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Anorthosis Famagusta (), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
, is a Cypriot
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club, part of the Famagusta multi-sport club founded in 1911 in Varosha,
Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...
.Ιστορικά γεγονότα
, Anorthosis Famagusta Official Website
Anorthosis was one of the founding clubs of the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) (, ) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organises Cyprus's football championships, whose top league is the Cypriot First Division. It also organises the Cypriot Cup, the ...
in 1934. After the
Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cy ...
in 1974, they were forced to relocate to
Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...
where they now play their home matches at the
Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium The Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium () is a football stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. It has a current seating capacity of 9230 and has been the home stadium of Anorthosis Famagusta since its completion in 1986. History The ground is the home of Anorth ...
. The club's original stadium, GSE, has been abandoned since 1974 and is in poor condition. One of the most successful clubs in Cypriot football, Anorthosis have won 13
National Championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, 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 be ...
, 11
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 jobs ...
and 6 Super Cups. Anorthosis is one of three Cypriot clubs never to have been relegated to the second division, was the first Cypriot club to participate in the Champions League group stage, and the second Cypriot club to qualify for the Europa Conference League group stage.


History


The early years

Anorthosis Famagusta was founded on 30 January 1911. In the early years the club was not focused on sports but mainly national, spiritual, cultural and social activities. In 1928 it began to develop sporting activities. However, the young men of the club had been active in football much earlier. In the early 1920s they had formed a team with the name "Football Club of Greeks of Varosha" (POEV, ). In 1929, POEV officially joined Anorthosis and its players, all of whom were also members of Anorthosis, formed the club's first football team.


1930s

In 1930–31, Anorthosis participated in and won the first
Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...
provincial football tournament, organised by Evagoras Gymnastic Club (G.S.E.). In 1932, Anorthosis participated in the first island-wide tournament, the city championship (), which was organised by
Pezoporikos Larnaca Pezoporikos Club Larnaca (, ''Pezoporikos Omilos Larnakas'') was a Cypriot sports club based in Larnaca with football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1927, the football club joined the Cypriot Championship in 1938, winning it twi ...
and used a knock-out system. The second city championship was organised by APOEL in 1933. 8 teams participated, however it was controversial with several teams making complaints about the integrity of their matches, while Anorthosis and Poseidon Limassol withdrew from participation. The third edition was organised by AEL, with Anorthosis finishing in sixth place. The fourth tournament was due to be organised by Anorthosis. However, after the announcement of a championship in
Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...
by Trust (to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its foundation), and a resulting dispute between the two clubs, as well as other issues on which there were disagreements (
Olympiakos Nicosia Olympiakos Nicosia (, ''Olympiakos Lefkosias'') is a Cypriot football club based in Nicosia and competes in the . The club was founded in 1931, and is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. ...
and
Aris Limassol Aris Limassol (Greek: ''Άρης Λεμεσού'') is a professional 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 A ...
raised the issue of players freely moving from one club to another), the clubs decided to create an authority which would be responsible for organising the championships. Thus, on 23 September 1934, the
Cyprus Football Association The Cyprus Football Association (CFA) (, ) is the governing body of football in Cyprus and is based in Nicosia. It organises Cyprus's football championships, whose top league is the Cypriot First Division. It also organises the Cypriot Cup, the ...
was established, with Anorthosis and 7 other clubs as the founding members. In 1934–35 the first official Cypriot Championship was held by the CFA. Anorthosis played their home games at the G.S.E. and finished in 5th place. The
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
was also held for the first time where Anorthosis were eliminated by Trust in the semi-finals. In 1935–36, Anorthosis finished in 7th place in the 8 team championship, followed by finishing in bottom position in 1936–37. In 1937 the club ceased the operation of its football department due to financial difficulties, and was removed from the CFA. During the following years, the G.S.E. was closed under the control of the British Army.


