Super League Greece

(Redirected from Alpha Ethniki)

The Super League Greece 1 (Greek: Σούπερ Λιγκ Ελλάδας 1), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The members of the cooperative are the Football Limited Companies (P.A.E.) that have the right to participate in the Super League 1 championship.[2]

Super League Greece 1
Founded
  • 1906; 118 years ago (1906)
    as SEGAS championship
  • 1927; 97 years ago (1927)
    as Panhellenic Championship
  • 1959; 65 years ago (1959)
    as Alpha Ethniki
  • 2006; 18 years ago (2006)
    as Super League Greece
CountryGreece
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams14[1]
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toSuper League Greece 2
Domestic cup(s)Greek Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Europa Conference League
Current championsAEK Athens (13th title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsOlympiacos (47 titles)
Most appearancesMimis Domazos (535)
Top goalscorerThomas Mavros (260 goals)
TV partnersNova Sports, Cosmote Sport
Websiteslgr.gr
Current: 2023–24 Super League Greece

It consists of 14 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 26 games each followed by a 10-game play-off to decide the champions.

As of March 2024, Super League Greece is ranked 17th[3][4] in the UEFA ranking of leagues, based on performances in European competitions over the last five years.

Since the foundation of the first official Panhellenic Championship in 1927,[5] only six clubs have won the title. With 47 conquests, Olympiacos has the most titles in the history of the competition.

The current champions are AEK Athens.

History

Origins

Football first appeared in Greece in 1894 and began to spread after the 1896 Olympiad, which was included in the games program. Many clubs started to establish football divisions while the first purely football clubs were also founded. The first years, until 1912, championship was organised by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (SEGAS). This championship was actually a local tournament among clubs from Athens and Piraeus.[6]

After the Balkan Wars and World War I, two football associations were formed, one organising a football league in Athens and Piraeus, and one doing the same in Thessaloniki. These were the Athens-Piraeus FCA (EPSAP) and the Macedonia FCA (EPSM). In 1923, a Panhellenic Champion was determined by a play-off game between the Athens-Piraeus and the Thessaloniki champions. Peiraikos Syndesmos won 3–1 against Aris. This panhellenic final was not repeated the following year as the EPSAP was split into the Athens FCA (EPSA) and Piraeus FCA (EPSP) following a dispute.[7][8]

Panhellenic Championship

On 14 November 1926, the Hellenic Football Federation is founded and organizes the first Panhellenic Championship in the period 1927-28, in which, however, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens did not participate due to conflicts with the EPO.[9]

The initial events were held with teams from Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, excluding the provincial ones. Previously, the local championships of the cities were held and in the final phase, sometimes only the first ones qualified, sometimes the first two or the first three teams. In the championship of 1938-39, which was held in two groups, teams outside Athens-Thessaloniki (Doxa Drama, AEK Kavala and Filippi Kavala) participated for the first time. The maiden presence of provincial teams in a single group of the Panhellenic Championship took place in 1953-54 with the participation of Panachaiki from Southern Greece and Niki Volou from Central and Northern Greece.[10]

Α΄ National division

In 1959 the Alpha Ethniki – the precursor of the current Super League – was set up as a national round-robin tournament.After several months of talks, the 1959–60 championship was the first nationwide league competition. It started on Sunday 25 October 1959 with the participation of 16 teams.The creation of a championship in the form of a single permanent national division rather than the way they have been held until then with the participation of the teams selected by the local competitions was a requirement of both the State and UEFA.The first wished to establish a fixed number of matches every Sunday in Greece to stimulate interest in PRO-PO while UEFA wished to nominate national champions with strict criteria and through joint events for all states.The Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) was obliged to proceed to the abolition of the competitions of the Football Clubs Associations (EPS) of Greece as qualifying stages for the Pan-Hellenic Championship. The first place was taken by Alpha Ethniki, a single division with clubs from all over the Greek territory and a stable participation, with the exception of those who would be relegated at the end of the season.The initial design provided for a number of teams well above the 10th of the 1958–59 Pan-Hellenic Championship and in particular 18 which, as the expanded division calendar would cover almost all the available dates of the year, would no longer participate in its local competitions their EPSs.Those would be the qualifier for the upcoming national division and not the participation in the final round of the current championship, so their significance was significantly reduced.On Saturday, 10 October 1959 at the General Assembly of the HFF, ie with the participation of all the members of the Association of Football Associations and in the presence of the General Secretariat of Sports (GGA) and representatives of the Karamanlis government, became the first national division of Greek football. The 1st game was set for 15 days.According to the general Assembly of HFF on 29 August 1959, it was decided that the newly created Alpha Ethniki would consist of 18 teams, with their determination being made in accordance with the positions in the local EPS competitions in the period 1958–59.The HFF, at its decisive General Assembly on Saturday, 10 October, decided to reduce the number of teams to 16 so that the racing program will not be extended in the summer. After the end of the first event in the summer of 1960, the teams did not increase despite HFF's initial intention, with the number 16 being considered the ideal for a championship in Greece and only 18 in 1967.[citation needed]

