The Spata Training Centre ( el, Προπονητικό Κέντρο Σπάτων) is the name given to

AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelf ...

' training complex, located outside

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...

Spata Spata ( el, Σπάτα), is a town east of downtown Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Spata-Artemida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit (officially named Spata- ...

near

Athens International Airport Athens International Airport ''Eleftherios Venizelos'' ( el, Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», ''Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos"''), commonly initialised as ...

. Also hosting the club's

youth academy In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if ...

, the facility replaced the old

Thrakomakedones Thrakomakedones (Greek: Θρακομακεδόνες from Thrace and Macedonia), is a town in the regional unit East Attica, in Attica region, Greece. It is a northern suburb of Athens. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the munic ...

Training Centre, which was in use until 2010.

History

The new architecturally designed AEK Training Centre has been built since 2010 and it is located in

, Attica. It is the home of the club's team and academy and is recognized as one of the best in the Balkans. The modern facility - which includes two natural grass pitches, an artificial pitch, world-class player preparation areas, pool and hydrotherapy complex, altitude room, large-scale gymnasium and specialist sports rehabilitation suites - will support the club's ambitions to attract, develop and retain the highest quality talent.

Dimitris Melissanidis Dimitris Melissanidis (Greek: Δημήτρης Μελισσανίδης; born 8 March 1951) is a Greek business shipping and oil tycoon who is one of Greece's most successful businessmen. He is the current owner of AEK Athens Football Club. He ...

recently managed to buy another 70 acres of land at this area, in order to enlarge the Training Centre of AEK, by constructing more football fields and buildings for the hospitality of team's footballers. Since 2014, the official name of the ground is "

OPAP OPAP – Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics S.A. ( el, ΟΠΑΠ – Οργανισμός Προγνωστικών Αγώνων Ποδοσφαίρου Α.Ε.) is a Greek company organizing and conducting games of chance. It is headquarter ...

Sports Centre". On 4 July 2018, the Sports Centre came to auction which was bought by Dimitris Melissanidis for a price of €3.5m and then donated it to AEK. Alongside the Sports Centre, Melissanidis also bought 70 hectares for an extra €5.5m which were added to the wider area of the existing training center and there will be additional stadiums along with the necessary additional facilities for the preparation of the team and for the hospitality of the players.

References

External links

Inside look at AEK Athens training facility
{{AEK Athens F.C. Sports venues in Athens AEK Athens F.C.

Sports venues completed in 2010 2010 establishments in Greece