PAOK F.C. 887670 225914483 2008-07-16T00:09:35Z 77.83.206.181 /* Current squad */ {{Football club infobox | clubname=PAOK FC| image = [[Image:paoklogo.svg|160px|logo]]| fullname = ''Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κώνσταντινουπολητων| founded = 1926| nickname = ''Dikefalos tou Vorra''(Double-headed eagle of the north)| ground = [[Toumba Stadium]]| capacity = 28,701 | chairman = {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Thodoris Zagorakis]] | manager = {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Fernando Santos (Portuguese footballer)|Fernando Santos]] | league = [[Super League Greece]] <br> ''(Σούπερ Λίγκα Ελλάδα)''| season = [[Super League Greece 2007-08|2007-08]] | position = Super League, '''9th'''| pattern_la1=_black_stripes|pattern_b1=_blackstripes|pattern_ra1=_black_stripes| leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF| pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=| leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF| }} '''PAOK FC''' ({{lang-el|Π.Α.Ο.Κ. - Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινουπολιτών}} - '''Panthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton'''), ''Panthessalonikios Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans'', is a [[Greece|Greek]] [[Football (soccer)|association football]] club located in [[Thessaloniki]], [[Greece]]. The club currently competes in the [[Super League Greece]]. ==History== ===The foundation & 1930s=== [[paok]] is the historical continuation of the '''Hermes''' ({lang|el|Ερμής}} - '''Ermis''') Sports Club, which was formed in 1875 by the Greek community of pera-dwthe, a district of [[Constantinople]]. It was the need of Constantinople's Greek residents to express and support their Greek spirit within [[Turkey]] that led to the creation of this club. The club won cup after cup proving that although the Greeks were a minority they continued to have a strong presence in the sporting sector. However, that situation did not last long and most players were forced to flee leaving behind a team consisting of residents of Constantinople renamed Politakia. Those who fled settled in Thessaloniki and in 1926 established PAOK which translated means the Panthessalonikan Athletic Club of Constantinople. A two headed Chicken combined with mourning black and white, a window onto the future, symbolizing their struggle for tomorrow and the victories they intended to win. This club history stretching back to the 19th century in effect makes PAOK one of Greece's oldest athletic clubs. <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Paok-clover-emblem.jpg|250px|right|thumb|[[Original emblem]]]] --> The club's first charter was approved on 20 April 1926 by means of decision of the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (No. 822).PAOK's first [[emblem]] adopted in 1926 was a four-leaved clover and a horseshoe. The leaves were green with the letters PAOK marked on each of them, a symbol devised by Kostas Koemtzopoulos (president of Pera Club) who took the idea from a packet of cigarettes he smoked. The club's founding members were: {| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | *T. Triantafyllidis (1st [[Chairman]]), F. Vyzantinos (2nd Chairman), A. Angelopoulos, A. Athanasiadis, K. Anagnostidis, M. Ventourellis, A. Dimitriadis, D. Dimitriadis, N. Zoumboulidis, M. Theodosiadis, T. Ioakimopoulos, P. Kalpaktsoglou, T. Kartsambekis, D. Koemtzopoulos, K. Koemtzopoulos, P. Kontopoulos, K. Kritikos, M. Konstantinidis, P. Maletskas, I. Nikolaidis, L. Papadopoulos, F. Samantzopoulos, T. Tsoulkas, M. Tsoulkas, S. Triantafyllidis After 2 months of preparation by the team following the club's establishment it was decided that the team should compete against the other teams in [[Thessaloniki]]. The first match of the club was a win against [[Iraklis Thessaloniki]] on 26 July 1925 by 2-1. Two weeks later PAOK lost 5-2 to their worst rivals, [[Aris Thessaloniki|Aris]]. The vision of the club's founders and the whole PAOK community of establishing a home ground became reality in 1928 following much effort and thus on December 12, 1930 the Syntrivaniou Football Ground was officially opened. This was followed by a friendly match against Aris with PAOK winning 2-1. The first professional contract was a document of historic importance. It was signed by the Club on 5 September 1928. The contract stipulated