1940s

After the team had disbanded in 1937, its players had joined other teams, mainly EPA and Pezoporikos. In 1945 the club decided to re-establish the football team. Several of the former players rejoined Anorthosis as well as some new players. Anorthosis joined the
Cypriot Second Division The Cypriot Second Division () is the second highest association football, football division of the Cypriot football league system. Administered by the Cyprus Football Association, it is contested by 16 teams, with the top three teams being Prom ...
for the 1945–46 season; at the time, the Second Division also included reserve teams of the First Division clubs. Anorthosis would face the reserve team of APOEL in a two-leg final to determine the champion. In the first match, APOEL won 5–3 while the second match was a 1–1 draw. The B team of APOEL won the championship, but Anorthosis were promoted to the First Division because APOEL were not allowed to be represented by multiple teams in the same division. Additionally, the CFA wanted to promote Anorthosis because there were no other First Division clubs from
Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...
at the time. Anorthosis reached the final of the 1946–47 Cypriot Cup. They would lose 4–1 to APOEL. In 1947, Anorthosis along with EPA and Pezoporikos requested a change in the constitution of the CFA with the main demand being the rotation of presidency between all cities. The clubs felt that they were being unfairly treated relative to teams from
Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...
, where the CFA was based, and that particularly APOEL were treated favourably by the officials. The request was discussed at a general assembly of the CFA on 27 August 1947, but only those three teams voted in favour of the proposal. Following the result, Anorthosis, EPA and Pezoporikos withdrew from the CFA and formed their own organisation, the "Football Athletic Federation of Cyprus" (PAOK, ), based in
Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...
. Five additional clubs ( AMOL Limassol, Larnaka Türk, Mağusa Türk Gücü, Mağusa Türk Ujiu and Çetinkaya Türk) joined this federation. The conflict between the two federations ended after one year when PAOK was dissolved and Anorthosis, EPA and Pezoporikos were reintegrated into the CFA in the autumn of 1948. Anorthosis finished in second place in the 1948–49 First Division. They played in the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final in April 1949 at the G.S.P. in Nicosia, where they were trailing 3–2 against APOEL until the 87th minute when the game was stopped due to incidents among the players and crowd trouble. The game was replayed in June at the same stadium, with Anorthosis victorious 3–0 and winning their first major trophy.


1950s

The 1949–50 season was historic for Anorthosis, as they won the
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division (), also known as the Cyprus League by Stoiximan for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Cyprus and the highest level of the Cypriot football league system. Operated by the Cyprus Fo ...
for the first time, finishing one point ahead of
EPA Larnaca EPA Larnaca (, ''Enosis Pezoporikou Amol'') was a Cypriot football club based in the city of Larnaca. Founded in 1930 with the merge of two local clubs, Pezoporikos and AMOL, the club was a founding member of Cyprus Football Association and part ...
. The two sides also met in the final of the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
, in which Anorthosis was leading 1–0 until the final minutes when EPA won a penalty. The kick was successful, but the referee ordered a retaking. The second attempt was unsuccessful and the EPA fans invaded the pitch, causing the match to be abandoned after 82 minutes. The CFA ordered a replay of the match, which EPA won 2–1. Anorthosis felt they were wronged and that a replay should never have been ordered, as the match was stopped due to the fault of the opposing team. In the following years, Anorthosis did not challenge for the league and they could not progress past the semi-final stage of the cup in any year. Starting in 1956–57, however, the team's fortunes changed, as they won 5 championships and 3 cups in 8 years. Anorthosis won the 1956–57 First Division without losing a game, and then retained the title in 1957–58. The following year no championship was held due to the Cypriot War of Independence. However, the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
, which had not been played since 1954–55 for the same reason, was held in 1958–59 in response to the cancelled championship. Anorthosis would win the trophy, defeating AEL 1–0 in the final.


1960s

In the 1959–60 season, Anorthosis won a third consecutive league title and fourth overall. The following season they finished as runners up to Omonoia. The
Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division (), also known as the Cyprus League by Stoiximan for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Cyprus and the highest level of the Cypriot football league system. Operated by the Cyprus Fo ...
and the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
were both held in the 1961–62 season, the first time both competitions had been played in a season since 1954–55. Anorthosis won the championship and defeated
Olympiakos Nicosia Olympiakos Nicosia (, ''Olympiakos Lefkosias'') is a Cypriot football club based in Nicosia and competes in the . The club was founded in 1931, and is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. ...
5–2 in the cup final, achieving the first league and cup double in their history. They were awarded the Shield of Pakkos in 1962 without playing the match, as they had won both the league and cup the previous season. The following season Anorthosis won the First Division for the sixth time and again reached the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final. They lost the trophy to APOEL, after a 2–2 draw and then a 1–0 loss in the replay. The two sides met again for the 1963 Shield of Pakkos, which APOEL won 1–0. The 1963–64 league season was suspended in December 1963 due to intercommunal violence on the island and was not resumed. In the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
, Anorthosis won the trophy beating APOEL 3–0 in the final. For the rest of the decade, Anorthosis were not competitive for any titles, with the exception of the 1966–67 First Division, in which they finished in third place, one point behind the champions Olympiakos.


