Panserraikos Football Club ( el, Πανσερραϊκός 1964), the ''All-Serres Football Club'', is a
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 ...
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
in
Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...
,
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 ...
. Panserraikos is one of the most important and well-supported clubs in northern
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 ...
and had a near-continuous presence in the
First Division in the 1960s and 70s.
History
Panserraikos was formed in 1946 in
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
, when two local clubs, Apollon and Iraklis, merged. Evangelos Chatziathanasiadis was the first president of Panserraikos, with Angelos Angelousis as honorary president and Theodoros Athanasiadis as vice president. The colors of the club were red and white, which symbolized the great power that came from this historic merger. Leo of Amphipolis was chosen as the brand that showed the strength and warlike virtues of the people of Serrai. Panserraikos participated in the national championships for the first time in the 1964–65 season. Then, they played in the
Beta Ethniki
The Football League ( el, Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super Lea ...
, since both Apollon and Iraklis were playing in this category last season. The dynamics of the newly formed club was huge and so Panserraikos immediately won its promotion to the
Alpha Ethniki
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
, finishing first with a difference of 11 points from the second MENT.
Since their last relegation in
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
the club had been struggling in the
Beta Ethniki
The Football League ( el, Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super Lea ...
, and were even relegated to the
Third Division twice, in 1993 and 1996, yet promptly returning to the second tier on both occasions. The club did come close to promotion a few times, missing out on 5 points in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
and on just one point in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
.
![Lion of Amphipolis BW 2017-10-05 09-38-25](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Lion_of_Amphipolis_BW_2017-10-05_09-38-25.jpg)
In 2008, Panserraikos managed to end a 16-year wait, gaining promotion to the
Greek Super League
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
. Managed by
Giannis Papakostas
Giannis Papakostas ( gr, Γιάννης Παπακώστας) is a Greek football manager. Papakostas began his coaching career at Eleusina and Chalkidona and PAS Giannina that he brought into the semi-final of Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cu ...
, the club had been leading the Second Division table for the most part of the season, even securing a top-three spot with two games to spare – though they had narrowly escaped another relegation in the previous two seasons.
On 4 March 2009, Panserraikos won a historic match 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 ...
in the
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
in Athens for the
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 ...
quarter finals with a score of 3–2 after being up 3–0 for 71 minutes. The first match leg ended at a 0–0 score. This amazing result landed Panserraikos a spot in the final 4 of the Greek Cup where they played against
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 Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
for a spot in the finals. What made this result so special was that many starters for the team were either injured, or suspended. This was Panserraikos' first time in the semifinals of the Greek Cup. However, Panserraikos was relegated and played once again in the
2009–10 Beta Ethniki
2009–10 was a season of Beta Ethniki ( el, Β' Εθνική), the Greek professional football second division (''see Greek football league system'').
Overview
* Atromitos, PAS Giannina and Kavala have earned the promotion to Super League G ...
. After an indifferent start to their Beta Ethniki campaign, their season has now sparked into life after a surprise 3–1 win over giants Olympiakos in the Fourth Round of
2009–10 Greek Cup making it one of their bigger wins in recent history.
Panserraikos finished 5th in
2009–10 Beta Ethniki
2009–10 was a season of Beta Ethniki ( el, Β' Εθνική), the Greek professional football second division (''see Greek football league system'').
Overview
* Atromitos, PAS Giannina and Kavala have earned the promotion to Super League G ...
, but took the 1st place in the play-offs and gained the promotion to the
2010–11 Super League. For one more season in Super League Panserraikos didn't escape the relegation to
2011–12 Football League. After a disappointing season, Panserraikos finished 7th in
2011–12 Football League, and played in
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for the second consecutive season. Panserraikos finished 8th in
2012–13 Football League, but was relegated to the new amateur 3rd Greek Division due to financial problems, after the death of its chairman Petros Theodoridis and a controversial and unsuccessful attempt by his son Lazaros Theodoridis to sell the club to Russian investor Mr. Konstantin Vostrikov, a self-declared business tycoon who was claiming to construct a 10,000-seat stadium. Mr. Vostrikov's faults as president and CEO together with the amateur handlings of his associate Dimitris Troshkov (member of the board) are considered to be the main and only causes of the club's relegation to the amateur 3rd Greek Division.
Crest and colours
The club adopted the Lion of
Amphipolis
Amphipolis ( ell, Αμφίπολη, translit=Amfipoli; grc, Ἀμφίπολις, translit=Amphipolis) is a municipality in the Serres (regional unit), Serres regional unit, Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is ...
as their emblem, because it is one of the most important monuments in
Serres regional unit. Its position is next to the west bank of
Strymon, close to the bridge of Strymon. It was restored on a pedestal in the position where it was discovered, after the completion of the excavation. It is an imposing marble lion in a position of a sited wildcat with its paws up. It is erected just outside
Nea Kerdylia
Nea Kerdylia ( el, Νέα Κερδύλια) is a village in the municipality of Amphipolis. It is located on the national road Thessaloniki - Alexandroupolis and is 50 km away from Nigrita, 70 km from Serres. The village is named after M ...