that the footballer Etien who had come from the Constantinople club Peraclub would be paid 4,000 [[drachma]]s per month. The contract was singed by Dr. Meletiou (PAOK Chairman) and Mr. Sakellaropoulos, Hon. Secretary. Until March 20, 1929 the two clubs were rivals, competing against each other although both had been established by [[refugees]] from Constantinople. It was the Chairman of AEK Thessaloniki's which had been established in 1924-25 by the first wave of refugees who had come to Thessaloniki from Constantinople in 1922, Dr. Musa, who brokered the merger between Thessaloniki's two refugee teams. Following the merger with AEK Thessaloniki's in 1929, PAOK changed its emblem. The new emblem became the [[Double-headed eagle]], which it remains to this day, and symbolizes the arrival of the club and the return to the roots and heritage of the refugees ([[Byzantium]] and Constantinople). The [[Double-headed eagle]] holds a sword and a crown, with its two heads looking East and West. The difference between this emblem and that of [[AEK Athens F.C.|AEK Athens]], (which is also the symbol of the Eastern Orthodox Church), is that PAOK's emblem has its wings folded and the colours are black and white (as opposed to AEK Athens Spread wings in yellow and black, signifying mourning for expulsion from the homeland. The first foreign coach in the history of the team was the German Rudolph Ganser, who served with PAOK for the 1931-1932 season. ===1940s, 1950s &1960s - First accomplishments=== [[Image:Dayforball.JPG|250px|right|thumb|In the foreground: Gates 4, 5, 6 <br /> In the background: Urban Areas of [[Toumba]], [[Triandria]], [[Eptapyrghion]]]] Following [[World War II]] and the German Occupation of Greece, the team known as the ‘Two-Headed Eagle of the North’ entered upon a shining chapter in its career starting at the beginning of the 1950s. Willi, an [[Austrian]] coach (1950-1952) who had worn the PAOK jersey in 1931-1932 established a young talent academy within the club which gave rise to leading names who later left their mark such as Leandros, Symeonidis, Giannelos, Margaritis, Giorgos Havanidis, and others. 1953 marked the beginning of PAOK's golden age. During the summer transfer period, Kouiroukidis, Petridis, Progios, Geroudis, Kemanidis, Hourvouliadis, Hasiotis and Angelidis all joined the club. PAOK became all-powerful, winning the Thessaloniki championship for 3 successive years and becoming a worthy representative of Greece's second largest city in the national championship. The legendary trio Yientzis, Kouiroukidis and Papadakis went down in history! During 1957 the club managers envisioned a new football ground worthy of the team's performance since the old ground had been annexed by the state. The search for a site led to the choice of a piece of land belonging to the National Defence Fund in the Toumba neighbourhood of eastern Thessaloniki, which in addition to offering unlimited free space was also an area closely associated with refugees from [[Asia Minor]]. A total area of 30,000 [[Square metre|x<sup>2</sup>]] was acquired by PAOK for a significant price, and construction of the new football ground began. Lottery tickets were even issued to aid construction of the new stadium, which was eventually opened on 6 September 1959 by the [[minister (government)|Minister]] of [[National Defence]], Mr. G. Themelis. Before the first kick off an [[Air Force]] plane dropped a ball on a fly-past as a symbolic donation from the armed forces. Thanks to its new, large football ground, PAOK was ready to start a brilliant career which has lasted to this day, starting with the 1st Division established in October 1959. At the opening of the 1st Division's first championship on 25 October 1959 PAOK welcomed the [[Katerini]] team [[Megas Alexandros]] beating them 3-1. The team line-up was as follows: Zarko Michailovic ([[Yugoslavia]]n) and Progios, Hasiotis, Raptopoulos, Giannelos, Kemanidis, Havanidis, Leandros, Kiourtzis, Kouiroukidis, Salousto and Nikolaidis. The success of the 50s was followed by a decade during which PAOK had an average performance. One could say that it was as if it were building up its strength in the 60s to unleash it during the 1970s. ===1970s - Rise of the [[Double-headed eagle|Double-Headed Eagle]] of the North=== The team became established as one of the best ever to play at Greek football grounds with players