1970s

In the 1970s, Anorthosis did not claim a single league title. However, they managed to win two cups, the first of which was in 1970–71 when they defeated Omonoia 1–0 in a replay at the G.S.E. after a 1–1 draw in
Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...
. The decade proved to be a terrible time in the club's history due to what happened off the pitch. On 14 August 1974,
Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...
was occupied by Turkish troops following the
Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cy ...
, and Anorthosis was made a
refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
club. The players and fans of Anorthosis were dispersed throughout the free areas of Cyprus. Anorthosis Famagusta continued with a temporary base in
Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...
. Despite the difficulties that the club was facing, Anorthosis managed to finish in sixth position in the 1974–75 First Division. In addition, they reached the 1974–75 Cup final and lifted the trophy after a 3–2 victory against
Enosis Neon Paralimni Enosis Neon Paralimni Football Club (, ''Enosi Neon Paralimniou''; ), commonly referred to as ENP, is a Cypriot football team from Paralimni. Currently playing in the first division, it holds home games at the Paralimni Municipal Stadium "Ta ...
.


1980s

The 1980s was another disappointing period in the history of the Anorthosis football team, as they didn't win a single trophy in this time. In 1981–82, Anorthosis had the worst season in their history until that point, as they were involved in a relegation battle. They eventually finished in ninth place. In 1982–83 they finished as runners up by just three points to Omonoia. In 1984–85 they once again fought for the championship but after a poor end to the season they finished third. Anorthosis only managed to reach the semi-final stage of the Cypriot Cup once during the decade, in 1982–83, when they were eliminated by Omonoia.


1990s

In the 1990s, Anorthosis returned to winning titles and became one of the permanent contenders for the championship. In 1990–91 Anorthosis finished in second place, three points behind Apollon. They finished in the same position in 1991–92, this time two points behind APOEL. In 1993–94 they again finished in second place for the third time in four years, this time 2 points behind Apollon. In the same season Anorthosis reached the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Omonoia. After a 32-year wait, Anorthosis finally won their seventh league title in 1994–95. They also won the CFA Shield for the first time in 33 years at the start of the 1995–96 season, defeating APOEL on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Anorthosis finished second in the 1995–96 First Division. Over the next four seasons, with Kikis Konstantinou as president and
Dušan Mitošević Dušan Mitošević (17 December 1949 – 1 January 2018) was a Serbs, Serbian association football, football Football player, player and Manager (association football), manager. Playing career Mitošević was a reputable striker during his pla ...
as manager, Anorthosis would be the permanent champions of Cyprus. To begin with, they won the 1996–97 First Division. They lost the 1997 CFA Shield match 2–1 against APOEL, but won both the First Division and
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
titles in 1997–98, the second league and cup double in their history. They defeated Apollon 3–1 in the cup final, and then again 4–1 in the 1998 CFA Shield match. The 1998–99 First Division finished with Anorthosis as champions for the tenth time, beating Omonoia on goal difference thanks to an all-time record 95 goals scored in the first division. They reached the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final once again, but were defeated 2–0 by APOEL. They won the 1999 CFA Shield by beating APOEL 2–0.


