APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") is a Cypriot professional
football club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
based in
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, Romanization of Armenian, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, Capital city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is ...
,
Cyprus. APOEL is the most successful football team in Cyprus with an overall tally of 28
national championships
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
, 21
cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print job ...
, and 13
super cups.
APOEL's greatest moment in European competition occurred in the
2011–12 season, when they advanced out of the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
of the UEFA Champions League (winning a group that included
FC Porto,
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was ...
, and
Zenit St. Petersburg), then eliminated
Olympique Lyonnais in the
last 16, to become the first Cypriot team to reach the
quarter-finals of the Champions League.
APOEL's European competitions highlights also include appearances in the group stages of the
2009–10 and
2014–15 UEFA Champions League and the group stages of the
2013–14,
2015–16, and
2016–17 UEFA Europa League. They marked their most successful UEFA Europa League campaign during the
2016–17 season, when they managed to top their group (along with
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a numbe ...
,
Young Boys, and
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, thou ...
) and eliminated
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club ( eu, Bilboko Athletic Kluba; es, Athletic Club de Bilbao), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country of Spain. They are known as ''Los Le ...
in the
round of 32
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, to reach the
last 16 of the competition for the first time in their history.
APOEL is the only Cypriot club who have reached the group stages (and the knockout stages) of both major UEFA competitions (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League). In the 2016–17 season, APOEL drew an average home league attendance of 7,126 and their highest league attendance was 15,462. Both were the highest in the league.
APOEL FC is part of the
APOEL
APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
multi-sport 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 ...
, which was founded in 1926 and maintains departments for several sports including football,
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 ...
,
volleyball,
futsal, table tennis, bowling, cycling, archery, swimming and water polo. APOEL is one of the founding members of the
Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organizes the footb ...
and also an ordinary member of the
European Club Association
The European Club Association (ECA) is a body representing the interests of professional association football clubs in UEFA. It is the sole such body recognised by the confederation, and has member clubs in each UEFA member association. It was f ...
, an organization that replaced the previous
G-14
The G-14 was an organisation of European football clubs that existed between 1998 and 2008. It consisted of 14 European top class teams initially, later expanded to 18. It was disbanded in 2008 and was replaced by the European Club Associatio ...
which consists of major football clubs in Europe.
History
1926–1929 : The early years
The club was formed as POEL ( el, ΠΟΕΛ; Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, links=no, ''Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia) on 8 November 1926. The club's formation came about when a group of forty people, with a common vision, met and set the foundations for creating a football club that would represent the
Greek residents of the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
and express their deep desire for Cyprus' incorporation (
enosis) into Greece. The meeting took place at a traditional confectionery, owned by Charalambos Hadjioannou, downtown in
Ledra Street and the first president of the club was Giorgos Poulias.
The first clubhouse was the "Athenians Club" () at the end of Ledra Street.
After a journey to the football club in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, Egypt in 1927 the General Assembly of 1928 decided the players showed that they were not just good footballers but also excellent track and field athletes. Hence it was decided to create a track and field team in addition to the football team. The name APOEL was adopted to reflect this, with the 'A' standing for 'Athletic'. Soon after a volleyball team and a table tennis team were established.
The 1930s : The first league titles
Cyprus did not have any country-wide league until 1932. Football clubs of the time played friendly matches only. In 1932,
Pezoporikos Larnaca organised an unofficial league, the first island-wide league, and it was won by APOEL after defeating
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 ...
in the final by 4–0. In 1934, there was a disagreement between
Trust
Trust often refers to:
* Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality
It may also refer to:
Business and law
* Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another
* Trust (bus ...
and
Anorthosis Famagusta
Anorthosis Famagusta ( el, Ανόρθωση Αμμοχώστου, translit=Anorthosi Ammochostou), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Anorthosis Famagusta multi-sport club fo ...
on the organisation of the fourth unofficial league. APOEL and
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 ...
organised a meeting for the foundation of a country-wide governing body and an official country-wide league. The meeting took place in APOEL's clubhouse on 23 September and the establishment of the
Cyprus Football Association
The Cyprus Football Association (CFA; el, Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου (ΚΟΠ), Kypriakí Omospondía Podosfaírou (KOP)) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organizes the footb ...
was agreed. Two years later the APOEL football team celebrated its first
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
title of the official
Cyprus football league. APOEL also won the championship for the following four years, making this a very successful period for the club with 5 consecutive
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
(1936–1940).
The 1948 conflicts
Politics, however, would soon spark conflict within the team. On 23 May 1948 the board of the club send a telegram to the
Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics
The Hellenic Athletics Federation (Greek: ; abbreviated SEGAS) is Greece's governing body for amateur sport.
SEGAS was created in 1897 and has been the principal organiser of many international sporting competitions held in Greece. The associatio ...
( el, Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition, which included wishes that "the rebellion" is finished. Several leftist club members perceived the telegram as a political comment on the
Greek Civil War and they distanced themselves from the club.
A few days later, on 4 June 1948, they founded
AC Omonia
Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia ( el, Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Oμόνοιας Λευκωσίας, ΑΣΟΛ; ''Athlitikos Sillogos Omonias Lefkosias'', ''ASOL''), commonly known as Omonia Nicosia, or simply Omonia ("Harmony"; also trans ...
, which until today is the archrival of APOEL and there has been a traditional animosity between the fans of the two teams.
1955–59 period
More conflicts led to further struggles for APOEL. Athletes belonging to the club frequently participated in national clashes. During the 1955–59 national uprising against the British, many of APOEL's athletes and members of the club were active members of
EOKA (the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), the most outstanding example being the club's track and field athlete
Michalakis Karaolis who was hanged by the British colonial authorities. During this period the football team had their closest brush with relegation as most football players were actively taking part in the national struggle.
Triumph in the 1963–64 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The football team were quickly back to full strength and made their debut in European Competitions (the first not only for APOEL but for any Cypriot team) in 1963, when they faced the
Norwegian team
SK Gjøvik-Lyn SK may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* SK Foods, an American agribusiness company
* SK Hand Tools, an American tool manufacturer
* Sangguniang Kabataan, Philippines youth councils
* SK Group, South Korean conglomerate
* Scandinavian Airl ...
in the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Two victories for APOEL over both legs (6–0, 1–0) marked APOEL's successful European debut, as they became the first
Hellenic team to progress in a European Competition. The next round against the tournament winners
Sporting Clube de Portugal met APOEL with their heaviest defeat ever (16–1) and put an end to APOEL's European debut.
The successful participation in pan-Hellenic Greek Championship
Other triumphs followed in the early 1970s. In 1973 the domestic double was achieved with coach Panos Markovic. The following year APOEL became the only Cypriot team to avoid relegation from the
pan-Hellenic Greek Championship. That was also the last season that the Cypriot champion played in the Greek Football League the following year due to the volatile situation in Cyprus during 1974.
