Ionikos
Full nameF.C. Ionikos Nikaia 1965 A.C.
Nickname(s)Cyan-Whites
Founded29 June 1965; 58 years ago
GroundNeapolis Public Stadium
Capacity5,500
OwnerGiannis Tsirigotis
ChairmanGiannis Tsirigotis
ManagerGeorgios Simos
LeagueSuper League Greece 2
2022–23Super League Greece, 13th (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

Ionikos Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Ιωνικός) is a Greek professional football club based in Nikaia, Greece, currently competing in the Super League Greece 2, the second tier of the Greek football league system.

From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in the Super League.[1] During that span Ionikos finished as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions),[2][3] was a finalist in the Greek Cup,[4] and participated in the UEFA Europa League.[5]

The club's colours are blue and white.

History

Foundation

Ionikos was established in 1965, from a merger of local clubs Nikaia Sports Union and Aris Piraeus, with Alex Meraklidis as new club's first president.[6] The club's early years were not easy, but, with the support of its fans, Ionikos slowly improved through the 1970s and 1980s and eventually reached the top division in 1989.[6]

The club's first promotion to the top flight was accompanied by unexpected problems—Dimitris Melissanidis withdrew as chairman, and the club needed 50 million drachmas to participate in the championship.[6] Businessman Nikolaos Kanellakis stepped forward to provide the needed sum and become the club's new chairman.[6]

Nikos Kanellakis

Kanellakis' arrival would be the beginning of the club's greatest era—from the 1989 promotion, Ionikos would spend 16 of the next 18 seasons in the Greek top flight, up until 2007, and during that time the team would finish as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), reach a Greek Cup Final, and compete in the UEFA Europa League.[6]

Greek Cup Final 2000

Ionikos' UEFA Cup appearance came in the 1999–00 season—the opposition was French side Nantes, and Ionikos lost both home and away matches, 1–3 and 0–1, respectively.[6] Ionikos reached the Greek Cup Final later that same season, where they came up against traditional power AEK, and, despite a valiant Ionikos effort, AEK won the match, 3–0.[6]

On 21 April 2004 Ionikos experienced the most tragic moment of his history, when Nikolaos Kanellakis, the club's chairman for 14 years, died.[6] Hundreds of Ionikos supporters—as well as other sports fans—attended Kanellakis' funeral, where the flag of Ionikos covered the coffin of the late chairman. Nikolaos' son Christos took his father's place as chairman.

Relegation to Second League

Ionikos' long run in the top flight ended in the 2006–07 season, when the team finished in 16th-place in the Super League and was relegated back to Beta Ethniki. Ionikos has spent the last two seasons in Beta Ethniki, finishing 5th and 4th place, respectively, as the club tries to rejoin the top flight.

Return to the Top League

For the upcoming season, 2021–22, they will compete once again in the Greek top league, 2021–22 Super League Greece, having gained promotion, and after successfully getting licensed to compete in the top league's new season.[7]

Stadium

Ionikos plays its home matches at Neapolis Public Stadium (Greek: Γήπεδο Νεάπολης), located in Nikaia, a suburb of Piraeus. The stadium was completed in 1965, and had its latest redevelopment in 2000.[8] It currently has a seating capacity of 5,500, but record attendance is 6,565 for a match against Olympiacos in 1990.[8]

Ionikos' organized supporters gather in Gate 3 at Neapoli Stadium.

Supporters and rivals

While Ionikos was competing in the lower divisions there were two main supporters' groups—the Association of Ionikos Supporters and the Fan Club of Agios Georgios.[9]

On Ionikos's promotion to the top division the Association of Ionikos Supporters Rangers Club was formed—or Rangers Club, for short—with headquarters in Elefterias Square in Korydallos.[9] Before Ionikos's first match in the top flight the Rangers Club organised a parade of 2,000 supporters from outside Rangers' headquarters to Stavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium, where Ionikos played its first three home matches of the 1989–90 season.[9] Two years later the supporters' club offices moved to Neapolis, and then in 1996 to Nikaia, before returning to Neapolis in 1999.[9] A second branch was established in Nikaia in 2004.[9]

Ionikos fans have a rivalry with the fans of the other topic club of Nikaia, Proodeftiki.