The teams that participated in the first championship of the Alpha Ethniki were the following:

On 25 October 1959, the Alpha Ethniki was launched. Panathinaikos won the first Alpha Ethniki's Championship and became the Greek champions for the fourth time in his history. The club tied with AEK by 79 points and defeated them by 2–1 in the play-off, a match where Panathinaikos needed only a draw at the neutral Karaiskakis Stadium.In such a case, after the half-hour extension, the competition announcement set the best goal difference. Through the playoffs and with the same score was also the third place for the demotion, with the winner Panegialios to overtake Pankorinthiakos again in the event of a draw. The scoring system was 3 points for the win, 2 points for the draw, 1 point for the defeat.[citation needed]

The next years

Time has been relentless for some teams that have participated in the first league of the Alpha Ethniki. The historic Ethnikos Piraeus, cup winner of Greece in 1933, participates in the Gamma Ethniki, as well as Proodeftiki while AE Nikaia participates in the local championship of Piraeus.Apollon Kalamaria, Doxa Drama and Iraklis are fighting in the Beta Ethniki, while Pankorinthiakos, a few years after joining Alpha Ethniki, merged with Aris Korinthos and created PAS Korinthos, which reached the Alpha Ethniki at the 1990s and is now participating in the Gamma Ethniki. Megas Alexandros Katerini is the ancestor of Pierikos. In 1961, they merged with Olympos Katerini and created Pierikos who plays in the Gamma Ethniki.[citation needed]

On 19 January 1979 a bill was passed in the Hellenic Parliament under which football clubs became Football Incorporated Companies (PAE or ΠΑΕ in Greek). The Association of Football Incorporated Companies (EPAE, ΕΠΑΕ in Greek), under the supervision of the HFF, has since held the responsibility to hold the championship, with Makis Ithakisios being elected its first president. Initially the shares were owned by the sports union to which the football club belonged. Yet soon after, prominent Greek businessmen (shipowners, oil magnates, bankers etc.) began acquiring the newly formed PAEs by buying the majority of their shares, and then increasing their share capital, thus turning Greek football into a fully commercialised and highly profitable business for the decades to come.[citation needed]

For a single racing season, 2000–01, the championship is renamed "Upper Category".[citation needed]

Rename

On 16 July 2006, was founded the copartnership Super League. Members of the copartnership are the PAE's that have the right to participate in the professional football championship of the First Division. The main activity of the copartnership is the organization and conduct of the First Division's Championship according to the regulations and decisions of the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) and the supreme international football confederations (UEFA, FIFA).[citation needed]

Competition format

At present, 14 clubs compete in the Super League, playing each other in a 26-game home and away series. At the end of the season, the top 6 clubs face each other in a 10-game championship round to decide the Super League champions but also the teams to enter the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Conference League.[citation needed]

The bottom 8 clubs face each other in play-outs to decide who gets relegated to Super League 2.[11] In their place, the top two teams from Super League 2 are promoted. The number of teams to be relegated may change, depending on a licensing procedure that takes place at the end of the regular season.[citation needed]

The Super League is currently entitled to two entrants into the UEFA Champions League. The reigning champions currently enters the third qualifying round through the champion path, while the runners up enter the competition via the second qualifying round through the league route. The third-placed team enters the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. The three UEFA Europa Conference League spots go to the teams that finished 4th and 5th, with a European berth for the Greek Cup winner.[citation needed]

Clubs

2023–24 season

The following 14 clubs will compete in the Super League in the 2023–24 season.