The 1980s: European Cup 1986–87 withdrawal
The 1980s were a relatively fruitless period for APOEL. They have only won two
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
(1980,1986), one
cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, cl ...
(1984) and two
super cups (1984, 1986). In 1986 APOEL was drawn against
Beşiktaş J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (), also known simply as Beşiktaş (), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903 that is based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club's football team is one of the Big Three in Turkey and one of the most ...
for the second round of the
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
. This was the first time that a Cypriot team faced a Turkish team in a European football competition. The Cypriot government prohibited APOEL from playing against the Turkish team, so APOEL was punished with two years disqualification from any
UEFA competition. This penalty was later reduced to one-year.
The 1990s : The unbeaten "double" in 1995–96
The 1990s
were a successful decade for APOEL with 3
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
(1990, 1992, 1996), 5
cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print job ...
(1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999) and 4
super cups (1992, 1993, 1996, 1999). The most successful season in the 1990s was 1995–96 in which APOEL achieved a celebratory double while remaining undefeated in the league. The
basketball team
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...
won a double on the same season, making this the ideal season for a 70th anniversary celebration.
The formation of APOEL FC Company
APOEL Football (Public) Ltd was established in May 1997, after the decision of APOEL committee. This had a significant effect on the club because it separated the activities of the football team from those of the
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 ...
.
The formation of the company was necessitated by the financial difficulties the team faced at the time. The company began its operations with a capital of CY £600,000.
2000s–2010s: Domestic domination
APOEL is the most successful football team in Cyprus since the 2000s. In seventeen years, the club won twelve
championships
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
(2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), four
cups
CUPS (formerly an acronym for Common UNIX Printing System) is a modular printing system for Unix-like computer operating systems which allows a computer to act as a print server. A computer running CUPS is a host that can accept print job ...
(2006, 2008, 2014, 2015) and seven
super cups (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019). In the 2013–14 season, APOEL achieved a historical domestic
treble by winning all the Cypriot competitions trophies, the league, the cup, and the super cup. The next season (2014–15), the club won their second consecutive
double
A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another.
Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to:
Film and television
* Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character
* ...
. In the 2016–17 season, APOEL managed to win their fifth consecutive
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
title and equalled the club's record which was set 77 years before (1936–1940).
The 2020–21 season marked the end of APOEL's dominance in Cyprus, as they failed to make the championship playoffs for the first time in the club's history. The following season, APOEL finished third, missing out on
Champions League qualification in the last matchday, and instead qualifying for the
Europa Conference League
The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on the ...
.
European ambitions
APOEL's first great run in European competitions came in 2002, when the team was knocked out on the third qualifying round of the
UEFA Champions League, entered the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, w ...
and reached the second round of the competition. The following years, APOEL qualified four times for the
UEFA Champions League group stages (
2009–10,
2011–12,
2014–15,
2017–18), and managed to reach the
quarter-finals in the 2011–12 season.
The team also participated in the group stages of the
2013–14,
2015–16 &
2016–17 UEFA Europa League, managing to reach the
last 16 of the competition in the 2016-17 season.
APOEL FC as a company
The football department of APOEL is legally owned by APOEL Football (Public) Ltd ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ Ποδόσφαιρο (Δημόσια) Λτδ), a
public limited company,
since 1997. The company's main activity is the management, operation and commercial exploitation of APOEL Football club. The company owns all the rights for the football department under an agreement with
APOEL sports club and pays the club CY£100,000 annually for the privilege.
The agreement between the company and the club is renewed every five years. The company has 1745 shareholders
and besides the football club, also maintains a team boutique (Orange Shop), the APOELFC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛFC) magazine and th
apoelfc.com.cywebsite among others.
Youth Academy
APOEL's youth academy is a separate legal entity from the football club. They are responsible for the under 21 teams for football, basketball and volleyball and they have their own board of directors and budget. The football academy has produced many quality Cypriot players over the years. Players started from the academy and had great contribution APOEL are:
Marinos Satsias,
Constantinos Charalambides,
Nektarios Alexandrou
Nektarios Alexandrou ( el, Νεκτάριος Αλεξάνδρου; born December 19, 1983 in Nicosia, Cyprus) is a Greek Cypriot former professional footballer. He was a left flank specialist, but he primarily played as the left winger.
Care ...
,
Michalis Morfis and
Marios Antoniades. All of them have also competed at international level with the
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team ( el, Εθνική ομάδα ποδοσφαίρου της Κύπρου) represents Cyprus in international football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in C ...
while Charalambides and Alexandrou have played for teams in 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 ...
in the past.
UEFA Youth League participations
APOEL's U19 team participated for the first time in the
UEFA Youth League
The UEFA Youth League is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 2013. In its current format, it is contested by the youth teams of the clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League ...
group stage during
2014–15 season, drawn in Group F alongside
Barcelona,
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As ...
and
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
. APOEL managed to collect only one point after drawing 0–0 with
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
at home and lost their other five Group F matches. They lost twice to
Barcelona (2–3 at home, 0–3 away), lost twice to
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As ...
(0–3 at home, 0–6 away) and also lost to
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
1–4 away, finishing fourth in their group.
The next two seasons, APOEL's U19 team participated again in the
UEFA Youth League
The UEFA Youth League is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 2013. In its current format, it is contested by the youth teams of the clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League ...
. The
2015–16 season they competed in the
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
of the
Domestic Champions Path
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...
, being drawn to face
Puskás Akadémia from Hungary. After a dramatic 3–3 draw in the first leg in
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, Romanization of Armenian, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, Capital city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is ...
, APOEL U19 suffered a heavy 6–1 loss in
Felcsút and were eventually eliminated. The
2016–17 season they competed in the
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
of the
Domestic Champions Path
Domestic may refer to:
In the home
* Anything relating to the human home or family
** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication
** A domestic appliance, or home appliance
** A domestic partnership
** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...
, being eliminated by Italian side
A.S. Roma
' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for ...
after losing 0–3 at home and 1–6 in Italy.
Colours and badge
APOEL's colours are blue and yellow. Blue symbolizes
Greece and yellow symbolizes
Byzantium
Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' con ...
.
The logo is a blue and yellow shield with the name of the club written diagonally in blue. After the club won their 20th championship (
2008–09 season), two stars were added above the logo to symbolize the 20 championship titles (one star for every ten championships won). Other than that, the badge has remained the same since the establishment of the club.
Stadium
APOEL's home ground since 23 October 1999, is the 22,859 seater
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, ...
. It is the largest stadium in Cyprus and they share it with local rivals
Omonia and
Olympiakos Nicosia.
Before moving to
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, ...
, APOEL used as home grounds the
Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium ( el, Μακάρειο Στάδιο), is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly us ...
(from 1978 until 1999) and the
old GSP Stadium (prior to 1978).
Supporters
APOEL is one of the most popular teams in Cyprus. APOEL fans are right-wing in their majority but there are no strong ties between the organised fans and any political party.