Ionikos fans have rivalries too with other nearby clubs, Egaleo, and Atromitos.

The Derby of Kokkinia

The football matches between Ionikos and Proodeftiki are called «The Derby of Kokkinia»

Players

Current squad

As of 2 January 2024[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Greece GRE Panagiotis Bitzinis
2 DF Albania ALB Franc Ymeralilaj
3 DF Greece GRE Christos Tasoulis
4 DF Greece GRE Konstantinos Tsirigotis
5 MF Austria AUT David Cancola
6 MF Armenia ARM Vasilios Poghosyan
8 MF Greece GRE Giannis Ikonomidis
9 FW Nigeria NGA Abiola Dauda
10 MF Greece GRE Panagiotis Linardos
11 FW Greece GRE Petros Giakoumakis
12 GK Slovenia SVN Matic Kotnik
14 DF Bulgaria BUL Ivan Goranov
17 MF Argentina ARG Matías Iglesias
19 FW Portugal POR João Silva
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF Greece GRE Dimitrios Serpezis
22 MF Albania ALB Damian Gjini
23 MF Greece GRE Christos Ioannidis
24 DF Greece GRE Antonis Ikonomopoulos
25 DF Germany GER Nico Petras
26 DF Portugal POR Hugo Sousa
29 MF Germany GER Michael Gardawski
30 FW Greece GRE Ierotheos Dritsas
32 DF Albania ALB Antonio Miço
33 GK Greece GRE Georgios Christodoulis
44 DF Israel ISR Or Zahavi
75 FW Greece GRE Filippos Papanastasiou
77 FW Colombia COL Juan Camilo Salazar
— FW Paraguay PAR Richard Salinas

Former players

List of managers

Oleg Blokhin is one of the biggest managers in the Ionikos' history

Ionikos managers from 1992 and henceforth.

1992–93 Greece Nikos Alefantos
Germany Gerhard Prokop
Greece Sokratis Gemelos
1993–94 Greece Sokratis Gemelos
1994–95 Bulgaria Hristo Bonev
Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
1995–96 Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
1996–97 Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
Greece Sokratis Gemelos
Poland Jacek Gmoch
1997–98 Poland Jacek Gmoch
1998–99 Uruguay Sergio Markarián
1999–00 Greece Kostas Polychroniou
Greece Sokratis Gemelos
Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
2000–01 Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
2001–02 Ukraine Oleg Blokhin
Greece Sokratis Gemelos
2002–03 France Jean-Michel Cavalli
Poland Jacek Gmoch
2003–04 Montenegro Miloje Kljajević
Greece Vangelis Vlachos
2004–05 Greece Vangelis Vlachos
Uruguay Alejandro Cáceres
2005–06 Greece Sakis Tsiolis
2006–07 Greece Sakis Tsiolis
Portugal Augusto Inácio
Greece Giannis Chatzinikolaou
2007–08 Uruguay Jorge Barrios
GreeceGeorgios Vazakas
Greece Nikos Anastopoulos
2008–09 Greece Nikos Goulis
2009–10 GreeceGiannis Ioannou
GreeceStratos Voutsakelis
Greece Vasilis Vouzas
2010–11 Greece Giannis Petrakis
Greece Leonidas Tsigaridas
Serbia Miodrag Ćirković
Greece Nikos Maronitis
2011–12 Greece Nikos Maronitis
2012–13 Greece Nikos Frousos
2013–14 Greece Markos Dimos
Greece Konstantinos Partheniou
2014–15 Greece Ilias Kalopitas
Greece Stavros Iliopoulos
Greece Lefteris Vasiliadis
2015–16 Greece Lefteris Vasiliadis
Greece Margaritis Chatzialexis
2016–17 Greece Ilias Kalopitas
Greece Loukas Karadimos
2017–18 Greece Loukas Karadimos
Greece Margaritis Chatzialexis
Greece Vangelis Laiveras
Greece Margaritis Chatzialexis
Greece Nikos Maronitis
2018–19 Greece Konstantinos Anyfantakis
Greece Dimitrios Arnaoutis
2019–20 Greece Dimitrios Arnaoutis
Greece Apostolos Charalampidis
2020–21 Greece Dimitrios Spanos
2021–22 Greece Dimitrios Spanos
2022–23 Greece Dimitrios Spanos
Greece Michalis Grigoriou
2023–24 Greece Georgios Simos

