PAOK
Full namePanthessalonikios Athlitikos Omilos Konstantinoupoliton Thessaloniki Handball Club
Nickname(s)
  • Double-Headed Eagle of the North
  • White-Blacks
Founded1999 (1999)
ArenaMikra Indoor Arena III
Capacity1,380
PresidentAthanasios Katsaris
Head coachPanagiotis Gousios
LeagueHandball Premier
2022–233th
Club colours   
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away
Website
Official site

PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki, Greece. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups and women's team has won 6 Greek Championships and 6 Greek Cups. Despite its relatively short history, it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the club.

Location of P.A.O.K. H.C.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Location of P.A.O.K. H.C.

History

PAOK Handball Club was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seikeridis, former club's coach, has connected his name with the whole club's history. PAOK promoted to A1 Ethniki for first time at the season 2000–01. Three years later, they relegated to A2 Ethniki, but they promoted back to the top-tier level the next season. As the years passed, the team became stronger and stronger and they won two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. At the end of the 2008–09 season PAOK defeated Panellinios in the last game of the play-offs and in 2009–10 PAOK defeated Doukas, also in the last game. At the season 2009–10, PAOK became the second Greek team after Filippos Veria, who reach the groups of EHF Champions League. In 2011, even though PAOK had the advantage and needed only a draw in the last game in Thessaloniki, they lost the championship to AEK. In 2012 PAOK won the Greek Cup by beating AEK with 25–24 score in Patras. The next year, they lost with 27–23 score by AEK at the Cup final in Kerkyra. In 2015 PAOK beats AEK again with 27–29 score at P.A.O.K. Sports Arena in Thessaloniki and won the Greek Cup. PAOK also won the Greek Championship the same year making it a double for the first time. They faced Diomidis at the play-off finals. In 2017 PAOK beats Panellinios with 25–23 score in Kozani winning the Greek Cup for the third time.

Crest, colours, supporters

Kits

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2023–24 season[1]
P.A.O.K. H.C.

Technical staff

  • Head coach: Greece Panagiotis Gousios
  • Assistant coach: Greece Dimitrios Pelekidis
  • Assistant coach: Greece Vassilis Skandalis
  • Physiotherapist: Greece Panagiotis Papadopoulos

Transfers

Transfers for the 2023–24 season

Honours

  • Greek Championship:
    • Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015
    • Runner-up (2): 2011, 2021
  • Greek Cup:
    • Winners (3): 2012, 2015, 2017
    • Runner-up (2): 2013, 2021
  • Double
    • Winners (1): 2015

Recent seasons

Season Division Place Notes
2000–01A1 Ethniki9th
2001–02A1 Ethniki7th
2002–03A1 Ethniki7th
2003–04A1 Ethniki11thRelegated to A2
2004–05A2 Ethniki2ndPromoted to A1
2005–06A1 Ethniki5th
2006–07A1 Ethniki5th
2007–08A1 Ethniki4th
2008–09A1 Ethniki1st
2009–10A1 Ethniki1st
2010–11A1 Ethniki2nd
2011–12A1 Ethniki3rdGreek Cup Winner
2012–13A1 Ethniki4thGreek Cup Finalist
2013–14A1 Ethniki5th
2014–15A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winner
2015–16Handball Premier3rd
2016–17Handball Premier5thGreek Cup Winner
2017–18Handball Premier3rd
2018–19Handball Premier4th
2019–20Handball Premier5th
2020–21Handball Premier2ndGreek Cup Finalist
2021–22Handball Premier3rd
2022–23Handball Premier3rd

European competition

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Advance
2006–07 EHF Challenge Cup R2 North Macedonia RK Vardar 29–34 29–43 58–77
2007–08 EHF Challenge Cup R2 Serbia RK Kolubara 28–31 3rd place
England Great Dane HC London 32–21
Ukraine Burevestnik Lugansk 28–32
2008–09 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Russia Sungul Snezhinsk 23–23 25–25 48–48
1/8 Romania Știința Bacău 28–31 29–31 57–62
2009–10 EHF Champions League QR Cyprus SPE Strovolos 32–29 1st place
Ukraine ZTR Zaporizhia 30–30
Group Stage Russia Chekhovskiye Medvedi 25–37 22–46 6th place
France Montpellier HB 23–34 20–46
Hungary SC Pick Szeged 27–26 24–27
Spain BM Valladolid 27–37 19–38
Romania HCM Constanța 26–30 23–34
2010–11 EHF Cup R2 Austria A1 Bregenz 23–31 24–27 47–58
2011–12 EHF Cup R2 Hungary Tatabánya KC 23–27 25–29 48–56
2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup 1/16 Norway IL Runar 31–32 26–36 57–68
2013–14 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Belarus HC Victoria Regia MINSK 26–27 21–28 47–55
2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup R2 Malta Aloysians Von Taine 39–15 34–17 73–32
R3 Turkey Göztepe SK 29–28 26–35 55–63
2021–22 EHF European Cup R3 Latvia TENAX Dobele 29–24 28–25 57–49
1/8 Romania CS Minaur Baia Mare 28–27 21–32 49–59
2022–23 EHF European Cup R2 Croatia Sesvete 21–27 24–29 45–56
2023–24 EHF European Cup R2 Austria Linz AG 25–25 26–27 51–52

EHF ranking

As of 06/12/2023[2]
RankTeamPoints
126Lithuania Granitas Kaunas37
127Netherlands HV Hurry-Up37
128Greece P.A.O.K. H.C.36
129Estonia HC Tallinn36
130Switzerland BSV Bern36
131Switzerland GC Amicitia Zürich36
132Portugal Belenenses36

Former club members

Notable former players

References

  1. ↑ https://ehfec.eurohandball.com/men/2023-24/clubs/details/X7wrKDWnBfXXApPf9egmHg/a-c-paok/
  2. ↑ "Eurotopteam, classement européen des clubs de Handball".
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