2000s

Anorthosis won their fourth consecutive league title in 1999–2000, and also won the 2000 CFA Shield. In the 2001–02 First Division, Anorthosis lost the title to APOEL by just one point. However, they continued their successful era by beating
Ethnikos Achna Ethnikos Achna Football Club (), commonly known as Ethnikos Achna, or simply Ethnikos, is a Cyprus, Cypriot professional Association football, football club based in the village of Dasaki Achnas. Founded in 1968, the club currently plays in the ...
in the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final, earning them another appearance in the CFA Shield match, which they lost 4–2 against APOEL. They again lost the league title by just one point in 2002–03, this time finishing second behind Omonoia. The cup final was once again won by Anorthosis in 2002–03, this time on penalties after a 0–0 draw against AEL. They lost the 2003 CFA Shield match 3–2 against Omonoia. In 2004, Temur Ketsbaia, who was in his second successful spell as an Anorthosis player, became
player-manager A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...
and remained in charge of the team until 2009, leading the team to multiple trophies and the biggest achievement of the club, participation in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
group stages. In 2004–05, Anorthosis won the league again. They lost the 2005 CFA Shield match on penalties against Omonoia. Anorthosis won the 2006–07 Cypriot Cup final 3–2 against Omonoia, and the 2007 CFA Shield 2–1 against APOEL. Anorthosis won their 13th First Division title in 2007–08, going undefeated for the full season. They reached the
Cypriot Cup The Cypriot Cup, formally known as the Cypriot Coca-Cola Cup of First and Second Division () for sponsorship purposes, is a Cypriot knockout football club competition, hosted annually by the Cyprus Football Association. First held in 1934, it i ...
final against APOEL, which they lost 2–0. APOEL won the CFA Shield match in 2008 with a score of 1–0. In the summer of 2008, Anorthosis became the first Cypriot club to qualify for 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 ...
s of a European competition. They defeated
Olympiacos CFP Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in Association ...
in the qualifying round to secure a place in Group B of the 2008–09 Champions League. Despite being heavy underdogs, Anorthosis still had a chance to progress to the knockout round ahead of the final group game, after producing some great results. They beat Panathinaikos in the first match 3–1 at home, drew twice with
Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen, Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, Werder are best known for their professional association foo ...
and drew their home game against
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
's
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
, who would win the competition the following season.


2010s

After the most successful decade in the club's history in the 2000s, Anorthosis would not win a single trophy in the next decade. They suffered from financial problems in the first years of the 2010s, although in the 2012–13 season they fought for the championship, and were leading by 6 points after 20 weeks. However, they had a poor run of results and ultimately finished in second position. In July 2013, following elimination from the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
second qualifying round at the hands of
Gefle IF Gefle Idrottsförening, also known simply as Gefle IF, Gefle (, as if spelled ''Gävle''), or locally Gif (), also known as Gefle IF FF by the Swedish Football Association, are a Swedish professional association football, football club based in G ...
, the club entered a financial crisis and forced club president Savvas Kakos to step down from his position. A general assembly of the club followed and in August, Achilleas Nicolaou was elected as the new president. His first actions were to find a solution for the financial problems and with the help of financial contribution by the fans and Christos Poullaidis, who was deputy president at the time, he succeeded to keep the club alive. In October, Nicolaou stepped down as president with Poullaidis as his successor. In 2013–14, Anorthosis finished outside of the top 5 positions in the league for the first time in 24 years, and they did not finish higher than third position for the rest of the decade. In June 2019, club legend Temur Ketsbaia returned for his second spell as manager.


2020s

In the 2019–20 Cypriot First Division, Anorthosis were equal on points with first-placed Omonia but ranked second due to a worse head-to-head record, when the season was abandoned due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The following season in 2020–21, Anorthosis were just 5 points behind leaders Omonia with 10 games to go, however they earned just 6 points in the remainder of the season, finishing in fourth and 22 points adrift of the eventual champions. Silverware would return to Anorthosis that season, as they were 2–1 victors after extra time against
Olympiakos Nicosia Olympiakos Nicosia (, ''Olympiakos Lefkosias'') is a Cypriot football club based in Nicosia and competes in the . The club was founded in 1931, and is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Association. The club colors are black and green. ...
in the 2020–21 Cypriot Cup final. The cup victory earned Anorthosis a place in the 2021–22 Europa League qualifying rounds. They lost to
Rapid Wien Sportklub Rapid (), commonly known as Rapid Wien or Rapid Vienna in English, is an Austrian professional football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the f ...
, and dropped into the Europa Conference League playoffs. They beat Hapoel Be'er Sheva 3–1 on aggregate and secured their return to the group stage of a European competition. They were drawn in Group B with Gent, Partizan and
Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...
. Despite losing their opening two games and then drawing both games against Flora after leading 2–0, they were still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages ahead of the final game thanks to a spectacular long-distance goal by Lazaros Christodoulopoulos which gave them a shock 1–0 home victory over Gent. They would draw 1–1 in
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
against Partizan, missing out by 2 points on progression to the knockout rounds. In the 2021–22 league season, Anorthosis were hopeful of qualifying to the Champions League by finishing in the top 2 positions with two games remaining in the season, however a 1–1 draw against APOEL and a 3–0 home defeat to
Aris Limassol Aris Limassol (Greek: ''Άρης Λεμεσού'') is a professional 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 A ...
left Anorthosis in fifth position and outside of the European qualification positions. Manager Temur Ketsbaia left the club in June 2022 by mutual consent. The first round of the 2022–23 Cypriot First Division saw Anorthosis out of the Championship playoffs, with the team eventually finishing in seventh place. The team's struggles forced Christos Poullaidis to step down from his position, with Cypriot businessman and former vice-president of the club, Andreas Santis taking over as the new president. Antonio Prieto was appointed as the team's technical director, and David Gallego was appointed as head coach ahead of the 2023–24 season.