That wasn't always the case but during the past years they have actively avoided association with any political party.
The main supporter group is PAN.SY.FI ( el, ΠΑΝ.ΣΥ.ΦΙ). PAN.SY.FI was founded in 1979
and has branches in all major cities in
Cyprus and also in other countries. The PAN.SY.FI (and most ultras) wear orange jackets (or T-shirts). The first game they sported the orange jackets was during the first-round game of the 1992–93 championship against
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 ...
in
Makario Stadium
Makario Stadium ( el, Μακάρειο Στάδιο), is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly us ...
.
APOEL have reserved the shirt number 79 in honour of PAN.SY.FI. (APOEL Ultras), to denote the year the group was founded, 1979.
The club record for ticket sales in a single season is 141,268
(15 matches, home league games only) during the
2010–11 season. The club record for average league games attendance in a single season is 9,582 (13 matches, home league games only) during the
2012–13 season.
The club's season tickets sales record was set on season 2014–15, in which more than 8,000 season tickets were sold.
APOEL holds the record of the highest home attendance for
Cyprus First Division in the game against
Omonia with 23,043
tickets for
2002–03 season. The match was held at
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, ...
on 7 December 2002 and ended in a goalless draw.
The club holds also the record of the highest attendance of a Cypriot team for a
European Competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
game with 22,701
tickets in the match against
Olympique Lyonnais for the return leg of the
2011–12 UEFA Champions League last 16. The match which was held on 7 March 2012 at
GSP Stadium
Gymnastic Club "The Pancyprians" Stadium (GSP Stadium) ( el, Στάδιο Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος "Τα Παγκύπρια") is a football stadium in Strovolos, Nicosia District, Cyprus. Although small by international standards, ...
of
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, Romanization of Armenian, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, Capital city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is ...
ended with a 1–0 win for APOEL after extra time and 4–3 win on penalties.
On 8 December 2009, APOEL fans created another impressive record. More than 6,000 fans of the team travelled to London at
Stamford Bridge for the last match of the
2009–10 Champions League group D against
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football. Th ...
which ended in a 2–2 draw. This is the biggest number of fans of any Cypriot team that had ever travelled away from
Cyprus. A similar record created on 14 February 2012, in APOEL's participation to the
2011–12 UEFA Champions League last 16, when more than 5,000 APOEL fans travelled in France to support their team against
Olympique Lyonnais. The match was held at
Stade de Gerland
The Stade de Gerland (known for sponsorship reasons as Matmut Stadium de Gerland and otherwise known as Municipal de Gerland or Stade Gerland ) is a stadium in the city of Lyon, France, which serves as home to Top 14 rugby club Lyon OU. It has a ...
and
Olympique Lyonnais took a slender advantage into the second leg by winning 1–0. Also, on 4 April 2012, about 4,000 APOEL fans travelled to
Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, to support APOEL against
Real Madrid for the return leg of the
2011–12 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, in a match which Real Madrid won by 5–2.
During 2009–10 season APOEL sold in total 244,977 tickets for its home matches in all competitions (
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
,
Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, cl ...
,
Champions League), which is the biggest number of tickets sold by a Cypriot club in a single season.
Rivalries
Nicosia derby
The Nicosia derby (or the Derby of the eternal enemies) refers to the
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, Romanization of Armenian, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, Capital city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is ...
's
local derby
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...
,
football matches played between APOEL and
Omonia. It is the classic rivalry of the Cypriot football, as the two teams are the most successful and most popular football clubs of the island. The rivalry is also indicative of social, cultural and political differences and originates from 1948 when the board of APOEL sent a telegram to the
Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics
The Hellenic Athletics Federation (Greek: ; abbreviated SEGAS) is Greece's governing body for amateur sport.
SEGAS was created in 1897 and has been the principal organiser of many international sporting competitions held in Greece. The associatio ...
(Greek: Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition stating its wish for the "communist mutiny" to be ended. Club's players considering this action as a political comment on the
Greek Civil War distanced themselves or were expelled from APOEL and a month later they formed
Omonia. The first derby was played on 12 December 1953 and ended in a goalless draw.
Current squad
Out on loan
Club officials
Board of directors
Source
apoelfc.com.cy
/small>
Personnel
Source
apoelfc.com.cy
/small>
Technical staff
Source
apoelfc.com.cy
/small>
Medical staff
Source
apoelfc.com.cy
/small>
Sponsorship
Main sponsors
* Official shirt sponsor – Pari-Match
* Official sport clothing provider –
Macron
* Official host broadcaster –
Cytavision
* Official back of shirt sponsor –
3CX
* Official shorts sponsor – DIMCO LTD
Source
apoelfc.com.cy
/small>
Managerial history
Last Update: 7 October 2022
* 1931–1933
Antone Jean
* 1933–1951
József Künsztler
József Künsztler (1897 in Budapest – 1977 in Nicosia) was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He won one Greek championship as manager with Panathinaikos F.C. in 1930 and 8 Cypriot championships with APOEL FC
APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠ� ...
* 1951–1952
Pambos Avraamides
* 1952–1953
Béla Guttmann
Béla Guttmann (; 27 January 1899 – 28 August 1981) was a Hungarian footballer and coach. He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, and was Jewish. He was deported by the Nazis to a Nazi slave labor camp where he was tortured; he survived the ...
* 1953–1954
Pambos Avraamidis
* 1954–1955 Schwartz
* 1955–1956 Hanz
* 1956–1958
Kostas Talianos
* 1958–1959
Takis Tsigkis
* 1959–1961
Vaggelis Choumis
* 1961–1962
Andreas Lazarides
* 1962–1963
Jesse Carver
Jesse Carver (7 July 1911 – 29 November 2003) was an English footballer, best remembered for his enlightened management of some of Europe's finest clubs.
Club career
Carver started out in football as a player, joining Blackburn Rovers as an ...
* 1963–1964
Neil Franklin
Cornelius "Neil" Franklin (24 January 1922 – 9 February 1996) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Stockport County and Stoke City as well as the England national team.
Career
Stoke City
Franklin was b ...
* 1964–1965
Kostas Talianos
* 1965–1966
Gyula Zsengellér
* 1966–1967
Lajos Szendrödi
* 1967
Lykourgos Archontidis
* 1967–1969
Pambos Avraamides
* 1969–1970
Jesse Carver
Jesse Carver (7 July 1911 – 29 November 2003) was an English footballer, best remembered for his enlightened management of some of Europe's finest clubs.
Club career
Carver started out in football as a player, joining Blackburn Rovers as an ...
* 1970–1971
Andreas Lazarides
* 1971–1972
Ray Wood
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
* 1972–1974
Panos Markovic
* 1974–1975
Andreas Lazarides
* 1975
Panos Markovic
* 1975–1976
Andreas Lazarides
* 1976–1977
Savvas Partakis
* 1977–1978
Keith Spurgeon
Keith Matthew Spurgeon (29 August 1932 – December 1984) was an English football player and manager.
