Olympiacos Water Polo Club

Olympiacos Men's Waterpolo ( el, Ολυμπιακός, ), commonly referred to as Olympiacos, Olympiacos Piraeus or with its full name as Olympiacos CFP, is the men's water polo department of the major Greek multi-sport club, Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus, Greece. The department was founded in 1925, one of the founding members of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, and their home ground is the Papastrateio Pool in Piraeus.

Olympiacos is one of the most successful teams in Europe and a traditional powerhouse of continental water polo, having won 2 LEN Champions Leagues ( 2001–02, 2017–18), 1 LEN Super Cup (2002) and 2 Triple Crowns (2002, 2018), the only Greek club to have been crowned European Champions. They have also been six times runners-up (counting nine European finals overall), three in the LEN Champions League ( 2000–01, 2015–16, 2018–19), two in the LEN Cup Winners' Cup (1997–98, 1998–99) and one more in the LEN Super Cup (2018). In 2001–02, Olympiacos became the first club ever in waterpolo history to win all four competitions they claimed (LEN Champions League, LEN Super Cup, Greek League and Greek Cup), completing a Continental Quadruple. They won their second Continental Quadruple in 2017–18 season (LEN Champions League, Greek League, Greek Cup, Greek Super Cup). After the 2014–15 LEN Euro League win of the women's department, parent club Olympiacos CFP became the second sports club in continental waterpolo history to have been crowned European Champions with both its men's and women's teams and the only one in Europe with both these departments currently active.

Domestically, Olympiacos is the most titled club in Greek water polo history, as the club's 64 domestic titles (67 overall) are the most out of any Greek club. They have won 36 League titles, a record 23 Cups, a record 5 Super Cups and a record 20 Doubles. They are the dominant force since 1992, having set a number of records including a winning streak of 163 straight wins in both the Greek League's regular season and play-offs, which lasted from May 2013 to May 2019. The men's waterpolo department receives great support from the club's large fanbase, as Olympiacos is the most popular sports club in Greece.

Some of the greatest players in the world have played for Olympiacos over the years including: Filip Filipović, Márton Vámos, Maro Joković, Josip Pavić, Giannis Fountoulis, Marko Bijac, Thodoris Chatzitheodorou, Alexandros Papanastasiou, Stelios Argyropoulos, Andro Bušlje, Petar Trbojević, Paulo Obradović, Slobodan Nikić, Stefan Mitrović, Ivan Buljubašić, Konstantinos Mourikis, Teo Đogaš, Mlađan Janović, Nikola Rađen, Makis Voltirakis, Antonis Vlontakis, Nikos Deligiannis, Thodoris Kalakonas, Themis Chatzis, Giannis Thomakos, Giorgos Psychos, Sakis Platanitis, Dimitris Kravaritis, Dimitris Skoumpakis, Vangelis Delakas, Manolis Mylonakis, Tasos Schizas, Giorgos Afroudakis, Christos Afroudakis, Giorgos Ntoskas, Kyriakos Giannopoulos, Nikos Venetopoulos, Chris Humbert, Gavin Arroyo, Albert Español, Jesse Smith, Andrija Komadina, Blai Mallarach, Manolis Zerdevas, Christodoulos Kolomvos, Angelos Vlachopoulos, Dimitris Mazis, Alexandros Gounas, Giorgos Dervisis and Konstantinos Genidounias. Such players, under the guidance of world-class coaches like Nikola Stamenić, Zoltán Kásás, Boris Popov, Dragan Matutinović, Mile Nakić, Thodoris Vlachos and Igor Milanović have made Olympiacos one of the most successful teams in European water polo the last 25 years (only Pro Recco, Jug and Posillipo have won more LEN Champions League titles than Olympiacos since 1993).

History

1925–1945: Early years

Olympiacos men's water polo team was founded in 1925, being one of the first sports departments of Olympiacos CFP that was founded right after the Football team (along with the Athletics and Swimming departments).