Colours and badge

Anorthosis have worn
blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
and
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
colours for the majority of their history,Προφίλ
, Anorthosis Famagusta Official Website
chosen because they were the colours of the
Greek flag The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the Blue-and-White (, ) or the Cyan-and-White (, ), is officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols and has 5 equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There ...
. While often using a striped pattern, Anorthosis has had much variety in their home
shirts A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist). Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. ...
, with many different uses of the colours blue and/or white. The shade of blue has varied over the years, and Anorthosis home shirts have been worn with either blue or white shorts, and blue, white or
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
socks. The inaugural football team of Anorthosis wore
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
-inspired black and
yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...
kits, which was brought back as the home kit for the
centenary A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
year of the club in the 2011–12 season. Anorthosis have often used black for their away or third kit since
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
, intended to represent their lost hometown
Famagusta Famagusta, also known by several other names, is a city located on the eastern coast of Cyprus. It is located east of the capital, Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. During the Middle Ages (especially under the maritime ...
. In 2020–21, Anorthosis used a white third kit with a photograph of Varosha's seafront printed on the front of the shirt. For the 110th birthday of the club, a limited edition shirt of only 110 units was released, using the colour
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
for the first time and the original crest. The gold is meant to represent the colour of the sand of Famagusta's coast. A map of the town is also printed on the kit. Anorthosis have used the phoenix as a symbol for most of the history of the club. In 1970, Anorthosis adopted as their first crest an image of the phoenix and the club's name in Greek, ''ΑΝΟΡΘΩΣΙΣ'', inside a circle. The crest remained for the next 15 years, though it never appeared on the shirts. In 1985, Anorthosis changed their crest for the first time, though again it never appeared on the shirts. In 1990, Anorthosis announced their first official crest as a part of an attempt to modernise the club, that was used on the shirts. It featured the image of a burning phoenix and the club name in Greek, as well as 1911, the year the club was established. In 2000 under president Kikis Konstantinou, the club's crest was changed again as a part of an attempt to further modernise and capitalise on new marketing opportunities. The new badge featured a blue phoenix standing over the fire. It lasted for the next 11 years, with some minor modifications such as the use of different colours, appearances of the phoenix and the addition of a star to celebrate the tenth championship of the club. For the centenary season in 2011–12, the new president Savvas Kakos announced a special emblem to celebrate 100 years that featured the year of the club's establishment and the current year, 1911 and 2011 respectively, on the crest. In 2012, Anorthosis made some alterations to the 100 years crest, which became the permanent new logo of the club. In 2020, the football department came up with a new logo that was intended to help with the marketing of the club. The blue phoenix rising from the flames was no longer surrounded by the traditional shield and its wings shaped the blue and white stripes using negative areas. Above the phoenix, the year 1911 is featured as well as a gold star representing the 10 championships. Initially, the new logo was used on the 2020–21 shirts, however after backlash from fans of the club it was removed, and the 2012 version was restored.


Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors


Stadium

Anorthosis, in order to recover from their relocation, had to build a new stadium.
Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium The Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium () is a football stadium in Larnaca, Cyprus. It has a current seating capacity of 9230 and has been the home stadium of Anorthosis Famagusta since its completion in 1986. History The ground is the home of Anorth ...
is the home of
Anorthosis Famagusta Anorthosis Famagusta (), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Famagusta multi-sport club founded in 1911 in Varosha, Famagusta.
and it was built in 1986 in the city of
Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...
. The ground was given the name of a person who helped Anorthosis in various ways through the years, he was a fighter in
EOKA The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA ; ) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organization that fought a campaign for the end of Cyprus#Cyprus under the British Empire, British rule in Cyprus, and for enosis, eventual union with K ...
war for Cyprus independence and unity with Greece and Anorthosis helped the war and he was also a very talented football player of Anorthosis and later a manager. The initial capacity of the ground was about 6,000 but gradually increased during the years to 13,000. With a major reconditioning in 1998, capacity was reduced to 10,230 (all seated). In 2005 the east stand was named "Quality Stand" after the club's main sponsor. "Quality Stand" is a two-story stand which holds the newly built VIP boxes (upper story), press room, dressing rooms, and bar. In 2006, the stadium went through another reconditioning including the building of VIP Boxes in the upper section of west stand, the launching of the automatic ticketing issue and entrance system, the replacing of the metal front fence with clear acrylic glass for security reasons and for maximized field view. Also, some other facilities are offered in the west stand such as new restrooms, bar, and fans' shop. The stadium also is approved by
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
for European games. It has hosted some matches of the
Cyprus national football team The Cyprus national football team (, ) represents Cyprus in men's international Association football, football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association. The team's home ground is the AEK Arena – Georgios Karapatakis, AEK Arena in L ...
. In this stadium, Cyprus achieved its greatest success against
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
by a score 3–2. On 16 May 1992, the stadium hosted the 1992 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship Third position final between
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, which
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
won 1–0. On 23 November 2011, D. Ellinas group signed a contract with Anorthosis to build new offices for Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium. The old offices of the stadium will be a joint area outside the locker room, journalistic theory, clinics and other. The cost is €400,000 but the D. Ellinas group will build the offices for free in exchange for advertisements on the Anorthosis side.


Supporters

The fans of Anorthosis are spread throughout Cyprus due to the occupation of Famagusta by the Turkish military, with many living near Larnaca where the current stadium is located. There are supporters associations all over the island and in other countries as well including Greece, the UK and the USA. In 2022, a study found Anorthosis to have the support of 15.1% of football fans in Cyprus, making it the third most popular team behind Omonia and APOEL. The main
ultras Ultras are a type of association football fans who are known for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tendency ...
group of Anorthosis was formed in 1994 and is known as 'Maxhtec', meaning 'Fighters' (, stylised as ''MAXHTEC''). The idea is to never stop fighting until they return to their beloved town of Famagusta. The emblem of Maxhtec is an ancient warrior helmet, similar to those worn by the
Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
ns. The Anorthosis ultras have a friendly relationship with their counterparts from Russian club
Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (), is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first institution created from the All-Union Dynamo Sports Club. Dynamo Mosco ...
and Serbian club
OFK Beograd OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English language, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club''), also known in English as OFK Belgrade and currently referred to as OFK ...
. The Anorthosis fans are known for being very passionate about their team, their lost hometown Famagusta and their
Greek Cypriot Greek Cypriots (, ) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2023 census, 719,252 respondents recorded their ethnicity as Greek, forming almost 99% of the 737,196 Cypri ...
heritage. In the stands there can often be seen many Greek flags,
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
flags and tributes to former
EOKA The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA ; ) was a Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organization that fought a campaign for the end of Cyprus#Cyprus under the British Empire, British rule in Cyprus, and for enosis, eventual union with K ...
members, many of whom were also members of Anorthosis, such as Grigoris Afxentiou.


Players


First-team squad


Out on loan


Retired numbers

14 – Temur Ketsbaia (1992–1994, 2002–2007), club legend


Staff


Board of directors


Technical and team staff


Coaching Staff

Source

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Team Staff

Source

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Honours

* * shared record


See also

*
Anorthosis Famagusta Anorthosis Famagusta (), commonly known as Anorthosis in English or Anorthosi in Greek, is a Cypriot football club, part of the Famagusta multi-sport club founded in 1911 in Varosha, Famagusta.
* Anorthosis Famagusta F.C. in European football * List of Anorthosis Famagusta F.C. managers * List of Anorthosis Famagusta presidents


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anorthosis Famagusta Football Club
Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
Association football clubs established in 1911 Football clubs in Cyprus 1911 establishments in Cyprus Unrelegated association football clubs Sport in Famagusta Sport in Larnaca Sports team and club relocations