Playing career
Spurgeon played for Tottenham Hotspur, Margate, Leytonstone, Folkestone Town, Herne Bay and Snowdown Colliery Welfare. In Octo ...
* 1978–1981
Andreas Lazarides
* 1981–1983
Mike Ferguson
* 1983–1985
Panos Markovic
* 1985–1989
Tommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy (born 18 November 1950) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played as a midfielder.
During his club career he played for Ards, Glentoran, Newcastle United, Burnley and APOEL Nicosia. He earned 24 caps for th ...
* 1989–1990
Giannis Matzourakis
* 1990–1991
Stanko Poklepović
Stanko "Špaco" Poklepović (19 April 1938 – 24 December 2018) was a Croatian professional football player and manager.
Poklepović managed a number of teams over 46 years, including Hajduk Split on four occasions. He was also the first manag ...
* 1991–1993
Jacek Gmoch
Jacek Wojciech Gmoch (born 13 January 1939 in Pruszków) is a former Polish footballer, who later became a trainer and manager of the Poland National Team.
While having a successful football career he graduated in communication from the Wars ...
* 1993–1994
Takis Antoniou
* 1994–1995
Giannis Matzourakis
* 1995–1996
Hristo Bonev
Hristo Atanasov Bonev ( bg, Христо Aтанасов Бонев; born 3 February 1947), also known as Zuma ( bg, Зума), is a Bulgarian footballer manager and former player who last managed Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the Bulgarian A PFG. One ...
* 1996
Svetozar Šapurić
Svetozar Šapurić (; born 28 August 1960) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Chinese club Cangzhou Mighty Lions.
Career
Šapurić started out at his hometown club Vrbas, spending eight seasons in th ...
* 1996–1997
Jacek Gmoch
Jacek Wojciech Gmoch (born 13 January 1939 in Pruszków) is a former Polish footballer, who later became a trainer and manager of the Poland National Team.
While having a successful football career he graduated in communication from the Wars ...
* 1997
Nikos Alefantos
Nikos Alefantos ( el, Νίκος Αλέφαντος, 3 January 1939 – 23 June 2020) was a Greek professional footballer and football coach.
Career
Alefantos managed several clubs in the Greek Super League, including Olympiacos during 2004. H ...
* 1997–1998
Kurt Jara
Kurt Jara (born 14 October 1950) is an Austrian football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Playing career
Club career
Born in Innsbruck, Jara started his professional career with local side FC Wacker Innsbruck before moving ...
* 1998
Andreas Mouskallis
* 1998
Costas Georgiou
Costas Georgiou (; 1951 – 10 July 1976), also known by his alias Colonel Callan, was a Cypriot-born British mercenary executed in Angola following the Luanda Trial for activities during the civil war phase of the Angolan War of Independence ...
* 1998–1999
Georgios Paraschos
* 1999
Slobodan Vučeković
* 1999–2000
Andreas Michaelides
Andreas Michaelides ( gr, Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης; born in Limassol, December 29, 1952) is a Cypriot manager, the president of Cypriot Managers Federation, and member of the House of Representatives of Cyprus. He started his coaching ...
* 2000
Svetozar Šapurić
Svetozar Šapurić (; born 28 August 1960) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Chinese club Cangzhou Mighty Lions.
Career
Šapurić started out at his hometown club Vrbas, spending eight seasons in th ...
* 2000
Markos Markou
* 2000–2001
Mike Walker
* 2001–2002
Eugène Gerards
Eugène 'Gène' Gerards (7 May 1940 − 2 January 2018) was a Dutch football player, manager and scout. As a player, Gerards played for Limburgian clubs SV Limburgia and Fortuna '54. As a manager, he spent the majority of his career in Greece, ...
* 2002–2003
Takis Lemonis
Takis Lemonis ( el, Τάκης Λεμονής; born 13 January 1960) is a Greek professional football manager and former player.
Playing career
Takis Lemonis played for local club Attikos before playing for Olympiakos from 1978 until 1987. He ...
* 2003
Dušan Uhrin
Dušan Uhrin (born 5 February 1943) is a Czech and Slovak football coach and former player. He was the coach of Slovan Bratislava. Although he was born in the Nitra District in the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia, he has lived in Prague sinc ...
* 2003–2005
Ivan Jovanović
* 2005
Werner Lorant
Werner Heinz Erich Lorant (born 21 November 1948) is a German former football player who played as a defender or as a defensive midfielder. He later became a manager, notably managing TSV 1860 Munich for nine years between 1992 and 2001.
Playin ...
* 2005
Marios Constantinou
Marios Constantinou ( el, Μάριος Κωνσταντίνου; born on 14 July 1967) is a former international Cypriot football midfielder and current manager. He is a holder of the UEFA Pro Licence. In the past he was footballer of Pezopo ...
* 2005–2006
Jerzy Engel
Władysław Jerzy Engel (; born 6 October 1952 in Włocławek, Poland) is a Polish former footballer and coach.
Biography
Playing career
Engel began his career in football at an early age playing at local youth club Junak Wloclawek, before be ...
* 2006–2008
Marinos Ouzounidis
Marinos Ouzounidis ( el, Μαρίνος Ουζουνίδης, born 10 October 1968) is a Greek football manager and former professional player.
Playing career
Ouzounidis started his professional career playing for Greek club Skoda Xanthi as a ...
* 2008–2013
Ivan Jovanović
* 2013
Paulo Sérgio
* 2013–2015
Giorgos Donis
Georgios Donis ( el, Γεώργιος Δώνης; born 22 October 1969) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and currently a manager. He is the current manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh. He was the first eve ...
* 2015
Thorsten Fink
Thorsten Fink (born 29 October 1967) is a German football coach and a former footballer, currently works as manager of Riga FC.
Career
Fink began his career with Borussia Dortmund's reserve squad before moving to SG Wattenscheid 09, where he he ...
* 2015
Domingos Paciência
Domingos José Paciência Oliveira, known simply as Domingos as a player (; born 2 January 1969), is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a striker, currently a manager.
He achieved success with both Porto and the Portugal national t ...
* 2015–2016
Temur Ketsbaia
Temuri Ketsbaia ( ka, თემურ ქეცბაია; born 18 March 1968) is a Georgian former professional football player and current manager. He is the current manager of the Cyprus national team.
Club career
After beginning his pro ...
* 2016–2017
Thomas Christiansen
Thomas Christiansen Tarín (born 11 March 1973) is a former footballer who played as a striker, currently the manager of Panama.
Left-footed, he played for a number of clubs in Danish, Spanish and German football over a 15-year professiona ...
* 2017
Mario Been
Marinus Antonius Been (born 11 December 1963) is a Dutch football manager and former professional player.
As a footballer, Been played for Feyenoord, Pisa, Roda JC, Heerenveen, FC Tirol Innsbruck and Excelsior. He played in an attacking midf ...