Honours

Domestic

League titles

Winners (2): 1993–94, 2020–21
Winners (2): 1977–78 (Group 8), 1981–82 (Group 1)
Winners (1): 2012–13 (Group 9)
Winners (1): 1976–77 (Group 2)

Cups

Winners (1): 1981–82

Season-by-season

Since 1965–66:

Club records

Alpha Ethniki / Super League 1

Last Update 19 May 2023

  • First participation: 1989–90
  • Total participations: 18
  • Wins: 169
  • Draws: 157
  • Losses: 242
  • Goals Scored: 620
  • Goals Conceded: 821
  • Record Win: Ionikos 5–0 OFI Crete in 1997–98
  • Record Loss: AEK Athens 6–0 Ionikos in 1995–96, Olympiacos 6–0 Ionikos in 2002–03, PAOK 6–0 Ionikos in 2022–23

Beta Ethniki / Super League 2

  • First participation: 1965–66
  • Total participations: 26
  • Wins: 299
  • Draws: 224
  • Losses: 259
  • Goals Scored: 925
  • Goals Conceded: 849
  • Record Win: Ionikos 8–0 Bizani in 1966–67, Ionikos 8–0 Anagennisi Artas in 1974–75
  • Record Loss: Vyzas 7–0 Ionikos in 1971–72

Individual records

Appearances

Player Matches
Greece Giannis Xanthopoulos
318
Greece Georgios Daraklitsas
290
Greece Nikolaos Frousos
217
Syria Mohammad Afash
196
Liberia Oliver Makor
164

Goals

Player Goals
Greece Kostas Kottakis
top scorer
Greece Nikolaos Frousos
64
Scotland Craig Brewster
45
Liberia Oliver Makor
43
Greece Giannis Xanthopoulos
24

Crest and Colors

Crest evolution

Original kit

Ionikos's first home colours 1965
Ionikos's first away colours 1965
Ionikos's first Goalkeeper kit 1965

Kit evolution

1965–66
1978–79
1980–81
1989–90
1991–92
1999–00
1993–94
1997–98
2001–02 2002–03
2005–06
2007–08 2008–09

European record

Season Competition Round Club Home Away
1999–00 UEFA Europa League 1st Round France Nantes 1–3 0–1

References

  1. ↑ "Greece – Final Tables 1959–1999". RSSSF. 2003-08-03.
  2. ↑ "Greece −1997/98". RSSSF.
  3. ↑ "Greece 1998/99". RSSSF.
  4. ↑ "Greek Cup Finals". Hellenic Football Federation. Archived from the original on 2008-10-03.
  5. ↑ "UEFA Europa League Season 1999–2000 First Round". UEFA.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History". Ionikos F.C. Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  7. ↑ ""Στη φυσική μας θέση": Η ευχαριστήρια απάντηση του Ιωνικού στο "καλώς ήρθες" της Super League" ["In our natural position": The thank-you response of Ionikos to Super League's "Welcome back"]. Sport-FM.gr (in Greek). 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Neapoli Stadium". Stadia.gr.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rangers History". Rangers Club. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09.
  10. ↑ "Ρόστερ ΠΑΕ Ιωνικός". ionikosfc.gr (in Greek). Online. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "Στον Ιωνικό ως το 2024 ο Ντμίτρο Τσιγκρίνσκι". www.ionikosfc.gr. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Player summary – Club career: Gurjinder Singh". WorldFootball.net. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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