Ionikos Football Club(Greek:Α.Ο. Ιωνικός Νικαίας) is a Greekfootballclub based inNikaia,Greece, currently competing in thePiraeus FCA Championship,an amateur category. It is part of the multi-sport clubIonikos Nikaias.
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| Full name | F.C. Ionikos Nikaia 1965 A.C. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Cyan-Whites | ||
| Founded | 29 June 1965 | ||
| Ground | Neapoli Public Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 5,500 | ||
| Chairman | Anastasios Aristeidopoulos | ||
| Manager | Dimitris Papaspyrou | ||
| League | Piraeus FCA First Division | ||
| 2023–24 | Super League Greece 2, 3rd (relegated) | ||
| Website | http://ionikosfc.gr/ | ||
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From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in theSuper League.[1]During that span Ionikos finished as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions),[2][3]was a finalist in theGreek Cup,[4]and participated in theUEFA Europa League.[5]
The club's colours are blue and white.
History
editFoundation and early years (1965–1989)
editIonikos 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 indifferent in progress but Ionikos became a mainstay of the Greek Second Division through the 1970s before being relegated in 1976. After an immediate promotion, another relegation followed in 1979, with fans funding the club for the newGamma Ethniki(Third Division). After two failed promotion attempts in the following seasons, Ionikos won the Gamma Ethniki title in 1982. The 1982–83 season saw another relegation before Ionikos were promoted again in 1985, following their 3rd place in 1984. The next 4 years saw Ionikos complete three consecutive mid table finishes, avoiding relegation in 1986 and 1988 on the last matchday, before the club secured promotion in 1989 with a third–place finish.[6]
Ownership change and top flight years (1989–2007)
editThe club's first promotion to the top flight was accompanied by unexpected problems— Dimitris Melissanidis withdrew as chairman, and the club needed 50 milliondrachmasto participate in the championship.[6]Businessman Nikolaos Kanellakis stepped forward to provide the needed sum and become the club's new chairman. He would appointJanusz Kowalikas manager in November 1989 soon after.[6]
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 aGreek CupFinal, and compete in theUEFA Europa League.[6]
Ionikos' UEFA Cup appearance came in the 1999–00 season—the opposition wasFrenchsideNantes,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 under the management ofOleg Blokhin,where they came up against traditional powerAEK Athens,losing 3–0.[6]
On 21 April 2004, 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, lower league football, return to the top flight (2007–2021)
editIonikos' 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 theFootball League.Ionikos spent the following two seasons in the Football League, finishing 5th and 4th place, respectively, as the club failed to get promoted to the top flight. After achieving promotion to theSuper League Greeceat the conclusion of the 2020–21 season,[7]they returned to the top flight after a 14–year absence, after successfully getting licensed to compete in the top league's new season.[7]
Return to the Top League and relegation to amateur leagues
editAfter an impressive first season back at the top flight, in which the club finished 7th, Ionikos finished in the regular season 12th with 18 points the following year, one point above the relegation zone, the club were relegated in the Play-out round after a dramatic encounter with fellow relegation contendersLamia,in which Ionikos led 2–0 at half time before Lamia equalised to remain in the top flight, while Ionikos returned to theSuper League Greece 2following the result.
In the 2023–24 season, it finished in third place in the Southern Group of Super League 2. However, it was unable to participate in the next season's championship due to financial issues. Thus, after fifty years of continuous presence in the national categories, Ionikos was administratively relegated to thePiraeus Football Clubs AssociationFirst Division in the fourth tier of the Greek football pyramid.[8]
Stadium
editIonikos plays its home matches atNeapolis Public Stadium(Greek:Γήπεδο Νεάπολης), located inNikaia,a suburb ofPiraeus.The stadium was completed in 1965, and had its latest redevelopment in 2000.[9]It currently has a seating capacity of 5,500, but record attendance is 6,565 for a match againstOlympiacosin 1990.[9]
Ionikos' organized supporters gather in Gate 3 at Neapoli Stadium.
Supporters and rivals
editWhile 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.[10]
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 inKorydallos.[10]Before Ionikos's first match in the top flight the Rangers Club organised a parade of 2,000 supporters from outside Rangers' headquarters toStavros Mavrothalassitis Stadium,where Ionikos played its first three home matches of the1989–90 season.[10]Two years later the supporters' club offices moved toNeapolis,and then in 1996 toNikaia,before returning to Neapolis in 1999.[10]A second branch was established in Nikaia in 2004.[10]
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,andAtromitos.
