Panathinaikos FC

Panathinaikos FC is a Greek football club based in Athens. They are one of the oldest and most successful clubs of Greece and have been relatively successful in Europe too, reaching the final of the European Cup in 1971.

The club was established on February 3,1908 as POA-Podosterikos Omilos Athinon by George Kalafatis and other athletes who decided to breakaway from their athletic club Panellinios GS.

A dispute sprouted among some board members in late 1909 and the club altered their name to PPO-Paneillinios Pdosterikos Omilos. After the World War I, the name was shifted to PPAO-Panellinios Podosterikos ke Agonistikos Omilis. A name change occurred after a few years and the club now became PAO-Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos.

The first autonomous Greek Championship occurred in 1927 and Panathinaikos won only in 1930. They would the league again only after the conclusion of the World War II and went the entire 1963-1964 season unbeaten.

In 1979 Greek football turned professional and the Vardinogiannis family took over the club. Panathianaikos continued winning trophies and won four Greek championships in the 1990s. In 2000 however president George Vardinogiannis stepped down.

Panathinaikos last won the Greek championships in 2004 although they have come close on a number of occasions since then.

Panathinaikos play their home matches at the Olympic Stadium that can accommodate 71,030 spectators. They bear the nicknames the Greens and are also at times called POA.

Some of the club’s major achievements include: -19 Greek Championships -16 Greek Cups -3 Greek Super Cup