ClubPosition
in 2022–23
First season in
top division
Seasons
in top
division
Seasons
in
Super League
Top
division
titles
Last top
division title
AEK Athens1st1930–317415132022–23
A.E. Kifisia1st in 2022–23 Super League 22023–24110
Aris5th1927–28741331945–46
Asteras Tripolis10th2007–0816160
Atromitos8th1927–2824160
Lamia12th2017–18660
OFI7th1957–5846120
Olympiacos3rd1929–308617472021–22
Panathinaikos2nd1929–308117202009–10
Panetolikos11th1954–5514110
Panserraikos1st in 2022–23 Super League 21965–662530
PAS Giannina9th1974–7527120
PAOK4th1930–31781732018–19
Volos6th2019–20440

Champions

Names of the championship through the years

SEGAS, FCA and EPSE championships

SEGAS championship
1905–06Ethnikos Athens
1906–07Ethnikos Athens
1907–08Goudi Athens
1908–09Piraikos[12]
1909–10Goudi Athens
1910–11Podosferikos Omilos Athinon
1911–12Goudi Athens[13]
1912–13Not held (First Balkan War)
1913–14Not held (Second Balkan War)
1914–15Not held (WW1)
1915–16Not held (WW1)
1916–17Not finished (WW1)
1917–18Not held (WW1)
1918–19Not held (WW1)
1919–20Not held (WW1)
Greece FCA championship
1921–22Podosferikos Omilos Athinon
1923–243 champions ( Apollonas Athens, APS Piraeus, Aris AS Thessaloniki)
1924–252 champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, no tournament Thessaloniki )
1925–263 champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, Aris Thessaloniki)
1926–273 champions (Panathinaïkos Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus, Iraklis Thessaloniki)
EPSE Championship
1922–23Piraikos Syndesmos (The only panhellenic championship organized by EPSE before the establishment of the HFF)

Greek Championship

Source: epo.gr

Performance by club (1927–)

ClubChampionsWinning yearsRef
Olympiacos 471931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022[15][16][17]
Panathinaikos 201930, 1949, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2010[15][18][19]
AEK 131939, 1940, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2018, 2023[15][20]
Aris31928, 1932, 1946[15]
PAOK31976, 1985, 2019[15]
AEL11988[15]

Performance by city (1927–)

The six clubs that have won the championship are from a total of four cities:

CityTitlesClubs
Piraeus47Olympiacos (47)
Athens33Panathinaikos (20), AEK (13)
Thessaloniki6PAOK (3), Aris (3)
Larissa1AEL (1)

Performance by region (1927–)

The six clubs that have won the championship are from a total of three regions:

RegionTitlesClubs
Attica80Olympiacos (47), Panathinaikos (20), AEK Athens (13)
Central Macedonia6PAOK (3), Aris (3)
Thessaly1AEL (1)

Statistics

Top three ranking (1959–present)

Club1st2nd3rdTotal
Olympiacos32151057
Panathinaikos17201451
AEK Athens11161845
PAOK39921
AEL112
Aris167
OFI123
Panionios112
Apollon Smyrnis11
Asteras Tripolis11
Atromitos11
Iraklis11

Seasons in Alpha Ethniki and Super League Greece

The number of seasons that each team (in alphabetical order) has played in the top division from 1959–60 until 2023–24. A total of 70 teams had competed in at least one season at the top division. Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK are the only teams to have played in the top division in every season since the league's inception in its modern form. The teams in bold participate in the 2023–24 Super League.

SeasonsClubs
65Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, PAOK
63AEK Athens
59Panionios, Aris
53Iraklis
47OFI
43Apollon Smyrnis
36Ethnikos Piraeus
31Xanthi, AEL
28PAS Giannina
26Panachaiki
25Panserraikos
23Egaleo, Atromitos
21Doxa Drama
20Apollon Kalamarias
19Kavala, Levadiakos
18Ionikos
17Veria, Asteras Tripolis
16Pierikos
15Proodeftiki
14Panetolikos
10Kastoria
9Athinaikos, Ergotelis, Olympiacos Volos
7Fostiras, Kalamata, Paniliakos, Trikala, Lamia
6Niki Volos, Panegialios, Panthrakikos, Platanias
5Edessaikos, Korinthos, Kerkyra, Volos
4Akratitos, Ethnikos Asteras, Kallithea, Rodos, Vyzas Megara
3Diagoras, Olympiakos Nicosia, Panelefsiniakos, AEL Kalloni, AOK Kerkyra
2Chalkidona
1AEL Limassol, AE Nikaia, APOEL*, Atromitos Piraeus, Chalkida, EPA Larnaca,
Makedonikos, Megas Alexandros Katerini, Naoussa, Olympiacos Chalkida,
Omonia Nicosia, Pankorinthiakos, Thermaikos, Thrasyvoulos, Kifisia

Top Division Table (since 1959–60)

This index is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of the best ten teams that has played in Alpha Ethniki and Super League championships since 1959–60. The table is correct as of the end of the 2022–23 season. Points are based on 3–1–0 and no deductions are counted.

