Asteras Tripolis Football Club (), currently known as Asteras AKTOR for sponsorship reasons, commonly referred to as Asteras, is a Greek professional

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 based in the city of Tripoli in Arcadia,

Peloponnese The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. Asteras Tripolis has been competing in

Super League Greece The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...

, the Greek top professional league, since the 2007–08 season. They were runners-up of the

Greek Football Cup The Greek Football Cup (), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Betsson Greek Cup for sponsorship reasons is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second-most important domestic men's footba ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

and have reached the semi-finals of the competition overall four times. Asteras Tripolis has competed in the

UEFA 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 ...

group stage for two seasons and has a total of five seasons in the competition. The club ranks 10th among the 20 Greek clubs with contribution of points for the UEFA country ranking.

History

Early years

Asteras Tripolis was founded on 26 March 1931, in the area near Tripoli's railway station and was formally recognised forthwith. However, the club stayed inactive and during 1932 all football clubs in Tripoli were temporarily dissolved. At the same time, Minas Tsavdaris founded a football club and named it "Keramikos" after his home area. Despite his efforts, Keramikos was never formally recognised, and in 1938 Tsavdaris decided to transfer all of the club's players to Asteras Tripolis, which was still legally recognised. This signified the revival of the club and Asteras Tripolis managed to compete in the inaugural season (1939–40) of the regional Arcadian League. However, the subsequent German occupation of Greece ended all league competitions abruptly and the club was dissolved once again.

Post-World War II

After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Asteras Tripolis was reformed under the name "Neos Asteras" and was accordingly recognised by Tripoli's courts on 23 June 1947. Asteras Tripolis won five consecutive titles in the Arcadian League (1957–62). The team won consecutive promotions and managed to play for two seasons in Second National Division (1961–63), thus becoming the first team from Tripoli to ever participate in such a high division. In the summer of 1963, Asteras Tripolis merged with Aris–Atromitos and the new team was named "Athlitikos Omilos Tripolis" (Athletic Club of Tripoli, AOT). AOT's function was based in Asteras Tripolis' statute and the new club continued its activities until 1968, when it was dissolved once again and was subsequently merged with Arkadikos to form Panarkadikos.

Recent history and era of success (2003–present)

Asteras Tripolis was reformed again in 1978. The club participated in the regional Arcadian League until 2003. At 2001 the club entered a new era and led an outstanding streak of performances under the leadership of Dimitris Bakos and Giannis Kaimenakis. They remained unbeaten at home for over 5 years (from 2001 to November 2006) and they managed to move up four divisions, earning the promotion for the

as Second Division champions on 12 May 2007. Asteras Tripolis made a spectacular start in their first season in

Super League Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...

, under the technical leadership of Paulo Campos. Their first ever win was against Panathinaikos (1–0 in Tripoli) and their first away win against OFI in

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

(3–0). The season was marked by some outstanding performances with the most memorable being the 1–0 home victory against champions

Olympiacos 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 football, ...

. They also managed to win 2–1 against

AEK Athens A.E.K. (; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople'') is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica. The club is more commonly known in European competitions as A.E.K. Athens. Establishe ...

and 2–0 against

PAOK PAOK (, Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, ''Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinopoliton'', ''Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans''), commonly ...

at home. Asteras Tripolis became the first and only newly promoted Super League team that managed to beat

, Panathinaikos,

(home and away) and

in its first ever appearance in the top division. It is remarkable that the team of that season made Asteras Tripolis popular in Greek fans as "Boca" because of its Argentinian players (

Lucio Filomeno Lucio Filomeno (born 8 May 1980) is a former Argentina, Argentine Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. His last club was Club Atlético Acassuso, Acassuso. After growing up in Haedo, Buenos A ...

Horacio Cardozo Horacio Ramón Cardozo (, born 29 November 1979) is an Argentine former footballer. He played as a central or defensive midfielder. Club career Argentina and Greece He played several years for Estudiantes de la Plata. He has also played for ...

, Mauro Milano, Israel Damonte, Carlos Massara etc.) and the mutual colours of the club with the famous

Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...

. Coach Paulo Campos left Asteras Tripolis on 24 February 2008 with assistant manager Panagiotis Tzanavaras taking over for the rest of the 2007–08 season. Asteras Tripolis finally ended 7th, missing the European spot in the last games. In the summer of 2008, Asteras Tripolis announced Carlos Carvalhal as their new manager. He was sacked in mid-season due to poor results which led the team near the relegation zone. He was succeeded by former

caretaker manager In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caret ...

, Nikos Kostenoglou. Despite the unfortunate results in

, the team managed to remain focused on the goal of the

Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup (), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Betsson Greek Cup for sponsorship reasons is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second-most important domestic men's footba ...

, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in its history, where finally eliminated by

. In 2009, Asteras Tripolis signed the Argentinean former

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 ...

assistant

Mario Gómez Mario Gómez García (; born 10 July 1985) is a German former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He represented the Germany national football team, Germany national team ...

as their new coach. After a season with moderate results that led Asteras Tripolis to 12th place finish in

, the next season was coming to get worse the status of the club. In the 2010–11 season, after some wrong player choices and a disappointing 2nd round, Asteras Tripolis dealt relegation hammer blow. However, on 19 May 2011, the Disciplinary Committee of the competition found Iraklis guilty of forgery during the winter transfer window. Therefore the club was automatically put at the end of the league table and demoted to the Football League. This development resulted in Asteras Tripolis remaining in Super League. In the 2011–12 season, Asteras Tripolis reached the 6th place and failed to qualify for the Play-offs. However, AEK Athens was not licensed to play in the 2012–13 Europa League and therefore replaced by the 6th placed team in the league table, Asteras Tripolis. That was the first participation of the club in

UEFA competitions UEFA competitions (), referred improperly by the mass media as European football, are the set of tournaments organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur association football and futsal. Th ...

. The season completed with another participation of the club in Greek Cup semi-finals, in which the team eliminated after an exciting 2nd leg match against Atromitos in Tripoli. The 2012–13 season was one of the most memorable in Asteras Tripolis' history. The club competed in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round and won its first qualification to a next round in European level, eliminating the Azerbaijani, Inter Baku. In

, the club took a step ahead, finishing third(and fourth in the play-offs) and secured a place for the 2013–14 Europa League. However, the highlight of the season was the outstanding road of the team, under the technical leadership of Sakis Tsiolis, to the first

final in club's history. The "Arcadians" lost 1–3 against

after

extra time Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...

and as 13,000 supporters of the yellow-blues were at the Olympic Stadium of Athens. Vergetis

In the 2014–15 season, Asteras Tripolis took another step ahead in European level, reaching the

2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage The 2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage was played from 18 September to 11 December 2014. A total of 48 teams competed in the group stage to decide 24 of the 32 places in the knockout phase of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. Draw The draw ...

for the first time in club's history, after a streak of qualifications against RoPS, Mainz 05 and Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the Group C, Asteras Tripolis won six points and finished third against

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

and Partizan. In

Super league Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...

, Asteras Tripolis finished in 3rd place, its highest place in the league table until these days. Also, the main striker of the squad, Jerónimo Barrales, emerged top goalscorer in 2014-15 Super League Greece. In the next season, 2015–16, Asteras Tripolis secured his direct participation in the Europa League group stage as finished third in the 2014-15 Super League. In the Group K, the club won four points and finished third again, with rivals Schalke 04,

Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...

and APOEL. Although during the 2016-17 Super League season, Asteras Tripolis finished 12th, in the next season, the club finished fifth, securing a place in the second qualifying round of 2018–19 Europa League.

Crest and colours

Crest evolution

File:Asteras Tripolis Logo.svg, –2009 File:Asteras Tripolis.svg, 2009–2020 File:Asteras Tripolis FC logo.svg, 2020–present The first crest of the club was a star symbol in the traditional colours of the team, blue, yellow and white. Blue symbolizes trust, faith, and self-confidence. Yellow, which is associated with energy and creation, symbolizes ambition. While white is considered the colour of perfection and hope, and signifies safety and cleanliness. In the following decades, various versions of the crest were introduced with minor changes. In 2009, the version that was to be associated with the club's most recent glorious days appeared for the first time, until the summer of 2020. On 21 July 2020, with the motto "The story has no end", the club presented a new crest. The star symbol maintained in the highest position, as the symbol with which the club traveled through time, since 1931. Also, the new crest connects the club with the most special monument of Tripoli, the statue of

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis (; 3 April 1770 – ) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. The son of a klepht leader who fought the Ottomans during the Orlov revolt ...

, the Greek general and pre-eminent leader of the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

. The statue, located in Areos Square since September 1971, was made to present Theodoros Kolokotronis in battle and his bones are kept there. At the same time, with the phrase "ET IN ARCADIA EGO" written on it, the new crest seals the relationship of the club with the whole of Arcadia.

