P.A.O.K. Sports Arena ( el, Κλειστό γήπεδο ΠΑΟΚ) is an
indoor arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
located in
Pylaia, Thessaloniki
Pylaia ( el, Πυλαία) is a former municipality in the Thessaloniki Prefecture of Greece. In the 2011 local government reform, Thessaloniki Prefecture became the regional unit of Thessaloniki (without boundary changes), and Pylaia became a par ...
, Greece, and it hosts the
men's basketball,
women's basketball
Women's basketball is the team sport of basketball played by women. It began being played in 1892, one year after men's basketball, at Smith College in Massachusetts. It spread across the United States, in large part via women's college compet ...
,
men's volleyball and
women's volleyball departments of the
multi-sports 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 ...
PAOK.
PAOK Sports Arena is the largest privately owned arena in Greece. It was opened in 2000, and in the same year, it hosted the
EuroLeague and
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most im ...
final-fours. It is built on land donated by Ioannis Dedeoglou, for which P.A.O.K. B.C. holds an annual tournament in his honor. It has 8,142
[PAOK Sports Arena](_blank)
/ref> seats for fans and 502 parking spots.
PAOK's volleyball department had to wait until 2002, to begin using the stadium. The arena also includes a training facility, club offices, shops, and a museum dedicated to PAOK basketball club. The arena was renovated in 2016.
Most of people usually call the arena "Palatáki" ( el, "Παλατάκι", which means ''"little palace"''), due to its comforts and modern construction.
Directions to the stadium
The arena is located in southeast Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, Greece, in the Pylaia
Pylaia ( el, Πυλαία) is a former municipality in the Thessaloniki Prefecture of Greece. In the 2011 local government reform, Thessaloniki Prefecture became the regional unit of Thessaloniki (without boundary changes), and Pylaia became a par ...
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
, 7 km from the city centre, and around 1 km from Thessaloniki's International Airport. The arena lies 300 meters off the junction, on a small hill. OASTH's bus lines #2 (starts from KTEL) and #3 (starts from New Thessaloniki Railway Station
The New Thessaloniki Railway Station ( el, Νέος Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Θεσσαλονίκης, ''Neos Sidirodromikos Stathmos Thessalonikis'') is the main central passenger railway station and terminal of Thessalonik ...
) provide public transport to the arena. In the longer term, the stadium will also serve the Thessaloniki Metro
The Thessaloniki Metro ( el, Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης, ', ) is an underground rapid-transit system under construction in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Estimates for the cost of the megaproject are €1.62 billion ...
with the Anotera Scholi Polemou metro station, which is planned to be near the arena.
Construction of PAOK Sports Arena
P.A.O.K. B.C.
P.A.O.K. B.C. ( el, Κ.Α.Ε. Π.Α.Ο.Κ., Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, ''Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinopolitón'', "Pan-Thessalonikian Athletic Cl ...
had to wait 10 years from the laying of the arena's foundations (on March 18, 1990), and 12 years from the time Ioannis Dedeoglou donated the land (June 17, 1988), until the sports arena was complete.
Ioannis and his brother, Thanasis Dedeoglou, first began to think about a new major European sports arena in Thessaloniki in 1991, by donating land to PAOK. A proposal to host the 2000 FIBA EuroLeague Final Four
The 2000 FIBA EuroLeague Final Four was the FIBA EuroLeague Final Four tournament of the 1999–2000 season. It was the second to last edition of the FIBA EuroLeague Final Fours that were organized by FIBA Europe. For the next edition of the tou ...
in the new arena, increased the motivation to complete the stadium. FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which includes all 50 national European basketball federations. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIBA Euro ...
accepted the offer, and the construction was finished in time. The stadium also hosted, earlier that year, the 2000 Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most im ...
Final Four, as its first major event.
Events held
First Ioannis Dedeoglou Tournament
The first tournament took place in 2004, and four teams competed. They were Hemofarm, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...
, PAOK, and Ülker
Ülker is a Turkish multinational food and beverage manufacturer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Its products are exported internationally, to 110 countries. Ülker's core products are biscuits, cookies, crackers, and chocolates, although it has ex ...
. The first games took place on September 24, 2004, in which Panathinaikos won against Hemofarm, by a score of 83–79, while PAOK beat Ülker
Ülker is a Turkish multinational food and beverage manufacturer based in Istanbul, Turkey. Its products are exported internationally, to 110 countries. Ülker's core products are biscuits, cookies, crackers, and chocolates, although it has ex ...
, by a score of 77–57. The very next day, Hemofarm vs. Ulker and PAOK vs. Panathinaikos took place, to decide who would earn the final positions. Hemofarm beat Ulker by a score of 84–74, for its third-place finish, and PAOK beat Panathinaikos in a close game, by a score of 79–76, for first place.
Second Ioannis Dedeoglou Tournament
The second tournament was held in September 2005. The teams that participated were AEK
A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelf ...
, FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
, Red Star Belgrade
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
, and PAOK. On the first day of the tournament, fans got to see a Greek derby between PAOK and AEK, which PAOK won by a score of 77–72. The next game of the day took place between Barcelona and Red Star, in which Barcelona won 77–67. The following day, AEK was pitted against Red Star, and lost 54–75. The final was a real feast for the eyes, as it finished with both teams tied at 87 points; it was a great game, in which Barcelona ended up beating PAOK, in overtime, by a score of 102–101.
2000 Thessaloniki EuroLeague Final Four
PAOK Sports Arena hosted the 2000 Thessaloniki FIBA EuroLeague Final Four.
Semifinals
* Panathinikos Athens (GRE) – Efes Pilsen ( TUR) 81–71
*Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
(ISR) – FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
(ESP
ESP most commonly refers to:
* Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability
ESP may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment Music
* ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars
* E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...
) 65–51
Third place game
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded ...
(Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
) – Efes Pilsen 69–75 (Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
)
Final
*Panathinaikos Athens
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club b ...
(Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
) – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
(Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
) 73–67
CEV Champions League
PAOK Sports Arena hosted the 2004–05 CEV Champions League
The 2004–05 CEV Champions League was the 46th edition of the highest level European volleyball club competition organised by the European Volleyball Confederation.
League round
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Play ...
, which took place from 26 to 27 March 2005.
Concerts
A number of concerts also take place in the arena. Artists that have performed at the arena include the Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
and Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...
.
On the 18 September 2010, The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
performed at the arena, with an attendance of 10,000 people. Moreover, on 27 October 2019 Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...
' concert was sold.metrosport.gr Sold out η συναυλία του Ενρίκε Ιγκλέσιας στο «PAOK Sports Arena»
/ref>
Arena info
*The arena's inaugural game was the 2000 Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most im ...
semifinal between AEK Athens
A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greece, Greek multi-sport club based in Nea ...
and Maroussi
Marousi or Maroussi ( el, Μαρούσι, also Αμαρούσιο ''Amarousio'') is a suburb in the northeastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Marousi dates back to the era of the ancient Athenian Republic; its ancient name was Athmon ...
. AEK
A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelf ...
won the game, and subsequently went on to win the Greek Cup title.
*The arena's first game featuring PAOK, took place on May 17, 2000, against Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...
.
*Maroussi
Marousi or Maroussi ( el, Μαρούσι, also Αμαρούσιο ''Amarousio'') is a suburb in the northeastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Marousi dates back to the era of the ancient Athenian Republic; its ancient name was Athmon ...
player, Anatoly Zourpenko, scored the first points that were scored inside PAOK Sports Arena.
*PAOK Sports Arena is the largest privately owned arena in Greece, that has been regularly used to host basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
games at one time or another. The Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall
The O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall (honorarily named ''Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall'' since 2016), which is a part of the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (O.A.C.A.) «Spyros Louis» ( el, O.A.K.A. «Σπύρος Λούης»), was completed i ...
, the Peace and Friendship Stadium
The Peace and Friendship Stadium ( el, Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας, Stadio Eirinis kai Philias), commonly known by its acronym SEF, is a multi-purpose indoor arena that is located in Piraeus, on the coastal zone of Attica, Gre ...
, and the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall
Ano Liosia Olympic Hall is a multi-purpose and multi-sport indoor arena that is located in Ano Liosia, a suburb of Athens, Greece. The arena was mainly used to host various martial arts tournaments but from 2021 its used by AEK B.C. for its home ...
(the home arenas of Panathinaikos Athens
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club b ...
, Olympiacos Piraeus, and AEK Athens
A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greece, Greek multi-sport club based in Nea ...
) are larger, yet they are the property of the Greek state. Hellinikon Olympic Arena
The Hellinikon Olympic Indoor Arena was a multi-use sports indoor arena that was located in Elliniko, Athens, Greece. It was a part of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex, and it was located adjacent to the Helliniko Fencing Hall. It was approximat ...
(previously the home arena of Panionios Nea Smyrni) is also larger, when it's in full capacity configuration, but it is also owned by the Greek state.
Gallery
File:PAOK Sports Arena .jpg, PAOK Sports Arena's Interior
File:PAOK Sports Arena.jpg, PAOK Sports Arena's Interior
File:Paok-sports-arena-2008.jpg, Game between PAOK and Aris, in April 2008
See also
*List of indoor arenas in Greece
The following is a list of indoor arenas in Greece, ordered by seating capacity.
Current arenas
See also
*Basketball in Greece
*List of indoor arenas in Europe
References
{{World topic, List of indoor arenas in, noredlinks=y, title=List o ...
References
External links
Info on the arena at stadia.gr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paok Sports Arena
Basketball venues in Greece
Handball venues in Greece
Indoor arenas in Greece
Sports venues completed in 2000
Sports venues in Thessaloniki
Volleyball venues in Greece