* 2017–2018
Giorgos Donis
Georgios Donis ( el, Γεώργιος Δώνης; born 22 October 1969) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and currently a manager. He is the current manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh. He was the first eve ...
* 2018
Bruno Baltazar
* 2018–2019
Paolo Tramezzani
Paolo Tramezzani (born 30 July 1970) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a defender. He was most recently the manager of FC Sion.
Playing career
Tramezzani was born at Castelnovo ne' Monti in Emilia. At the age of n ...
* 2019
Thomas Doll
Thomas Jens Uwe Doll (born 9 April 1966) is a German professional football manager and a former football player who is the current Manager of Persija Jakarta. He played as an attacking midfielder for F.C. Hansa Rostock, BFC Dynamo, Hamburger S ...
* 2019
Loukas Hadjiloukas
Loukas Hadjiloukas ( el, Λούκας Χατζηλούκας; born on 6 June 1967) is a Cypriot football manager and former football player.
He had a great career while playing for APOEL, in which he won three Championships (1990, 1992, 1996 ...
(interim)
* 2019–2020
Kåre Ingebrigtsen
* 2020
Marinos Ouzounidis
Marinos Ouzounidis ( el, Μαρίνος Ουζουνίδης, born 10 October 1968) is a Greek football manager and former professional player.
Playing career
Ouzounidis started his professional career playing for Greek club Skoda Xanthi as a ...
* 2020–2021
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional football manager, pundit, and former player. He was last in charge of EFL Championship club Cardiff City.
McCarthy began his playing career at Barnsley in 1977, and he later h ...
* 2021
Savvas Poursaitidis
Savvas Poursaitidis ( el, Σάββας Πουρσαϊτίδης, born 23 June 1976) is a former professional footballer who most recently was the manager of Cypriot First Division club APOEL.
Poursaitidis played football, mainly as a right back ...
* 2021–2022
Sofronis Avgousti
* 2022–
Vladan Milojević
Vladan Milojević (; born 9 March 1970) is a Serbian professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Cypriot First Division club APOEL.
Playing career
Born in Aranđelovac, Milojević joined the youth system of R ...
Presidential history
APOEL has had numerous presidents over the course of their history. Since the establishment of APOEL Football Ltd, the presidents of the board of directors of the company (chairmen) have assumed all presidential duties for the football club. Here are complete lists of both:
Presidents:
* 1926–1958 – Georgios Poulias
* 1958–1967 – Εfthyvoulos Αnthoullis
* 1967–1968 – Michalakis Triantafyllides
* 1968–1969 – Takis Skarparis
* 1969–1971 – Constantinos Loukos
* 1971–1974 – Michalakis Zivanaris
* 1974–1975 – Kikis Lazarides
* 1975–1983 – Iakovos Filippou
* 1983–1988 – Michalakis Zivanaris
* 1988–1991 – Andreas Papaellinas
* 1991–1992 – Kykkos Fotiades
* 1992–1994 – Mike Ioannides
* 1994–1996 – Christos Triantafyllides
* 1996–1999 – Ouranios Ioannides
* 1999–2000 – Dinos Palmas
* 2002–2004 – Dinos Fisentzides
* 2004–2007 – Yiannos Ioannou
* 2007–2008 – Costas Schizas
* 2008–2009 – Christodoulos Ellinas
* 2009–2011 – Prodromos Petrides
* 2011–2012 – Aris Vasilopoulos
* 2012–2014 – Christoforos Potamitis
* 2014–2016 – Marios Charalambous
* 2016–present – Christoforos Potamitis
Chairmen:
* 1997–1998 – Mike Ioannides
* 1998–2000 – Christos Triantafyllides
* 2000–2001 – Harris Papanastasiou
* 2001–2006 – Prodromos Petrides
* 2006–2008 – Kyriakos Zivanaris
* 2008–2013 – Phivos Erotokritou
* 2013–present – Prodromos Petrides
Former players
List of former players with national team appearances or having won multiple titles with the club:
; Cyprus
*
Marios Agathokleous
Marios Agathokleous (born September 8, 1974 in Limassol, Cyprus) is a retired Cypriot football striker.
Club career
Agathokleous last played for Thermaikos in the Greek Gamma Ethniki. His former teams are AEL Limassol, Athinaikos, Aris Thessa ...
(2001–2003)
*
Takis Antoniou (1972–1986)
*
Aristos Aristokleous (1990–2001)
*
Constantinos Charalambides (1997–2004, 2008–2016)
*
Zacharias Charalambous (2001–2005)
*
Andreas Christodoulou (1966–1970)
*
Georgios Christodoulou (1995–2002)
*
Costas Costa (1989–1999)
*
Costas Fasouliotis (1990–2000)
*
Demetris Daskalakis (2000–2008)
*
Marios Elia (1998–2014)
*
Stavros Georgiou (2002–2007)
*
Loukas Hadjiloukas
Loukas Hadjiloukas ( el, Λούκας Χατζηλούκας; born on 6 June 1967) is a Cypriot football manager and former football player.
He had a great career while playing for APOEL, in which he won three Championships (1990, 1992, 1996 ...
(1987–2000)
*
Yiannos Ioannou
Yiannos Ioannou ( el, Γιάννος Ιωάννου) (born January 25, 1966) is a former Cypriot football player.
Club career
He was one of the most successful strikers in Cyprus ever and because of that he was given the nickname "Mr Goal". Pl ...
(1981–2000)
*
Nikakis Kantzilieris (1961–1972)
*
Constantinos Makrides
Constantinos Makrides ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Μακρίδης; born 13 January 1982) is a Cypriot international footballer who plays for Apollon Limassol as a central midfielder.
Club career Apollon
Makrides started playing football a ...
(2004–2008, 2015)
*
Costas Malekkos
Costas Malekkos ( el, Κώστας Μαλέκκος, born 9 April 1971) is a Cypriot former footballer who played as a midfielder for the Cyprus national team. He was the manager of Olympiakos Nicosia. He is considered one of the best Cypriot pla ...
(2001–2005)
*
Markos Markou (1973–1978)
*
Costas Miamiliotis (1977–1989, 1992–1994)
*
Chrysis Michael (2003–2011)
*
Michalis Morfis (1999–2010)
*
Marios Neophytou (2004–2007)
*
Stelios Okkarides (1997–1998, 2001–2007)
*
Nikodimos Papavasiliou
Nikodimos "Nikki" Papavasiliou ( el, Νικόδημος Παπαβασιλείου; born 31 August 1970) is a Cypriot football manager and former international midfielder. He is currently the manager of National Bank of Egypt in the Egyptian ...