whose names became legendary for the Greek football. It was a team which set several records. During that time, when the democratic [[political system]] had collapsed (1967-1974), PAOK was not only a football power, but it also became an anti[[dictatorship]] power and Toumba stadium a place where the citizens-fans used Anti-[[junta]] [[slogan]]s. PAOK managed to strike a blow to the traditional football powers of [[Athens]], winning the [[Super League Greece|Championship]] in [[1975-76 in Greek football|1976]] and the [[Greek football Cup|Cup]] twice, in [[1971-72 in Greek football|1972]] and [[1973-74 in Greek football|1974]]. In Europe, PAOK made their best performance ever, qualifying for the quarter finals of the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] in [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1973-74|1973-74]], where they were knocked out by the [[Italy|Italian]] team [[A.C. Milan]]. In PAOK in 1976 Gate 4 was created. ===1980s and 1990s - Golden years and slow decline=== [[Image:PAOK-gavro.jpg|250px|right|thumb|During another sold-out football match - Although outbreaks of [[hooliganism]] have almost disappeared, [[police]] forces are on standby during [[Local derby|derby matches]]]] PAOK's excellent performance continued during the 1980s with very few unsuccessful seasons. The high point came mid-decade when the team won its second Greek Championship in 1985, its first title since Greek football turned professional. Another characteristic of the '80's was the excessive [[fanaticism]] of the fans, which reached levels of [[Hooliganism]] never seen before yet began to move beyond [[Greece]] becoming a Europe-wide phenomenon. However, the obsession shown by fans also had a downside, translating in quite a few cases into episodes which entailed penalties being imposed on the club. At European level, PAOK made a memorable appearance against [[Bayern Munich]], where it was knocked out on penalties, possibly one of the best-ever performances by a Greek team in a European cup. The 1990s started well with PAOK firmly among the top three teams in [[Greece]]. However, it was stigmatized by an extremely average-to-poor team performance under the chairmanship of Thomas Voulinos, who came into direct conflict with the fan club following serious [[Hooliganism]] episodes during a PAOK – [[Paris St. Germain]] match in [[UEFA Cup]], which led to PAOK's exclusion from [[UEFA]] European competitions for 5 years and very soon to financial ruin. In 1996 the change long demanded by PAOK fans came about. Voulinos handed over the reins of the club to Giorgos Batatoudis and an air of optimism was tangible everywhere in [[Thessaloniki]]. Numerous transfers of well-known players such as Zisis Vryzas, Spyros Marangos, Kostas Fratzeskos and others took place from the first season under new management. In 1997 PAOK eventually found a place in the [[UEFA Cup]] and team coach Angelos Anastasiadis (a legendary PAOK footballer from the past) made his debut on the PAOK bench. The team's reappearance at European level was marked by the team's appetite for wins. After the elimination of legendary team [[Arsenal FC]] with a 1-0 win in [[Toumba Stadium]] and a 1-1 draw at Arsenal's home ground historic [[Highbury]] stadium. PAOK was eliminated on the next round by the then powerful [[Atlético Madrid]]. The following year Anastasiadis was dismissed and [[Oleg Blokhin]] took his place only for a few months, as fans demanded the urgent return of Anastasiadis. He stayed for a season, was then succeeded by Ari Haan and then in December by [[Dusan Bajevic]] who took over the reins. ===2000s up to 2006=== [[Image:PAOK2007.JPG|250px|right|thumb|[[Toumba Stadium]]]] PAOK had firmly established its position among the teams that play in Europe every year but that was no longer enough. A place in the [[UEFA Champions League]] was the next target. The team's next steps were taken in 2001 with a win in the [[Greek Cup]] after 25 years in an unforgettable final against Olympiacos. Playing at Nea Philadelphia, Athens, PAOK thrashed the then champions 2-4. However, financial problems continued to plague the club and the team started to underachieve. Angelos Anastasiadis returned to the PAOK bench as coach in the summer of 2002. The season led to winning of yet another Cup (the second in the last three years) at the Toumba Stadium by defeating arch-rivals Aris 