In 1927 Olympiacos won the first League title in its history, by defeating Ethnikos Piraeus by a 3–2 scoreline in the final, with players like Nikolaos Kaloudis, Nikolaos Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Emmanouil Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Ioannis Papadakis, Andreas Athanasianos, Siadimas, Kivotos and Kordopatis.Water Polo legends
Olympiacos water polo team in 1927

In 1933 Olympiacos secured their second League title, after a 4–2 win against Ethnikos in the final, with players such as Andreas Kourachanis (goalkeeper), Nikolaos Baltatzis - Mavrokordatos, Takis Provatopoulos, Ioannis Papadakis, Ioannis Isigonis, Andreas Athanasianos and Kivotos. Provatopoulos scored 3 goals and Athanasianos one.

The next season the Red-Whites won a back-to-back League title, by defeating Ethnikos once again with the same 4–2 scoreline in the final. The goals were scored by Provatopoulos (2 goals), Leonidas Alexiou and Isigonis.

In 1936 the team secured their fourth Greek Water Polo League title, this time by defeating K.O. Piraeus with 5–1 in the final.

On 28 October 1940, Fascist Italy invaded Greece, and several Olympiacos players joined the Hellenic Armed Forces to fight against the Axis invaders in World War II. Olympiacos water polo goalkeeper and swimming champion Andreas Kourachanis, was killed in a battle against the Italians. Hellenic Navy Ensign Takis Kontaratos, who was both an Olympiacos water polo player and a midfielder of Olympiacos F.C. as well, was one of the 72 Greek soldiers who were killed in the sinking of Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga by Junkers Ju 88 bombers of LG 1 of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in Lakki harbor of Leros on the morning of 26 September 1943.

1946–1992

After the war, Olympiacos created a very strong team that won 4 Greek League titles from 1947 to 1952 (1947, 1949, 1951, 1952). The 1949 title was won by players like Takis Provatopoulos, Alekos Monastiriotis, Manolis Papadopoulos, Leonidas Alexiou, Christos Oikonomou, Asimakis, Kleoudis, Maragoudakis, Dimitropoulos and Chalas, after a 3–1 win against Ethnikos Piraeus. In 1951 under the guidance of coach Christos Svolopoulos and players like Takis Provatopoulos, Alekos Monastiriotis, Manolis Papadopoulos, Nikos Teleionis, Babis Gerakarakis, Vasilis Ontrias and Asimakis secured the Greek League title after a 6–2 against N.O Mitilinis in the final. The next season, they won their 4th title in 6 years with key players such as Alekos Monastiriotis, Leonidas Alexiou, Nikos Teleionis, Babis Gerakarakis, Nikos Bistis, Vasilis Ontrias and Asimakis.

In 1969, after a 17-year drought, Olympiacos was crowned Greek champions again, under the guidance of coach Makis Charitos and players like Ioannis Palios, Takis Michalos, Periklis Damaskos, Georgios Palikaris, Stathis Sarantos, Vangelis Koskinas, Spyros Tsiminos, Giorgos Venardos, Spyros Ioannidis, Ilias Damaskos and Omiros Polychronopoulos.

In 1971, Olympiacos board hired the world-class head coach Ivo Trumbić ( Hall of Fame inductee in 2014), under whose guidance Olympiacos won the League title in 1971, the 10th Greek League title in the club's history, with a roster of solid Greek players like Ioannis Palios, Takis Michalos, Periklis Damaskos, Georgios Palikaris, Stathis Sarantos, Vangelis Koskinas, Giorgos Venardos, Spyros Ioannidis, Sarantis Sarantos, Ilias Damaskos and Omiros Polychronopoulos.

After the 1971 title, Olympiacos created several strong teams in the following years, like the 1979 team coached by Mile Nakić with players like Stathis Sarantos, Spyros Kapralos, Andreas Gounas, Giorgos Venardos, Spyros Tsiminos, Babis Charalambidis, Nikos Beristianos, Christos Daras and Antonis Karavanos. and later on with solid Greek players like Michalis Kouretas

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