With a rich owner, an experienced coach and promising new players, it's time to upgrade what you know about PAOK Thessaloniki. Presenting the 2013/14 model
The football club of the Pan-Thessalonican Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans (P.O.A.K.) was established in 1926 by Greek refugees from Istanbul and within three years had merged with A.E.K. Thessaloniki. Since the establishment of the Greek Super League in 1959, PAOK play their football at the Toumba Stadium, with its capacity of 28,803 the biggest stadium in Thessaloniki. PAOK's municipal rivals are Aris F.C. Thessaloniki, but PAOK have remained the city's leading club since the foundation of the modern Greek football league. After losing the Cup final in 1939, 1951 and 1955, PAOK finally won their first title by lifting the national Cup in the 1971/72 season. Since then they have won three more Cups, most recently four years ago in the 2009/10 season. They have also won two league championships, the last time being 29 years ago when they also won all of their home matches.
Last summer, PAOK were bought by businessman and politician Ivan Savvidis, who saved the club from a financial crisis and UEFA sanctions. They finished second in the league last season but Savvidis decided that second best was not good enough and signed Dutchman Huub Stevens, who left the German side Schalke last December, as head coach. Stevens brought back two Greek internationals, midfielder Alexandros Tziolis and defender Nikos Spyropoulos from French side AS Monaco FC and Italian side A.C. Chievo respectively. Along with striker Dimitris Salpingidis and midfielder Kostas Katsouranis, they form the backbone of the Greek national side that, among other things, reached the quarter finals of Euro 2012 last summer. They have been joined by Liberian midfielder Sekou Oliseh and Czech striker Tomas Necid, on loan from CSKA Moscow, and defenders Miguel Vitor and Inigo Lopez Montana from Benfica and Granada CF respectively. And just last week they signed Slovakian international midfielder Miroslav Stoch on loan from Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
For many years PAOK have trailed behind the three leading sides in the Greek Super League: the dominant Olympiacos, second in line Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. Last season PAOK finished second, trailing leaders Olympiacos by 18 points, and were rewarded with participation in the Champions League play-offs. They began their European campaign in the third round but were eliminated after losing at home and drawing away to Ukranian side FC Metalist Kharkiv. Their record in the Europa League is somewhat better, after advancing from the group stage to the last 32 in the 2010/11 and the 2011/12 seasons. In all, PAOK have made 96 appearances in UEFA Cup competition, 16 of which in the Europa League. The club are very keen to reach the 100 mark this season, while Maccabi are aiming for number 50. We'll soon see.
*photographs courtesy of the official PAOK website