1-0. Nevertheless, the following season PAOK - under the excellent management of Anastasiadis and although in accordance to a tight financial policy (in order to decrease it's debts) many key players left over the summer (Georgiadis, Okkas, Kafes) - managed to secure its participation in the qualifying rounds of following year's Champions League by finishing third in the championship. Despite great optimism among PAOK fans, the team failed to qualify for the 2004-2005 [[UEFA Champions League]] group stage, as they were knocked out by [[Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] after the Greek club fielded a suspended player (Liassos Louka, a Cypriot midfield player who was still serving a two-match ban for his sending-off in a UEFA Intertoto Cup tie for former club Nea Salamis FC against FK [[Austria Wien]] on 8 July 2000) during the 1-2 [[UEFA Champions League]] third qualifying round first-leg defeat by the Israeli team. PAOK was punished with 3-0 loss and didn't manage to "turn the tables" in the second leg match (4-0 aggregate loss). After several more bad results, manager Anastasiadis resigned. ===2007 - A new beginning=== In the summer of 2007, [[Theodoros Zagorakis]] became the new chairman of the club replacing the hated [[Yiannis Goumenos]] and thus ushered in a new era. One of the first actions was to create a plan for tackling PAOK's massive crippling debts and bring in an established manager in the form of [[Fernando Santos (Portuguese footballer)|Fernando Santos]]. In addition to that [[Zisis Vryzas]] decided to retire in the middle of the [[Super League Greece 2007-08|2007-08]] season and on January 6, 2008 played his last game. On the following day Vryzas became the [[Technical Manager]] of PAOK FC.On June 27, 2008 Zagorakis announced that a new training center is going to be built in Nea Mesimvria, 10 min from Thessaloniki. ==European campaigns== [[Image:PAOKscores.JPG|250px|right|thumb|PAOK fans of Gate4 after their team has just scored [http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=40.613887&lon=22.972412&z=17&l=14&m=a&v=2]]] PAOK FC have played in the [[UEFA Cup]] and the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] on many occasions, and made a name for themselves, both for their fanatically obsessed fans, and for eliminating a handful of European teams. PAOK's best Cup Winner's cup performance was in the 1973/74 season, when PAOK reached the quarter finals of the competition. Eliminating [[Legia Warsaw]] and [[Olympique Lyonnais]] on the way, PAOK were finally eliminated by [[A.C. Milan]]. After a 3-0 defeat at the [[San Siro]],PAOK was confined to a thrilling 2-2 draw at [[Toumba Stadium]]. Milan would later reach the final, only to lose it to [[1. FC Magdeburg]]. PAOK's most memorable appearance in the [[UEFA cup]] was on September the 30th, 1997, when PAOK managed to qualify to the second round at the expense of [[Arsenal FC]]. Having won by a single goal in Thessaloniki, PAOK was facing the prospect of going into extra time with 10 men and in foreign ground, with Arsenal leading 1-0 in Highbury with an early goal by [[Dennis Bergkamp]]. Yet three minutes from the end, a great individual effort from [[Zisis Vryzas]] provided the equaliser and PAOK qualified by 2-1 on aggregate. Yet the club was eliminated in the second round by [[Atletico Madrid]] (5-2 in Madrid and 4-4 in Thessaloniki) in a tie that was marked by the two spectacular free-kicks scored by PAOK's specialist, [[Kostas Frantzeskos]], both home and away. PAOK's last good UEFA Cup campaign was in the 2001/2002 season, reaching the third round, only to be eliminated at the hands of [[PSV|PSV Eindhoven]]. Having eliminated [[FC Kärnten]] (4-0 on aggregate) and [[FK Marila Příbram]] (4-3 on aggregate), PAOK managed to defeat PSV in Toumba by 3-2. Yet they were defeated 4-1 in the return leg at Eindhoven, leaving them two goals behind on aggregate, in a night that PAOK fans ponder as full of missed chances. This was the second time in two years that PAOK was eliminated in the competition by PSV. PAOK FC holds the record for the most consecutive [[UEFA Cup]] appearances, having qualified for the [[UEFA Cup]] ten times in a row from 1995 to 2005. This record was broken in 2006, as PAOK were banned by [[UEFA]] from taking part in the [[UEFA Cup 2006-07|2006-07]] season of the UEFA Cup, because of the club's long-unsettled