.
Honours
* Women's Cup
: Winners (1): 1976–77
APOEL Futsal
APOEL Futsal is a professional
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
team based in the city of
Nicosia, Cyprus. APOEL is one of the most successful
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
clubs in Cyprus with an overall tally of 3
Championships, 3
Cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print jobs ...
and 1
Super Cup.
APOEL's futsal team was formed in 2012 as APOEL City Futsal F.S.C.,
after APOEL board came to an agreement with City Futsal F.S.C. to take their place in the
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
for the 2012–13 season. The team had a successful first season, finishing fourth in the
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
and reaching the semi-finals of the
cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
. One year after its establishment, the club was renamed to APOEL. In the 2013–14 season, the team achieved their first domestic
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* ...
, winning both the season's
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
and the
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
, their first two major trophies after only two years of existence as a futsal club. The next season (2014–15), APOEL became
double winners for second year in a row, after winning again the
Cypriot First Division
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
and the
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
. During the 2015–16 season, APOEL achieved a historical domestic
treble by winning all the Cypriot competitions trophies, the
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
, the
cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...
and the
super cup.
European campaigns
After winning the
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* ...
in the 2013–14 season, APOEL qualified for the first time for the
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
competitions, participating in the
2014–15 UEFA Futsal Cup
The 2014–15 UEFA Futsal Cup was the 29th edition of Europe's premier club futsal tournament and the 14th edition under the current UEFA Futsal Cup format.
Times are CET (UTC+1) during winter and CEST (UTC+2) during summer.
Preliminary round Gr ...
. They entered the
preliminary round
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
of the competition and they hosted all the Group D matches in
Nicosia's
Tasos Papadopoulos - Eleftheria Indoor Hall. APOEL managed to qualify for the
main round
Main may refer to:
Geography
* Main River (disambiguation)
**Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany
* Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province
*"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries
...
by winning all their matches, beating FC Anzhi Tallinn 5–3, KF Flamurtari Vlorë 9–1 and NAFI Stuttgart 10–1. APOEL were eventually eliminated at the main round of the UEFA Futsal Cup, finishing in the third place of Group 6 with 4 points, after losing 1–5 against
Slov-Matic Bratislava
Slov-Matic FOFO Bratislava is a futsal club based in Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Pola ...
, beating MVFC Berettjóújfalu 3–2 and drawing 3–3 with
Vegakameratene.
In the 2016–17 season, APOEL participated for the third consecutive time in the
UEFA Futsal Cup
The UEFA Futsal Champions League is an annual futsal competition for European club teams organized by UEFA. It was founded as the UEFA Futsal Cup in 2001 and replaced the Futsal European Clubs Championship, an unofficial competition held since 1984 ...
. They entered the
preliminary round
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
of the competition and they managed to qualify for the
main round
Main may refer to:
Geography
* Main River (disambiguation)
**Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany
* Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province
*"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries
...
by winning AFM Maniacs 9–7, JB Gentofte 4–3 and drawing 7–7 with the hosts ASUE Yerevan. APOEL were eventually eliminated at the main round of the UEFA Futsal Cup, finishing in the third place of Group 6 with 4 points, after drawing 3–3 with
City'US Târgu Mureș
City'us Târgu Mureş was a futsal club based in Târgu Mureş, Romania. The club was dissolved in 2018 due to financial problems. , losing 0–7 against
Era-Pack Chrudim and beating 6–5 ŠK Pinerola Bratislava.
Honours
*
Cypriot Championship
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
: Winners (3): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
*
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club team ...
: Winners (3): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
*
Cypriot Super Cup
The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is u ...
: Winners (1): 2015
APOEL Table tennis
APOEL's table tennis team was formed in 1927
and in 1936 they organized tournaments with the participation of athletes from other clubs. Since 1950, they organized Open Championships since no formal federation existed. On 1 July 1963, at the initiative of APOEL and the founding members of the Pancyprian Gymnasium, the English School of Nicosia and the club officials of Cyprus Telecommunications Authority, they founded the Cypriot Federation (POEPA),
which organized the first tournaments in which APOEL dominated. In 1970, APOEL's women's department was founded, which was the first women's table tennis team in Cyprus. Great APOEL's table tennis athletes were Michalakis Zambas who won 6 consecutive titles and Stavros Louras.