PosTeamSeasonsPointsPlayedWonDrawnLostG.F.G.A.G.D.1231st AppSince/Last AppBest
1Olympiacos644463203213514152664133149326403215101959–601959–601
2Panathinaikos644162203312474543323792158322091720141959–601959–601
3AEK Athens623794196611484553633600170618941117191959–602015–161
4PAOK64346220339905134943099194311663991959–601959–601
5Aris582730185374551059822982015283161959–602018–192
6Panionios592411187064249373522022364−162211959–602019–202
7Iraklis5324011686623469594209920118811959–602016–173
8OFI461892144652833757817911906−115121968–692018–192
9Apollon Smyrnis431546135939736160114181802−38411959–602021–223
10Ethnikos Piraeus361394116435632648213051552−2471959–601998–994

Per geographic region

All the geographic regions of Greece have been represented by at least one club in the first national division. Central Greece has had the strongest presence with 27 clubs overall, of which 22 come from Attica alone. Central Greece, Macedonia and the Peloponnese together contain almost three-quarters of the clubs that participated in the top flight. Between 1967 and 1974, the Cypriot champion also participated in the Greek top competition, and five different Cypriot clubs participated during those years. The Greek islands of Rhodes, Lesbos and Corfu have also been represented. A total of 74 clubs have participated at the first tier so far.

RegionsΤotalTeams
Central Greece26Attica: Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, Panionios, Apollon Smyrnis, Ethnikos Piraeus, Egaleo, Ionikos, Atromitos, Proodeftiki, Athinaikos, Fostiras, Akratitos, Ethnikos Asteras, Kallithea, Vyzas Megara, Panelefsiniakos, Chalkidona, Nikaia, Atromitos Piraeus, Thrasyvoulos, Kifisia
Euboea: Chalkida, Olympiacos Chalkida
Boeotia: Levadiakos
Aetolia-Acarnania: Panetolikos
Phthiotis: Lamia
Macedonia15Central Macedonia: PAOK, Aris, Iraklis, Panserraikos, Apollon Kalamarias, Pierikos, Veria, Edessaikos, Makedonikos, Megas Alexandros Katerini, Naoussa, Thermaikos Thessaloniki
East Macedonia: Doxa Drama, Kavala
West Macedonia: Kastoria
Peloponnese7Panachaiki, Asteras Tripoli, Kalamata, Paniliakos, Panegialios, Korinthos, Pankorinthiakos
Cyprus5Olympiakos Nicosia, AEL Limassol, APOEL, EPA Larnaca, Omonia
Thessaly5AEL, Olympiacos Volos, Trikala, Niki Volos, Volos
Crete3OFI, Ergotelis, Platanias
Aegean Islands3Rodos, Diagoras, AEL Kalloni
Thrace2Xanthi, Panthrakikos
Ionian Islands1Kerkyra
Epirus1PAS Giannina