debts. ==Gate 4== The phenomenom started in 1976. The fanbase of Gate 4 derives its name, quite literally, from the stadium's fourth gate. It is always occupied by [[ultras]], known for their ruthlessness and intense love for the club. They've caused many upsets in Greece and Europe making them one of the most feared fans in Europe. They have a bad reputation but this only motivates them even more. The incident with [[Paris St. Germain]] in the 1992-1993 UEFA cup season resulted in a ban from European competitions. This was one of many violent incidents surrounding Gate 4. They have a very close bond with the [[Grobari]], the fans from Serbian side Partizan Belgrade. Helping each other in major clashes against rival clubs, the bond between the two groups surpasses friendship. They consider themselves to be Balkan-brothers. Gate 4 are being noticed by UEFA as the worst hooligans of Europe. ==Honours== '''Domestic''' *'''[[Super League Greece|Greek Championships]]''' : '''Winners''' ('''2'''): 1976, 1985 : '''Runners-up''' ('''2'''): 1973,1978 *'''[[Greek football Cup|Greek Cup]]''' : '''Winners''' ('''4'''): 1972, 1974, 2001, 2003 : '''Runners-up''' ('''12''')*: 1939, 1951, 1955, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1992 (*) Record ==Current squad== ''Source: [http://www.paokfc.gr/squad.jsp Official Squad Information (in Greek)]'' {{Fs start}} {{Fs player|no=1|nat=Greece|name=[[Konstantinos Chalkias]]|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=2|nat=Greece|name=[[Nikos Arabatzis]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=3|nat=Greece|name=[[Pantelis Konstantinidis]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=5|nat=Greece|name=[[Christos Melissis]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=7|nat=Portugal|name=[[Sérgio Conceição]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=8|nat=Greece|name=[[Stelios Iliadis]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=9|nat=Greece|name=[[Ilias Anastasakos]]|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=10|nat=Côte d'Ivoire|name=[[Ibrahima Bakayoko]]|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=13|nat=Greece|name=[[Stelios Malezas]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=15|nat=Chile|name=[[Pablo Contreras]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=18|nat=Greece|name=[[Lambros Vangelis]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs mid}} {{Fs player|no=20|nat=Portugal|name=[[Vieirinha]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=21|nat=Serbia|name=[[Vladimir Ivić]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=22|nat=Argentina|name=[[Ricardo Matias Verón]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=23|nat=Greece|name=[[Vasilis Lakis]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=25|nat=Greece|name=[[Sotiris Balafas]]|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=27|nat=Poland|name=[[Mirosław Sznaucner]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=28|nat=Greece|name=[[Stefanos Athanasiadis]]|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=34|nat=Greece|name=[[Vangelis Georgiou]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=40|nat=Greece|name=[[Dimitris Kyriakidis]]|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=77|nat=Greece|name=[[Panagiotis Glikos]]|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=-|nat=Brazil|name=[[Marcos Antonio Elias Santos]]|pos=DF}} {{Fs end}} === Players out on loan === *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Stelios Delibasis]] to [[Agrotikos Asteras]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Giannis Pechlivanis]] to [[Agrotikos Asteras]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Stavros Tsoulakos]] to [[Panserraikos F.C.]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Kostantinos Manousaridis]] to [[Panserraikos F.C.]