Kit evolution

Asteras Tripolis has undergone several changes in the design of its home kit since its founding, but the home colours have mainly remained blue and yellow, forming the club's identity. Over the years, the designs have ranged from traditional patterns to more modern, dynamic styles. The club through its kits has tried to convey various messages and reflect its history and values. They have also used black, pink, orange, white and a light green in recent seasons for their alternate kits. Uniforms worn by the team:

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

The following table shows in detail Asteras Tripolis kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:

Stadium

Theodoros Kolokotronis Stadium (formally Asteras Tripolis Stadium) is a privately owned football stadium in Tripoli, Greece. Its capacity is 7,600. The stadium was built in 1979. After the team's promotion in the Football League in 2005, the stadium was renovated and its capacity expanded, including the east stand, which also houses the club's offices, a gym and changing rooms, a lounge, etc. In 2007, with the rise of Asteras Tripolis in the Super League, the western theater was built, housing the journalists and VIP posts, and a small square on the south side was also added for use mainly by the fans of the hosted team. In 2008, the northern beam was constructed. In 2010, the southern beam was reconstructed and expanded. Asteras-tripolois fans

In 2015, on the occasion of the Asteras Tripolis team's participation in the Europa League (2015–16) groups, for the second time in its history and the second consecutive parallel but also the fourth consecutive year of the group's presence in general (the first two only in the qualifiers), several remarkable renovations were carried out on the stadium, mainly in its interior, such as changing rooms and the press room, etc. On 27 November 2011, in the match between Asteras Tripolis and Olympiacos for the 11th season of the championship (2011–12), the spectators arrived at the stadium with 6,150 tickets. The stadium was renamed on 22 November 2012 in honour of the hero of the

. Also, the club has proposed a new stadium, the New Asteras Tripolis Stadium.

Domestic record

Divisional history

* 18 seasons in

. * 3 seasons in Second Division Greece. * 1 season in Third Division Greece. * 5 seasons in Fourth Division Greece.

Recent seasons

European record

UEFA club coefficient ranking

''As of the end of the 2021–22 season''

By season

''As of the end of the 2021–22 season'' ;Notes * 1R: First round * 2Q: Second qualifying round * 3Q: Third qualifying round * PO: Play-off round

Notable wins

Honours

Domestic

** ''Runners-up (1):'' 2012–13 * Second Division Greece ** Winners (1): 2006–07 * Third Division Greece ** Winners (1): 2005–06 * Fourth Division Greece ** Winners (1): 2004–05

Regional

* Arcadian Championship ** Winners (8): 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2002–03 * Arcadian Cup ** Winners (4): 1988–89, 1989–90, 2003–04, 2004–05

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Records and statistics

''Information correct as of the match played on 11 May 2025. Bold denotes an active player for the club.''
''The tables refer to Asteras Tripolis' players in

, Second Division Greece, Third Division Greece and

.''

Top 10 Most Capped Players

Top 10 Goalscorers

Personnel

Coaching history

* Giannis Petrakis (2004 – 6 January 2006) * Lysandros Georgamlis (January 2006 – 6 May) * Giannis Papakostas (June 2006 – 6 December) * Paulo Campos (29 November 2006 – 2 February 2008) * Panagiotis Tzanavaras (25 February 2008 – 13 May 2008) * Carlos Carvalhal (14 May 2008 – 15 October 2008) * Nikos Kostenoglou (20 November 2008 – 18 May 2009) *

(1 July 2009 – 25 October 2009) * Vangelis Vlachos (26 October 2009 – 17 January 2011) * Pavlos Dermitzakis (21 January 2011 – 17 May 2011) * Óscar Fernández (15 June 2011 – 19 September 2011) * Horácio Gonçalves (19 September 2011 – 7 November 2011) * Sakis Tsiolis (9 November 2011 – 30 September 2013) * Staikos Vergetis (2 October 2013 – 29 January 2016) * Dimitrios Terezopoulos (30 January 2016 – 28 February 2016) * Makis Chavos (29 February 2016 – 26 September 2016) * Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos (27 September 2016 – 18 February 2017) * Apostolos Charalampidis (19 February 2016 – 8 March 2017) * Staikos Vergetis (9 March 2017 – 10 September 2017) * Savvas Pantelidis (10 September 2017 – 12 November 2018) * Georgios Paraschos (12 November 2018 – 17 May 2019) * Borja Jiménez (6 July 2019 – 4 December 2019) * Milan Rastavac (5 December 2019 – 15 May 2022) * Iraklis Metaxas (9 June 2022 – 23 December 2023) * Akis Mantzios (4 January 2023 – 4 April 2023) * Giannis Douvikas (10 April 2023 – 30 June 2023) * Milan Rastavac (1 July 2023 – 3 September 2024) * Claude Makélélé (12 September 2024 – 7 October 2024) * Savvas Pantelidis (October 2024 – )

Affiliated clubs

* Villarreal *

Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...

Notes

References

External links

;Official websites
Official website

Asteras Tripolis
at the

official website
Asteras Tripolis
at the

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 ...