Top scorers and appearances

Most appearances
RankNameAppearancesTeams
1Mimis Domazos536Panathinaikos, AEK Athens
2Nikos Nioplias509OFI, Panathinaikos, Chalkidona
3Giorgos Koudas504PAOK
4Thomas Mavros501Panionios, AEK Athens
5Savvas Kofidis493Iraklis, Olympiacos, Aris
6Mimis Papaioannou480AEK Athens
Stathis Chaitas480Panionios, AEL
8Giorgos Skartados478Rodos, PAOK, Iraklis, Olympiacos
9Georgios Georgiadis476Doxa Drama, Panathinaikos, PAOK, Olympiacos, Iraklis
10Dinos Kouis473Aris
11Tasos Mitropoulos458Ethnikos Piraeus, Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Apollon Smyrnis, Iraklis, Veria
12Elias Yfantis457Olympiacos
13Takis Nikoloudis453Iraklis, AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Apollon Pontus
14Angelos Kremmydas448Ethnikos Piraeus, Panachaiki
15Stelios Manolas447AEK Athens
16Dimitris Saravakos443Panionios, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens
17Theodoros Pahatouridis434Doxa Drama, Olympiacos, Ionikos
18Giorgos Dedes429Panionios, AEK Athens
19Giannis Gounaris426PAOK, Olympiacos
20Michalis Kritikopoulos422Panegialios, Ethnikos Piraeus, Olympiacos, Apollon Smyrnis
Foreign players
1Krzysztof Warzycha390Panathinaikos
2Predrag Đorđević375Paniliakos, Olympiacos
3Toni Savevski357AEK Athens
4Daniel Batista316Ethnikos Piraeus, Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Aris
5Noni Lima291Panionios
Most goals
RankNameGoalsTeams
1Thomas Mavros260AEK Athens, Panionios
2Krzysztof Warzycha244Panathinaikos
3Mimis Papaioannou234AEK Athens
4Giorgos Sideris224Olympiacos
5Antonis Antoniadis187Panathinaikos, Olympiacos
6Alexandros Alexandris186Veria, AEK Athens, Olympiacos, AEL, Kallithea
7Dimitris Saravakos186Panionios, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens
8Giorgos Dedes181Panionios, AEK Athens
9Nikos Anastopoulos179Panionios, Olympiacos, Ionikos
10Michalis Kritikopoulos175Panegialios, Ethnikos Piraeus, Olympiacos
11Nikos Lyberopoulos167Kalamata, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens
12Demis Nikolaidis163Apollon Smyrnis, AEK Athens
13Dinos Kouis142Aris
14Kostas Nestoridis140AEK Athens
15Mimis Domazos139Panathinaikos, AEK Athens
16Georgios Georgiadis137Doxa Drama, Panathinaikos, PAOK, Olympiacos, Iraklis
17Stavros Sarafis136PAOK
Dimitris Salpingidis136PAOK, Panathinaikos
19Giorgos Koudas134PAOK

Golden Star

Based on an idea of Umberto Agnelli, the honor of Golden Star for Sports Excellence was introduced to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys.

The current officially sanctioned Super League stars are:[citation needed]

Greek football clubs in European competitions

UEFA ranking

Country rankings

As of 29 May 2022, the Greek Super League ranks 15th in the UEFA coefficient database, with 28.200 points.

RankCompetitionPoints
1 Premier League106.641
2 La Liga96.141
3 Serie A76.902
4 Bundesliga75.213
5 Ligue 160.081
6 Primeira Liga53.382
7 Eredivisie49.300
8 Austrian Bundesliga38.850
9 Scottish Premiership36.900
10 Russian Premier League34.482
11 Serbian SuperLiga33.375
12 Ukrainian Premier League31.800
13 Belgian First Division A30.600
14 Swiss Super League29.675
15 Super League Greece28.200
16 Czech First League27.800
17 Eliteserien27.250
18 Danish Superliga27.175
19 Prva HNL27.150
20 Süper Lig27.100

Club rankings

As of 29 May 2022
RankClubPoints
20Olympiacos41.000
63PAOK25.000
81AEK Athens20.000
214Aris5.640
214OFI5.640
214Atromitos5.640
214Asteras Tripolis5.640
214Panathinaikos5.640
214Panionios5.640

Broadcasting rights

Nova Sports (premium channel) have taken the broadcasting rights for the home games of six teams of the Super League. The teams are Aris, Asteras Tripolis, Atromitos, Levadiakos, PAOK and PAS Giannina.Cosmote Sport (also a premium channel) have taken the broadcasting rights for the home games of eight teams of the Super League. The teams are AEK Athens, Ionikos, Lamia, OFI, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Panetolikos and Volos.

Eurosport has pan-European broadcasting rights for the Super League (except Greece and Portugal).

South Korean OTT Coupang Play has taken the broadcasting rights for Olympiacos' matches.

Sponsorship

From 2007 to 2017, the Super League had title sponsorship rights sold to one company, which were OPAP. From 2017 until 2019, the Super League has title sponsorship rights sold to the company Souroti.

OPAP' deal with the Super League expired at the end of the 2016–17 season. The Super League announced on 20 July 2017 that the new title sponsorship deal for the Super League was with the Souroti company.

As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Super League has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Nike. Also, Panini has held the licence to produce collectables for the Super League since 2008, including stickers (for their sticker album) and trading cards. On 28 January 2023 Stoiximan became the official sponsor of the league.

PeriodSponsorName
2007–2017OPAPSuper League OPAP
2017–2019SourotiSuper League Souroti
2019–2023InterwettenSuper League Interwetten
2023–StoiximanStoiximan Super League

See also

References

External links