, on the old national motorway between
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 ...
and
Kavala
Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit.
It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the Egnat ...
. According to some archaeologists, the devastation of the monument took place at the end of the 4th century B.C. It is possible that the monument was destroyed by the Roman conquerors, who in order to take it to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, they broke it into pieces. However, the most probable version, seems to be the one that the Lion was destroyed by the Bulgarians in 1204 A.C. Many different opinions have been expressed for the purpose or the cause of the monument's construction. The most prevalent one was expressed by the Professor of Archeology,
Oscar Broneer __NOTOC__
Oscar Theodore Broneer (December 28, 1894 – February 22, 1992) was a prominent Swedish American educator and archaeologist known in particular for his work on Ancient Greece. He is most associated with his discovery of the Temple of Is ...
who believed that the Lion was erected in honour of
Laomedon of Mytilene
Laomedon (Greek: Λαoμέδων ὁ Μυτιληναῖος; lived during the 4th century BC) was a Greek military commander, native of Mytilene and son of Larichus. He was one of Alexander the Great's generals, and appears to have enjoyed a high ...
, son of Larichus and trusty friend of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
. French archaeologist J. Roger claimed that the monument was erected in honour of
Nearchus
Nearchus or Nearchos ( el, Νέαρχος; – 300 BC) was one of the Greek officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. He is known for his celebrated expeditionary voyage starting from the Indus River, through the Persian Gulf and e ...
, Admiral of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
. Finally, according to another version, the Lion of Amfipolis was erected as a symbolic monument, in order to reflect the tower's power, as it happened with the Lions of
Delos
The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island are ...
.
The typical kit of the team is that of a shirt with red and white vertical stripes, and red shorts and socks. The shirt has taken different forms during the history of the club, for example with thin or wider stripes. The second most common kit is the all-red one or the all-white one.
Stadium
![Panserraikos FC football pitch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Panserraikos_FC_football_pitch.JPG)
The headquarters of Panserraikos are the
Serres Municipal Stadium
The Serres Municipal Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Serres, Greece.It is currently used mostly for football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the wor ...
. As its name implies, it belongs to the Municipality of
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
and has been assigned to the group for its needs. It is one of the oldest courts. It was originally built in 1926 and had a dirt terrain, while there was only one ramp on the west side. The capacity at that time did not exceed the 3,000 standing viewers. After 1964 when Panserraikos was basically founded, the team's need for a better pitch became more imperative. It was preceded in 1972 when the Municipal Stadium of Serres had a record audience of 14,200 in a match of Panserraikos with
AEL. That year our team competed in the Football League and claimed the rise with the Thessalian team. That game had ended with a 1–1 draw, but Panserraikos was the one who eventually became champion.
In 1976, the stadium took its current form in the stands. This year, work was done to build a turf. The stadium of Serres at that time contained 15,000 upright spectators. The facelift continued in an attempt to hide his age in 2005. It was then that 9,500 plastic seats were placed in all the stands. This brought down its capacity as it was natural. Finally, after years of waiting, headlights were installed.
Players
Current squad
Honours
Greek League
**
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
(4): 1964–65, 1971–72, 1979–80,
2007–08
**
Third Division (2): 1993–94,
2014–15
**
Fourth Division (1):
2019–20
Greek Cup
* Semi-finalists of
2008–09 Greek Cup
League history
Sources:
Club records
*Record Attendance: 14,200 vs
Larissa
Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...
,
Beta Ethniki
The Football League ( el, Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super Lea ...
, 25 June 1972
*Record League Home Victory: 6–1 vs
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 ...
,
Alpha Ethniki
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
, 1969
*Record League Away Victory: 9–4 vs
Levadiakos
Levadiakos Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Λεβαδειακός) is a Greek professional football club that plays in the Super League Greece. Based in Livadeia, Greece, the club was promoted to the Alpha Ethniki, forerunner of the Super League, afte ...
,
Beta Ethniki
The Football League ( el, Φούτμπολ Λιγκ) was the second highest professional football league in Greece since its inception in 1962 as ''Beta Ethniki'' and until 2019. It then served as a third tier after the creation of the Super Lea ...
, 29 March 1998
*Highest League Position: 8th in
Alpha Ethniki
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
, seasons 1969–1970 and 1980–1981
*Lowest League Position: 18th in
Alpha Ethniki
The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...