The Derby of Kokkinia
editThe football matches between Ionikos andProodeftikiare called «The Derby of Kokkinia»
Players
editCurrent squad
edit- As of 3 February 2024[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Former players
edit
List of managers
edit
Ionikos managers from 1992 and henceforth.
Honours
editDomestic
editLeague titles
edit- Super League 2(tier-II)
- Gamma Ethniki(tier-III)
- Winners (2):1977–78 (Group 8), 1981–82 (Group 1)
- Delta Ethniki(tier-IV)
- Winners (1):2012–13 (Group 9)
- Piraeus FCA Championship
- Winners (1):1976–77 (Group 2)
Cups
edit- Greek Cup
- Runners-up (1):1999–00
- Piraeus FCA Cup(Local Cup)
- Winners (1):1981–82
International
edit- Participant in the first round of theUEFA Europa League:1999-2000
Season-by-season
edit
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Since 1965–66:
- 18seasons inSuper League Greece 1|First Division
- 26season inSecond Division
- 12seasons inThird Division
- 2seasons inFourth Division
- 2seasons inPiraeus Football Clubs Association
Club records
editAlpha Ethniki / Super League 1
editLast Update19 May2023
- First participation:1989–90
- Total participations:18
- Wins:169
- Draws:157
- Losses:242
- Goals scored:620
- Goals conceded:821
- Record win:Ionikos 5–0OFI Cretein 1997–98
- Record loss:AEK Athens6–0 Ionikos in 1995–96,Olympiacos6–0 Ionikos in 2002–03,PAOK6–0 Ionikos in 2022–23
Beta Ethniki / Super League 2
edit- 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
editAppearances
edit| Player | Matches |
|---|---|
 Giannis Xanthopoulos |
318
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| Georgios Daraklitsas |
290
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| Nikolaos Frousos |
217
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 Mohammad Afash |
196
|
 Oliver Makor |
164
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Goals
edit| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Kostas Kottakis |
top scorer
|
| Nikolaos Frousos |
64
|
 Craig Brewster |
45
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| Oliver Makor |
43
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| Giannis Xanthopoulos |
24
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Crest and colors
editCrest evolution
edit-
1965–1995 -
1995–2019 -
2019–present
Original kit
edit
        Ionikos's first home colours 1965 |
   Ionikos's first away colours 1965 |
Ionikos's first goalkeeper kit 1965 |
Kit evolution
edit|
1965–66
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   1978–79
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1980–81
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   1989–90
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1991–92
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1999–00
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1993–94
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   1997–98
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2001–02 2002–03
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2005–06
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2007–08 2008–09
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European record
edit| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | UEFA Cup | 1st Round |  Nantes
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1–3 | 0–1 |
In video games
editIonikos Nikaias was featured inFIFA 2000.
References
edit- ^"Greece – Final Tables 1959–1999".RSSSF.2003-08-03.
- ^"Greece −1997/98".RSSSF.
- ^"Greece 1998/99".RSSSF.
- ^"Greek Cup Finals".Hellenic Football Federation. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-10-03.
- ^"UEFA Europa League Season 1999–2000 First Round".UEFA.
- ^abcdefgh"History".Ionikos F.C. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-04-21.Retrieved2009-07-16.
- ^ab""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.Retrieved8 June2021.
- ^sportstonoto (2024-08-26)."Ερασιτέχνης Ιωνικός: Ετοιμαζόμαστε για το τοπικό του Πειραιά – Sportstonoto"(in Greek).Retrieved2024-08-27.
- ^ab"Neapoli Stadium".Stadia.gr.
- ^abcde"Rangers History".Rangers Club. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-01-09.
- ^"Ρόστερ ΠΑΕ Ιωνικός".ionikosfc.gr(in Greek). Online.Retrieved6 August2023.
- ^"Στον Ιωνικό ως το 2024 ο Ντμίτρο Τσιγκρίνσκι".ionikosfc.gr.Retrieved6 July2022.
- ^"Player summary – Club career: Gurjinder Singh".WorldFootball.net.Archived fromthe originalon 26 March 2023.Retrieved26 March2023.
External links
edit- Official website(in Greek)
- Rangers– Supporters' club site(in Greek)(archived 27 July 2009)
- Neapolis Public Stadium at stadia.gr(in Greek)