Honours
* Cypriot Championship
: Winners (10): 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990
* Cypriot Cup
: Winners (9): 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 2010
APOEL Racing (Cycling)
APOEL's cycling department was founded in 1970.
The early years, the club's athletes participated in domestic games, as Cypriot federation – in which APOEL was one of the founding members – was established much later in 1978.
APOEL's athletes participated for the first time in an international match in 1979, taking part in the international round of Israel. The next year, they participated in the ascent of Parnitha, where Spyros Agrotis finished first in adolescents and 4th in the overall score, achieving the first international victory for APOEL. The same athlete won the silver medal at the
Games of the Small States of Europe
The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) is a biennial multi-sport event, launched by the Republic of San Marino, organized by and featuring the National Olympic Committees of nine European small states since 1985. The Games are held at t ...
in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
.
APOEL had great athletes in cycling, but the greatest was Spyros Agrotis who won the Cypriot championship six times (1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990) and also won one bronze (in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
) and two silver medals (in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
) in the
Games of the Small States of Europe
The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) is a biennial multi-sport event, launched by the Republic of San Marino, organized by and featuring the National Olympic Committees of nine European small states since 1985. The Games are held at t ...
. Other great APOEL's cycling athletes were Andreas Agrotis (champion in 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997), Giorgos Chatzimarkou (champion in 1986). Also Pancyprian titles have been won by Nicos Demetriou, Michalis Chadjioannou, Alexis Charalambous, Sotiris Stavrou, Giorgos Kallidis and Eftychios Kasapis.
Honours
* Cypriot Men's Championship
: Winners (20): 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2014
* Cypriot Cup
: Winners (4): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
APOEL Bowling
APOEL's
Bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thou ...
team first official trophy came in the 2015–16 season, when the team managed to win the Cypriot Bowling Cup. The next season the team repeated their achievement by winning their second consecutive bowling Cup title.
Honours
* Cypriot Cup
: Winners (2): 2015–16, 2016–17
APOEL Water polo
APOEL
Water polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
team was founded in 2014. The team competes in the Cypriot Water polo Championship and in the Cypriot Cup. In 2019 APOEL became the first club to represent
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
in a continental competition (the
2019–20 LEN Euro Cup
The 2019–20 LEN Euro Cup was the 28th edition of the second-tier European tournament for water polo clubs. It ran from 13 September 2019 to 9 May 2020.
Overview Calendar
The calendar of the competition was announced on 3 August 2019.
Partici ...
).
Honours
Cypriot Championship
Winners (2): 2019, 2020
Cypriot Cup
Winners (4): 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
APOEL Archery
APOEL
archery team was founded in 2013 and maintains men's, women's and youth academies archery departments.
APOEL Handball
APOEL
handball team was founded in 2017 after they merged with
SPE Strovolos,
and competes in the Cyprus 1st Division Handball league under the name "APOEL/SPES".
Track and field department
APOEL cultivated athletics since 1926, immediately after the founding of the club. The first track and field athletes were the footballers of the club, as four players of APOEL had taken part at the Panhellenic games in Limassol. The Cyprus Open Championships where established in 1945 and until 1968, APOEL won all the competitions except one. The Open Championships were abolished in 1968 and they were replaced by Diagoreia, in the memory of the old agent and founding member of APOEL Diagoras Nicolaides. In 1976, all Cypriot clubs suspended the operations of their athletics sections since all athletes joined the provincial associations.
Boxing department
One of APOEL's first departments was boxing. Great athletes of APOEL's boxing were Kovis Ioannides and Petrakis Loizides.
Rugby team
APOEL's rugby team was in the first departments of the club in 1926. The team's operation lasted a few weeks because the current years the dry pitches did not favor the development of sport in Cyprus.
Field hockey team
APOEL's field hockey team was founded before the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and participated in all three Cypriot leagues, which were organized with their greatest rival
AYMA. The team was dissolved in 1949. Players of APOEL's field hockey team in 1930 were P. Savvides, N. Kyriakidis, Chr. Savvides, Chr. Symeonidis, N. Petrides, G. Xenophontos, P. Michaelides, I. Ioannides, K. Tsimmilis, E. Yannakakis and M. Constantinides.
References
External links
APOEL Athletic Football Club – Official websiteAPOEL FC – Official websiteAPOEL Ultras – Official website
{{APOEL Futsal
1926 establishments in Cyprus
Multi-sport clubs in Cyprus
Sport in Nicosia