(2002–2003)
*
Giorgos Pantziaras (1971–1978, 1985–1987)
*
Nicos Pantziaras (1972–1987)
*
Koullis Pantziaras (1976–1992)
*
Andros Petrides (1984–2000)
*
Marinos Satsias (1995–2014)
*
Georgios Savva (1949–1955, 1956–1961)
*
Athos Solomou (2009–2014)
*
Andreas Sotiriou (1986–1998, 2001)
*
Andreas Stylianou (1963–1978)
*
Pieros Sotiriou
Pieros Sotiriou ( el, Πιέρος Σωτηρίου; born on January 13, 1993) is a Greek Cypriot professional footballer who plays as a striker for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan and the Cyprus national team.
Sotiriou joined FC Copenhagen in ...
(2013–2017)
*
Diomidis Symeonidis
Diomidis Symeonidis (1908 – 24 April 1981) was a Cypriot footballer, one of the founders of APOEL.
Symeonidis was born in 1908 and was, along with his brother Christos, a footballer of Aetos - a local Nicosia club - until 1926 when he met G ...
(1926–1929, 1934–1935)
*
Nicos Timotheou (1992–1993, 1994–2001)
*
Yiasoumis Yiasoumi (1998–2001)
; Albania
*
Altin Haxhi (2008–2010)
; Algeria
*
Rafik Djebbour
Rafik Zoheir Djebbour (Arabic: رفيق جبور; born 8 March 1984) is a retired professional footballer who played as striker and winger. Born in France, he represented Algeria at international level.
Club career
Auxerre
Born in Grenoble, F ...
(2014–2015)
; Argentina
*
Fernando Cavenaghi (2015–2016)
*
Esteban Solari (2005–2007, 2010–2012)
*
Tomás De Vincenti (2014–2016)
; Armenia
*
Romik Khachatryan (2002–2003)
; Australia
*
Paul Okon (2005–2006)
; Austria
*
Alfred Hörtnagl
Alfred Hörtnagl (born 24 September 1966 in Matrei am Brenner) is a retired Austrian football player.
Club career
Born in Tyrol, the defensive midfielder played mostly for Tirol Innsbruck. Also he played for Austrian big clubs Rapid Wien and ...
(1997)
*
Christoph Westerthaler
Christoph Westerthaler (11 January 1965 – 20 July 2018) was an Austrian football coach and player.
Club career
Nicknamed ''Gischi'', Westerthaler was a small-built striker who started his professional career at FC Wacker Innsbruck and stayed ...
(1997)
; Belarus
*
Renan Bressan (2016–2017)
; Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Sanel Jahić
Sanel Jahić (born 10 December 1981) is a Bosnian football coach and former player who currently works as a coach in the youth team of Bosnian Premier League club Željezničar.
Throughout his playing career, he was best known for being a uti ...
; Brazil
*
Aílton Almeida (2010–2012)
*
William Boaventura (2010–2012)
*
Carlão (2014–2017)
*
Zé Carlos (2007–2008)
*
João Guilherme (2013–2016)
*
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, a period marked ...
(2011–2012, 2014–2015)
*
Gustavo Manduca
Gustavo Manduca (born 8 June 1980) is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a forward or an attacking midfielder, currently a manager.
He also held an Italian passport, and played professionally in five countries, mainly in Portugal � ...
(2010–2015)
*
Veridiano Marcelo (1998–2000)
*
Marcinho (2010–2012)
*
Emerson Moisés Costa (2007)
*
Marcelo Oliveira (2011–2014)
*
Jean Paulista (2008–2010)
*
César Santin
César Santin (; born 24 February 1981) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is currently working as an academy coach at Hillerød Fodbold.
He is a versatile player, being able to play most of the attackin ...
(2014)
*
Marcos Tavares (2007)
; Colombia
*
Hamilton Ricard (2004–2005)
; Costa Rica
*
Rónald Gómez
Rónald Gómez Gómez (born 24 January 1975 in Puntarenas) is a retired Costa Rican football forward and manager. He is the current manager for Liga Nacional club Santa Lucía.
An important player on the Costa Rica national football team d ...
(2006–2007)
; Croatia
*
Ardian Kozniku
Ardian Kozniku (born 27 October 1967) is a Kosovan-Croatian professional football coach and former player who most recently was the assistant manager of Al Faisaly.
Playing career Club
He started his career at Vëllaznimi from Gjakova and was ...
(1997)
; Czech Republic
*
Tomáš Votava (2003–2004)
; Denmark
*
Mikkel Beckmann (2013)
; England
*
Chris Bart-Williams
Christopher Gerald McClellan Bart-Williams (born 16 June 1974) is an English football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a defender and midfielder and notably played in the Premier League for Sheffield Wednesday, Not ...
(2004–2005)
*
Dave Esser (1982–1983)
*
Terry McDermott
Terence McDermott (born 8 December 1951) is an English former football midfielder who was a member of the Liverpool team of the 1970s and early 1980s, in which he won three European Cups and five First Division titles. He was capped 25 times ...
(1985–1987)
*
Ian Moores
Ian Richard Moores (5 October 1954 – 12 January 1998) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, Orient, Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing career
Moores was born in Chesterton, Staffo ...
(1983–1988)
*
Gary Owen (1988–1989)
; France
*
Bark Seghiri (2006–2009)
; Germany
*
Martin Lanig
Martin Lanig (born 11 July 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Career Youth squads
Lanig began playing for SV Königshofen. Later he played for TSV Tauberbischofsheim and 1. FC Nürnberg.
FV ...
(2015)
; Ghana
*
Ebenezer Hagan (2005)
; Greece
*
Georgios Amanatidis
Georgios Amanatidis ( el, Γεώργιος Αμανατίδης; born 4 April 1970) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Playing career
Amanatidis was captain of the Greek side Olympiacos F.C., and a member of th ...
(2003–2004)
*
Dionisis Chiotis (2008–2015)
*
Giannis Gianniotas
Giannis Gianniotas ( gr, Γιάννης Γιαννιώτας; born 29 April 1993) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a winger for Super League club Levadiakos.
Club career
Aris 2011–12 season
Born in Neochori, Greece, Gianniotas ...
(2016–2017)
*
Alexandros Kaklamanos
Alexandros Kaklamanos ( gr, Αλέξανδρος Κακλαμάνος; born 20 May 1974) is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Kleovoulos Lindou as a striker.
Career
He played in many teams such as Ialysos, Olympiacos, Athinaikos, ...
(2005–2006)
*
Michalis Kapsis
Michalis Kapsis ( el, Μιχάλης Καψής, born 18 October 1973) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He was an integral part of Greece's UEFA Euro 2004 winning squad.
Club career
Aris Nikeas
Kapsis sta ...
(2007–2008)
*
Christos Karipidis (2012–2013)
*
Christos Kontis (2006–2011)
*
Nikos Machlas
Nikos Machlas ( el, Νίκος Μαχλάς, born 16 June 1973) is a retired Greek former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Club career OFI Crete
Machlas began his career with OFI Crete, where he made his debut in February 1991 a ...