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Ioannis Voskopoulos]] to [[Panserraikos F.C.]] *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Hussein Mumin]] to [[Panetolikos F.C.]] ==Notable players== {{col-begin-small}} {{col-3}} ;Greece * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Zisis Vryzas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Theodoros Zagorakis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Koudas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Stelios Venetidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Georgiadis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Kostas Iosifidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Kostas Frantzeskos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Nikos Alavantas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Kostikos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Michalis Leontiadis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Stavros Sarafis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Sotiris Mavromatis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Mitsimbonas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Kostas Orfanos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Lakis Papaioannou]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Koulis Apostolidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giannis Damanakis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vasilis Georgopoulos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giannis Gounaris]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Stefanos Borbokis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vasilis Borbokis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Pantelis Kafes]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Spyros Marangos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Christos Dimopoulos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Aris Karasavvidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Panagiotis Katsouris]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Panagiotis Kermanidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Pantelis Konstantinidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Konstantinos Lagonidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Dimitris Salpigidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Skartados]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Christos Terzanidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Toursounidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Konstantinos Chalkias]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Nikos Mihopoulos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vasilis Lakis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Lazaros Christodoulopoulos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Pantelis Konstantinidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Christos Maladenis]] {{col-3}} ;Argentina * [[Image:Flag of Argentina.svg|20px]] [[Patricio Camps]] * [[Image:Flag of Argentina.svg|20px]] [[Ricardo Matias Verón]] ;Bosnia and Herzegovina * [[Image:Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg|20px]] [[Rade Paprica]] ;Brazil * [[Image:Flag of Brazil.svg|20px]] [[Neto Guerino]] * [[Image:Flag of Brazil.svg|20px]] [[Marcos António Elias Santos]] ;Cameroon * [[Image:Flag of Cameroon.svg|20px]] [[Armando Feuchine]] ;Chile * [[Image:Flag of Chile.svg|20px]] [[Pablo Contreras]] ;Colombia * [[Image:Flag of Colombia.svg|20px]] [[Adolfo Valencia]] ;Cote d'Ivoire * [[Image:Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg|20px]] [[Ibrahima Bakayoko]] ;Croatia * [[Image:Flag of Croatia.svg|20px]] [[Tonci Gabric]] ;Cyprus * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Yiasoumis Yiasoumi]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Ioannis Okkas]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Panayiotis Engomitis]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Elias Charalambous]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Alexandros Garpozis]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Liasos Louka]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Stefanos Voskaridis]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Christos Vellis]] * [[Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg|20px]] [[Constantinos Charalambides]] ;Czechoslovakia * [[Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg|20px]] [[Milan Luhový]] ;Egypt * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Hossam Hassan]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Ibrahim Hassan]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Abdel Sattar Sabry]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Magdy Tolba]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Shikabala]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Taha]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Amir Azmy]] ;England * [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]] [[Paul Bannon]] * [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]] [[Micky Quinn]] * [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]] [[Mike Small]] {{col-3}} ;Georgia * [[Image:Flag of Georgia.svg|20px]] [[Omari Tetradze]] ;Guatemala * [[Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg|20px]] [[Milton Núñez]] ;Holland * [[Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|20px]] [[Frans van Rooy]] * [[Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg|20px]] [[Maurice van Ham]] ;Hungary * [[Image:Flag of Hungary.svg|20px]] [[Sándor Torghelle]] ;Italy * [[Image:Flag of Italy.svg|20px]] [[Mirko Taccola]] ;Liberia * [[Image:Flag of Liberia.svg|20px]] [[Joe Nagbe]] ;Nigeria * [[Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg|20px]] [[Ifeanyi Udeze]] ;Peru * [[Image:Flag of Peru.svg|20px]] [[Percy Olivares]] * [[Image:Flag of Peru.svg|20px]] [[Paul Cominges]] ;Poland * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Marcin Mięciel]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Marek Koźmiński]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Mariusz Kukiełka]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Radosław Majdan]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Grzegorz Szamotulski]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Leszek Pisz]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Mirosław Sznaucner]] ;Portugal * [[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|20px]] [[Sergio Conceicao]] * [[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|20px]] [[Daniel Marcio Fernandes]] ;Romania * [[Image:Flag of Romania.svg|20px]] [[Chausila]] ;Russia * [[Image:Flag of Russia.svg|20px]] [[Chernisov]] ;Serbia * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Goran Gavrancic]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Ivica Iliev]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Vladimir Ivic]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Ivan Jurisic]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Mladen Furtula]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Sladjan Spasic]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Slobodan Krčmarević]] ;South Africa * [[Image:Flag of South Africa.svg|20px]] [[Glen Salmon]] ;Turkey * [[Image:Flag of Turkey.svg|20px]] [[Fatih Akyel]] {{col-end}} ==Famous players== {{col-begin-small}} {{col-3}} * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Theodoros Zagorakis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Koudas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Zisis Vryzas]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Georgiadis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Dimitris Salpigidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Kostas Frantzeskos]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Pantelis Kafes]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vassilis Lakis]] * [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Stelios Venetidis]] * [[Image:Flag of Croatia.svg|20px]] [[Tonci Gabric]] * [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Hossam Hassan]] * [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]] [[Micky Quinn]] * [[Image:Flag of Chile.svg|20px]] [[Pablo Contreras]] * [[Image:Flag of Colombia.svg|20px]] [[Adolfo Valencia]] * [[Image:Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg|20px]] [[Ibrahima Bakayoko]] * [[Image:Flag of Georgia.svg|20px]] [[Omari Tetradze]] * [[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|20px]] [[Sergio Conceicao]] * [[Image:Flag of Poland.svg|20px]] [[Leszek Pisz]] * [[Image:Flag of Serbia.svg|20px]] [[Goran Gavrancic]] * [[Image:Flag of Turkey.svg|20px]] [[Fatih Akyel]] {{col-end}} ==Notable coaches== Many famous coaches both Greeks and foreigners have served PAOK throughout its rich history. Some of the most important and successful are the following: *{{flagicon|Greece}} [[Angelos Anastasiadis]] Greek Cup Winner 2003 with PAOK *{{flagicon|Serbia}} [[Dušan Bajević]] Greek Cup Winner 2001 with PAOK *{{flagicon|Austria}} [[Walter Skocik]] Greek League Champion 1985 with PAOK *{{flagicon|Hungary}} [[Gyula Lorant]] Greek League Champion 1976 with PAOK *{{flagicon|England}} [[Les Shannon]] Greek Cup Winner 1972 and 1974 with PAOK ==Managerial executives== PAOK Board of Directors *President [[Theodoros Zagorakis]] *Deputy