, season 1979–1980
Notable managers
*
Ilie Oană
Ilie Oană (16 August 1918 – 27 April 1993) was a football player and manager who represented and coached the Romania national football team.
Career
Oană was born in Indiana Harbor to Romanian parents who emigrated from Transylvania before ...
*
Vladimír Táborský
*
Ioannis Gounaris
Giannis Gounaris (Greek: Γιάννης Γούναρης; born 6 July 1952) is a Greek retired footballer and coach.
Career
Born in Thessaloniki, Gounaris was a right back who played for PAOK FC and Olympiacos FC in the 1970s and 80s. He earned ...
*
Christos Archontidis
Christos Archontidis ( el, Χρήστος Αρχοντίδης) (26 June 1938 – 22 October 2019) was a Greek football manager.
He managed Korinthos, Greece, Doxa Drama, PAS Giannina, Iraklis, Diagoras, Panachaiki, PAOK, Apollon Smyrnis, ...
*
Nikos Anastopoulos
Nikos Anastopoulos ( el, Νίκος Αναστόπουλος; born 22 January 1958) is a Greek former footballer who was one the most prolific strikers in the Greek league during the 1980s and widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the ...
*
Makis Katsavakis
*
Konstantinos Iosifidis
Konstantinos Iosifidis ( el, Κώστας Ιωσηφίδης; born 14 January 1952) is a retired Greek footballer.
Iosifidis spent his entire career from 1971 to 1985 in PAOK FC, playing as a left back. He is the first player in PAOK FC histor ...
*
Dušan Mitošević
Dušan Mitošević (17 December 1949 – 1 January 2018) was a Serbian football player and manager.
Playing career
Mitošević was a reputable striker during his playing career. He played for FK Radnički Niš in the Yugoslav First League duri ...
*
Lajos Détári
Lajos László Détári (born 24 April 1963) is a Hungarian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. At the height of his career (1984–1994), he was a well-respected player throughout Europe, winning "Player of the Year" ...
*
Giannis Papakostas
Giannis Papakostas ( gr, Γιάννης Παπακώστας) is a Greek football manager. Papakostas began his coaching career at Eleusina and Chalkidona and PAS Giannina that he brought into the semi-final of Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cu ...
*
Hugo Broos
Hugo Henri Broos (born 10 April 1952) is a Belgian association football, football coach (sport), manager and former player. He is the manager of South Africa national soccer team
Playing career
He started his football career in his hometown Hu ...
*
Ángel Pedraza
Ángel Pedraza Lamilla (4 October 1962 – 8 January 2011) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a full back and a central midfielder.
Playing career
Born in La Rinconada, Seville, Andalusia, Pedraza joined FC Barcelona's youth ...
*
Guillermo Ángel Hoyos
Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People
*Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player
*Guillermo Ar ...
*
Dragan Kokotović
Dragan Kokotović (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Кокотовић) is a former Serbian football player who has become a football manager.
Kokotović played most of his career in the Yugoslav First League with FK Rad, but finished after play ...
*
Momčilo Vukotić
Momčilo "Moca" Vukotić (Serbian Cyrillic: Moмчилo Моца Bукoтић; 2 June 19503 December 2021) was a Serbian football coach and player.
He played 14 times for his national team, Yugoslavia, between 1969 and 1974 scoring four goals. ...
*
Josu Uribe
Jesús Uribesalgo Gutiérrez (born 25 May 1969), commonly known as Josu Uribe, is a Spanish football manager.
Club career
Born in Gijón, Asturias, Uribe began coaching at the age of 21, managing youth sides at local Sporting de Gijón.
*
Michalis Grigoriou
Michalis Grigoriou ( gr, Μιχάλης Γρηγορίου; born 19 December 1973) is a Greek professional football manager who is the current manager of Super League club Ionikos.
Playing career
Grigoriou played for Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. at c ...
*
Kostas Vasilakakis
Kostas Vasilakakis ( el, Κώστας Βασιλακάκης; born 27 March 1957) is a Greek Association football, football manager and former association football, footballer. His career began in 1973 at the age of 16 when he signed a contract w ...
*
Paulo Campos
Paulo C. Campos (July 27, 1921 – June 2, 2007) was a Filipino physician and educator noted for his promotion of wider community health care and his achievements in the field of nuclear medicine for which he was dubbed as ''"The Father of Nuclea ...
References
External links
Official websitePanserraikos' supporters "Che Guevara" club
{{Super League Greece teamlist
Association football clubs established in 1946
Serres
1946 establishments in Greece
Multi-sport clubs in Greece
Football clubs in Central Macedonia
Super League Greece 2 clubs