(2006–2008)
*
Spiros Marangos
Spyros Marangos ( el, Σπύρος Μαραγκός, born 20 February 1967) is a former Greek football player. He played for Panionios, Panathinaikos, PAOK, Omonia and APOEL at the club level. He also made 26 appearances for the Greece natio ...
(2000–2002)
*
Marinos Ouzounidis
Marinos Ouzounidis ( el, Μαρίνος Ουζουνίδης, born 10 October 1968) is a Greek football manager and former professional player.
Playing career
Ouzounidis started his professional career playing for Greek club Skoda Xanthi as a ...
(2001–2003)
*
Anastasios Papazoglou (2014–2015)
*
Savvas Poursaitides (2008–2012)
*
Miltiadis Sapanis (2007–2008)
*
Ilias Solakis
Ilias Solakis ( el, Ηλίας Σολάκης; born 15 December 1974) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Career
Born in Florina, Solakis began his professional career with Veria and played for the club in the Al ...
(2001–2002)
*
Alexandros Tziolis
Alexandros Tziolis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Τζιόλης; born 13 February 1985) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
He was a Greek international from 2005 until his international retirement in 20 ...
(2012–2013)
*
Georgios Vakouftsis (2002–2005)
; Hungary
*
József Kiprich
József Kiprich (born 6 September 1963) is a retired Hungary, Hungarian soccer, football forward and currently a coach (sport), football manager and Scout (sport), scout. He made his debut for the Hungary national football team, Hungarian natio ...
(1995–1997)
*
Kálmán Kovács (1995–1996)
*
István Kozma (1995–1997)
*
Barnabás Sztipánovics
Barnabás Sztipánovics (born 2 July 1974) is a Hungarian retired football player.
Career
In the 1998–99 season, he shared the place of the scorer leader of the Croatian First Football League with his teammate from Rijeka, Igor Musa, both ...
(2002–2003)
*
Roland Sallai
Roland Sallai (born 22 May 1997) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Bundesliga club SC Freiburg and the Hungary national team.
Club career
Puskás Akadémia
Sallai started his professional career at Puskás A ...
(2017–2018)
*
Norbert Balogh
Norbert Sándor Balogh (born 21 February 1996) is a Hungarian footballer who plays as a forward for DAC Dunajská Streda and the Hungarian national team.
Club career
Balogh grew up in very poor circumstances in Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdú C ...
(2018–2019)
; Ireland
*
Cillian Sheridan
Cillian Sheridan (born 23 February 1989) is an Irish professional footballer who plays for Scottish Championship side Dundee.
Sheridan began his career with Celtic in 2006, but a lack of first team opportunities saw him being loaned to other ...
(2013–2015)
; Israel
*
Dudu Biton
Dudu Biton ( he, דודו ביטון; born 1 March 1988) is an Israeli footballer who plays as a striker for Maccabi Jaffa.
Career Club
Biton played in the youth clubs of Beitar Nes Tubruk and Maccabi Haifa. He made his debut for Maccabi Haif ...
(2013)
; Jordan
*
Musa Al-Taamari (2018–2020)
; North Macedonia
*
Boban Grnčarov (2009–2011)
*
Goran Lazarevski (2000–2001)
*
Jane Nikolovski
Jane Nikoloski ( mk, Јане Николоски) (born 12 December 1973) is a Macedonian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Playing career Club
Nikoloski returned from Bulgaria for FK Sloga Jugomagnat in July 2003. In 2005, he left ...
(2007–2008)
*
Milan Stojanovski (2004–2005)
*
Ivan Tričkovski (2010–2012)
; Morocco
*
Mohammed Chaouch
Mohamed Chaouch ( ar, محمد شاوش; born December 12, 1966 in Aklim) is a former Moroccan footballer.
Club career
He played a season for FC Metz and for OGC Nice from 1993 to 1997.
International career
Chaouch played several games for Mor ...
(1999–2000)
; Netherlands
*
Joost Broerse (2008–2011)
*
John van Loen
Johannes ("John") Maria van Loen (born 4 February 1965 in Utrecht) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker. he earned seven caps for the Netherlands national football team, with which he scored one goal. He played in ...
(1998)
; Nigeria
*
Michael Obiku (2000)
*
Benjamin Onwuachi (2008–2009)
; Northern Ireland
*
Tommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy (born 18 November 1950) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played as a midfielder.
During his club career he played for Ards, Glentoran, Newcastle United, Burnley and APOEL Nicosia. He earned 24 caps for th ...
(1983–1985)
; Norway
*
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise (born 24 September 1980) is a Norwegian professional football manager and former player who played as a left back and a left midfielder. He is currently the manager of Toppserien club Avaldsnes.
With 110 caps, Riise i ...
(2014–2015)
; Paraguay
*
Aldo Adorno
Aldo Osmar Adorno Moreira (born 8 April 1982) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a forward for P.O. Xylotymbou in the Cypriot Third Division.
Career
Paraguay – Israel – Spain
Adorno started his career from Sportivo Luqueño of Par ...
(2011–2014)
; Peru
*
Alfonso Dulanto
Alfonso Antonio Dulanto Corzo (born 22 July 1969) is a retired Peruvian footballer who played as a central defender.
Club career
During his 16-year professional career, Dulanto rarely settled with a team. In his country, he played professionally ...
(1997–1998)
; Poland
*
Kamil Kosowski (2008–2010)
*
Wojciech Kowalczyk (2003–2004)
*
Marcin Żewłakow (2008–2010)
; Portugal
*
Paulo Costa
Paulo Henrique Costa (born 21 April 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 1, 2022, he is #6 in the UFC middleweight ...
(2009)
*
Ricardo Fernandes (2005–2008)
*
Tiago Gomes (2013–2015)
*
Paulo Jorge (2009–2012)
*
Daniel Kenedy (2005)
*
Hélio Pinto
Hélio José Ribeiro Pinto (born 29 February 1984) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder.
A youth product of Benfica, he spent most of his career with APOEL in Cyprus, appearing in 276 competitive ma ...
(2006–2013)
*
Mário Sérgio (2012–2016)
; Romania
*
Daniel Florea (2006–2009)
; Serbia
*
Dragiša Binić
Dragiša Binić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгиша Бинић; born 20 October 1961) is a Serbian former footballer who played for Red Star and was part of their European Cup victory in 1991. He had three caps for the Yugoslavia national football t ...
(1993–1994)
*
Siniša Gogić
Siniša Gogić ( sr-Cyrl, Синиша Гогић, ; el, Σίνισα Γκόγκιτς; born 20 October 1963) is a football manager and former professional player who played as a striker.
At club level he played for Yugoslav clubs Radnički ...
(1989–1993, 2000–2002)
*
Saša Jovanović (2005–2006)
*
Vesko Mihajlović
Vesko Mihajlović (Serbian Cyrillic: Веско Михајловић; born 17 March 1968) is a Serbian former football midfielder and manager. He is widely considered to be one of the best foreign players to have played in the Cypriot Championsh ...