Director [[Ilias Violidis]] *Financial Director Ioannis Papadopoulos *Technical Director [[Zisis Vryzas]] *Assistant Director [[Andreas Mandrinos]] *Organisation Director [[Panagiotis Pikilidis]] ==Sponsorship== ===Main sponsors=== ''' {| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | *Main Sponsor: ΔΕΠΑ ([[DEPA]]) *Main Sponsor: [[Puma AG|Puma]] *Main Sponsor: [[Citibank]] *Main Sponsor: LanNet *Main Sponsor: Mexil | *Official Sponsor: Iliadis Constr. *Official Sponsor: PAOK [[Mastercard]] *Official Sponsor: [[Vodafone]] *Official Sponsor: [[Amstel]] *Sponsor: [[Gatorade]] | *Sponsor: [[Skoda]] Gianniris *Sponsor: Entersoft *Sponsor: Σουρωτή ([[Souroti]]) *Sponsor: Jet Oil *Sponsor: Papathanasiou | *Sponsor: Drive Rent a Car *Sponsor: [[Ford]] Vrohidis *Sponsor: Tsakiris Chips *Sponsor: Alfa Systems *Sponsor: Shot Energy Drink | *Sponsor: Imperio Argo *Sponsor: Expert Electrics *Sponsor: Citgo *Sponsor: Weider Nutrition *Sponsor: lalaland |} ''' ==Facilities== [[Image:Toumpa020208.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Before the start of a [[Super League Greece|Super League]] game.]] '''Name''': [[Toumba Stadium]] '''Location''': [[Toumba]] District, [[Thessaloniki]], [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]], [[Greece]] '''Year Built''': 1959 '''Capacity''': 28,701 seats '''Ownership''': [[AS PAOK| A.S. PAOK Thessaloniki]] ==Interesting facts== {{trivia|date=July 2008}} * The 2007 [[Super League Greece|Superleague]] statistics/census research states that almost 1,100,000 persons identified as PAOK supporters. In the same research it is stated that PAOK fans constitute 60% of Thessaloniki and 70% of Northern Greece (i.e. West, Central & Eastern Macedonia, and Thrace) football fans making PAOK the most popular team in Thessaloniki and Northern Greece generally with the greatest percentage per category. * [[Angelos Anastasiadis]] is the only man to win titles with PAOK as both a player and a coach. He won the 1974 Cup and the 1976 League Championship as a player and also the 2003 Cup as a coach. On the other hand Kostas Iosifidis is the player with the most PAOK titles. He won two Cups (1972 & 1974) and two League Championships (1976 & 1985). He later worked in PAOK as the [[general manager]]. * [[Gyula Lorant]] died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] while coaching a PAOK-[[Olympiacos]] (0-0 at the time of the incident, 1-0 final score) [[derby]] on May 31, 1981, in [[Toumba Stadium]]. Furthermore Panagiotis Katsouris died in 1998 in a car accident while an active player. * PAOK F.C. is the only European football club to have a [[fan club]] in [[Fiji Islands]], the famous [[PAOK Fiji Islands Fan Club]]. ===Retired numbers=== {{main article|Retired numbers from PAOK football team(soccer)}} *<big>'''17'''</big> &ndash; {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Panagiotis Katsouris]] (to honour the player of PAOΚ that died in 1998 in a car accident). *<big>'''12'''</big> &ndash; PAOK Fans (to honour the fans, as they are considered the "twelfth" player of the team in the pitch) ==External links== {{commonscat|PAOK FC|PAOK football}} *[http://www.paokfc.gr/ PAOK Thessaloniki Football Club - Official website] {{el icon}} {{en icon}} *[http://www.paokworld.com/ PAOKworld]- Most informative PAOK Thessaloniki Forum {{el icon}} {{en icon}} *[http://www.fcpaok.gr/ fcpaok.gr] - PAOK Fans-Interaction webpage {{el icon}} *[http://www.paokmania.gr/ Paokmania]- Most informative PAOK Thessaloniki website {{el icon}} *[http://www.paok.com.au/paokhistb.php/ PAOK Thessaloniki History] - PAOK Thessaloniki History provided on behalf of [http://www.paok.com.au/ Melbourne Club PAOK] {{en icon}} {{fb start}} {{PAOK FC}} {{fb end}} {{fb start}} {{Football in Greece}} {{fb end}} [[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 1926]] [[Category:Sports clubs]] [[Category:PAOK]] [[Category:Greek football clubs]] [[Category:Macedonia]] [[Category:Thessaloniki]] [[Category:PAOK FC]] [[Category:Multi-sport clubs]] [[ca:Panthessalonikeios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton]] [[de:PAOK Thessaloniki]] [[el:Π.Α.Ο.Κ.]] [[es:PAOK Salónica]] [[fr:PAOK Salonique (football)]] [[it:PAOK Salonicco]] [[lt:PAOK FC]] [[nl:PAOK Thessaloniki]] [[ja:PAOKテッサロニキ]] [[pl:PAOK Saloniki]] [[pt:PAOK]] [[ro:PAOK Salonic]] [[ru:ПАОК (футбольный клуб)]] [[fi:PAOK FC]] [[sv:PAOK FC]] [[tr:PAOK Selanik]]