(1993–1994)
*
Nenad Mirosavljević
Nenad Mirosavljević (; born 4 September 1977) is a Serbian former footballer who played as a striker.
During his 20-year-long career, Mirosavljević scored over 100 goals in the national championship of Serbia (including its predecessors) wi ...
(2008–2011)
*
Svetozar Šapurić
Svetozar Šapurić (; born 28 August 1960) is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Chinese club Cangzhou Mighty Lions.
Career
Šapurić started out at his hometown club Vrbas, spending eight seasons in th ...
(1989–1993, 1995–1996)
; Slovakia
*
Mário Breška (2009–2010)
*
Branislav Rzeszoto
Branislav Rzeszoto (born 3 November 1975 in Žilina) is a Slovakian former football goalkeeper.
Club career
Rzeszoto previously played for MŠK Žilina, FC Spartak Trnava and ŠK Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak Corgoň Liga. He also played for ...
(2004–2005)
; Slovenia
*
Alfred Jermaniš (1996–1997)
*
Miran Pavlin
Miran Pavlin (born 8 October 1971) is a Slovenian former professional footballer who played as midfielder. He featured for clubs such as Olimpija, SC Freiburg, Olympiakos Nicosia, APOEL, FC Porto and Olimpija Ljubljana.
Club career
In 2009, ...
(2004–2005)
; Togo
*
Jean-Paul Abalo (2006)
; Tunisia
*
Tijani Belaid (2011–2012)
*
Selim Benachour
Selim Benachour ( ar, سليم بن عاشور, Salīm bin ʻĀshūr; born Slim Ben-Achour on 8 September 1981) is a football coach and former professional player who played as a attacking midfielder.
Born in France, he represented Tunisia at ...
(2012–2014)
Honours
*
Cypriot Championship
The Cypriot First Division ( el, Πρωτάθλημα Α΄ Κατηγορίας) is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus, run by the Cyprus Football Association. Since February 2016, it is sponsored by Cyta and is thus officially ...
: Winners (28) (record):
1935–36,
1936–37,
1937–38,
1938–39,
1939–40,
1946–47,
1947–48,
1948–49,
1951–52,
1964–65,
1972–73,
1979–80,
1985–86,
1989–90,
1991–92,
1995–96,
2001–02,
2003–04,
2006–07,
2008–09,
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2013–14,
2014–15,
2015–16,
2016–17,
2017–18,
2018–19
*
Cypriot Cup
The Cypriot Cup () is the main cup competition in Cypriot football, run by the Cyprus Football Association (CFA). It began in 1934, the same season with the Cypriot Championship. It is the second most important competition for Cypriot club tea ...
: Winners (21) (record):
1936–37,
1940–41,
1946–47,
1950–51,
1962–63,
1967–68,
1968–69,
1972–73,
1975–76,
1977–78,
1978–79,
1983–84,
1992–93,
1994–95,
1995–96,
1996–97,
1998–99,
2005–06,
2007–08,
2013–14,
2014–15
*
Cypriot Super Cup
The Cypriot Super Cup is a Cypriot football trophy, contested in an annual match between the previous season's Cypriot First Division champions, and the Cypriot Cup winners. The match is contested at the beginning of the football season, and is u ...
: Winners (14): 1963, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019
Records
''Last update: 16 March 2017''
* Record
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
win: 17–1 vs
Aris Limassol
Aris Limassol ( Greek: ''Άρης Λεμεσού'') is a Cypriot football club based in Limassol and one of the founder members of Cyprus Football Association. The club's colours are green, black and white, and their home is the Tsirion Stadi ...
(4 June 1967) —
1966–67
* Record
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
defeat: 6–1 vs
Nea Salamina
Nea Salamis Famagusta or Nea Salamina Famagusta ( el, Νέα Σαλαμίνα Αμμοχώστου) is a Cypriot sports club based in Ammochostos (also known by its romanized name, Famagusta), Cyprus. The club is named after Salamis (or Sala ...
(2 May 1998) —
1997–98
* Record
European competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
win: 6–0 vs
SK Gjøvik-Lyn SK may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* SK Foods, an American agribusiness company
* SK Hand Tools, an American tool manufacturer
* Sangguniang Kabataan, Philippines youth councils
* SK Group, South Korean conglomerate
* Scandinavian Airl ...
(8 September 1963) —
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Preliminary round 1st leg,
1963–64 6–0 vs
HB Tórshavn
HB or Hb may refer to:
Academia
* H-b index, an extension of the h-index used in determining academic impact
* H-B Woodlawn, a secondary education program in Arlington, Virginia, US
* Hathaway Brown School, an all-girls private school in Shaker He ...
(28 August 1997) —
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Qualifying round 2nd leg,
1997–98
* Record
European competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
defeat: 16–1 vs
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
(13 November 1963) —
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1st round 1st leg,
1963–64
* Most consecutive
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
games unbeaten: 34 — From 18 September 1946 to 23 November 1949
* Most consecutive
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
games won: 16 — From 21 December 2008 to 11 April 2009
* Most
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
points in a season:
: 3 for win: 83,
2015–16 (full season) — 69,
2008–09 (regular season)
: 2 for win: 51,
1976–77
* Most
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
goals in a season: 91,
2015–16
* Record average
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
home attendance: 9,582 —
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
* Record
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
home attendance: 23,043 vs
Omonia (7 December 2002) —
2002–03
* Record
European competition The European Competition is a student competition in which students of all ages submit creative, artistic, or written pieces of work on the activities of the European Union. Tendered by European Movement Germany, it is the oldest student competition ...
home attendance: 22,701 vs
Olympique Lyonnais (7 March 2012) —
UEFA Champions League, Last-16 2nd leg,
2011–12
* Most
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
appearances for club: 371 —
Yiannos Ioannou
Yiannos Ioannou ( el, Γιάννος Ιωάννου) (born January 25, 1966) is a former Cypriot football player.
Club career
He was one of the most successful strikers in Cyprus ever and because of that he was given the nickname "Mr Goal". Pl ...
* Most
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
goals for club : 191 —
Yiannos Ioannou
Yiannos Ioannou ( el, Γιάννος Ιωάννου) (born January 25, 1966) is a former Cypriot football player.
Club career
He was one of the most successful strikers in Cyprus ever and because of that he was given the nickname "Mr Goal". Pl ...
* Most
European competitions appearances for club: 91 —
Nuno Morais
* Most
European competitions goals for club : 9 —
Aílton José Almeida
League and Cup history
IFFHS Club World Ranking
Last update: 7 January 2015
Source
IFFHS
References
External links
Official websiteAPOEL Athletic Football Club official websiteAPOEL Ultras official website
{{Superleague Greece teamlist
APOEL Nicosia
Association football clubs established in 1926
1926 establishments in Cyprus
Football clubs in Cyprus
Multi-sport clubs in Cyprus
Football clubs in Nicosia
Unrelegated association football clubs