Athlitiki Enosi Larissa F.C.

History

Athletic Union of Larissa, The "Queen of Thessaly", the "Queen of the lowlands". AEL, is the club that represents the Greek prefecture of Larissa. One Championship, two cups, four finals and many important successes at European level compose the temporal profile of the top team of the Greek region.

Creation and first years (1964–79)

AEL was created from a vision of a powerful team that will represent a city like Larissa in the top category. The 17 May 1964, is referred to as the exact date of its establishment, and then—after a barrage of meetings and discussions held at the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa and a catalytic last meeting of the local county clubs—it was decided the merger of:

Iraklis Larissa (1930), "Aris" (1926), "Toxotis" (1943) and "Larissaikos" (1930). The Athletic Union of Larissa was now a reality, designed on the background of the Second Division, in shades of crimson and white, (not black and white, as initially decided). Typically, the conversion of the statute of Iraklis Larissa just a few days later—on 22 May—and its adoption on 8 June, gave AEL status, while teams "Dimitra", "Doxa Emporoipalilon" (based on "Aris Larissas" and "Doxa"), "Pelasgiotida" (by "Larissaikos" and "Pelasgikos") and "Olympos" (based on "Toxotis" and "Panthessalikos") completed this football family. On 7 June, Alcazar Stadium, the team's first homeground, recorded the initial friendly game, against Panionios which, by that time, was a very strong team, winning 2–1. Yugoslavian Alexander Petrovic, was the first foreign coach that was hired to ensure the impartiality of the team lineup. Thus, names of players like Zampas, Karelias, Kyriakos, Lellis, Papazoglou, Kassas, Saltapidas, Delfos, Katsianis and many others, passed into the history of Thessalian football. Everything was ready to start, under the administrative umbrella of a 15-member ecumenical council, composed of representatives of clubs and organizations of the city, in which the property was held by the former president of Iraklis Larissa, K. Tzovaridis.

Examples of other Greek areas where the mergers and establishment of strong teams brought direct impact and a promotion in the 1st Division, has created in advance an optimism which did not materialize. The team ended the 1964–65 season in fifth place. The next year, the team improved by two seats in the final table. The promotion was lost in a game on 8 May 1966 at Megara with the home side Vyzas opponent. During the entry of the team on the field, player Dimitrios Zambas was hit in the head by a ladder thrown from the stands and was taken to the hospital. The team with 10 players due to the elimination of Kyriakidis from the first quarter, and with three of the 10 remaining players injured, had formal presence, and was defeated 6–0. As well-known coaches like Dionysis Minardos, Giannis Helmis and Giourkas Seitaridis the first turned down the opportunity to steer the team, the downturn seemed certain and in 1969 their position fell even further. Relegation would be inevitable if the political conditions of the time—Greek military junta of 1967–1974—and the fact that teams headed by powerful men were in the same predicament, brought changes in the status of Greek football. Therefore, Kostas Aslanidis, Lieutenant Colonel and the Secretary General of Athletics, increased the two groups of the Second Division to three and thus AEL, Chania and Ionikos continued in the B' National. There was a rationalization of the Second Division, by creating three groups of 16 teams, of which 15 would be relegated (five of each group) into the 3rd Division. Relegation did not happen and it was decided the next season that each group have 18 teams. Otherwise, like the previous season, the winners of groups (three this time) went to the final phase, which claimed the promotion in the 1st Division. The team indeed, with the entrance to the 1970s, the emergence of the administrative forefront of Kantonias family (the owner of BIOKARPET Group) and a dramatic changing at liveware, managed to change the status. The coming of some experienced players such as Simantiris, Kyziroglou, Charitidis and Nikiforakis framed the talented Lakis Pagkarliotas and the others.

1980s: the Golden Decade

The successful policy of carefully selected few experienced and many talented young players continued and AEL not only threatened, but started slowly building a bright future, often achieving results that showed that something big was coming up. However, the same policy maintained by all administrations in the 80s, with proper and prudent management of its human material, gradually cultivated by coaches like Yugoslavian Milan Ribar, and later Kostas Polychroniou and Antonis Georgiadis. Some players selectively exiled the team. While the team has changed almost everything from the beginning to the end of the decade, in the conscience of some fans it has remained as one and single season. It was the era of AEL or better AEL FC, since in the summer of 1979 it was decided the organization of Greek football on a professional basis. The late Antonios Kantonias, raising the prestige and power of the group "BIOKARPET" was the one who managed to secure the independence of the club. Health reasons disallowed him to continue as President of the Interim Committee and the chair of the first administration and was finally replaced by Simos Palaiochorlidis.

On 6 September 1979, Dimitris Koukoulitsios and Dimitris Mousiaris, were killed in a car crash near Thiva, on their way to Athens for a training with the U-21 National team. Giannis Valaoras, who had survived the accident and overcame the shock, has been one of the greatest members of the team of the 80s.

With a stable administration, new faces on the roster, Maloumidis, Galitsios, Golandas and gradually Voutyritsas and Mitsibonas and with the advent of the technical leadership of Antonis Georgiadis, AEL was beginning to show its "teeth".

Best Regional team for the 1980–81 season, AEL claimed the European exit in the final league game. Participation in the Greek Cup final in the summer of '82, for the first time in its history, and a 1–0 defeat by Panathinaikos in the Nea Philadelfeia stadium. The "greens" succeeded to the finals before the end of the championship and the barrage against Olympiacos, in the neutral Volos, having the certainty that it would provide them in advance the Cup. On that historic first final that was held on 19 June 1982, AEL lined up with the following players: Plitsis, Parafestas, Patsiavouras, Galitsios, Argiroulis, Dramalis (82' Voutyritsas) Maloumidis, Golantas, Koutas (82' Mitsibonas) Andreoudis, Valaoras. The next season (1982–83) they came to claim the title after a great victory in the second round at the Karaiskaki Stadium derby against Olympiacos. Eventually, the second place constituted the ultimate fulfillment for Jacek Gmoch's players, who had been under strong denial because of the modest beginning of the team in the first round of the championship.

Countdown and "Stone Years" (1996–2003)

Somewhere there the countdown began. AEL was knocked hill, reached the top and had to start to go downhill. The circle of a large team had closed. Maybe if Xamax had not turned the match at Neuchâtel and not sent by 2–1 in the overtime and the unlucky for the "crimsons" penalty shootout, Champions League would held the name of AEL in its ledger, where reigns the goal of Karapialis which opened the score on the second leg of Switzerland. This was the last presence for AEL in the most prestigious club competition in European football. The fans still believed that the team could stay in the spotlight. The accident was for those who were blurred by the excitement of the moment, and believed that the team could climb even higher and soon demanded the change of ownership. From there, players leaving and coming, administrations changed without long term planning, independently of the intentions of everyone. The fact is that AEL gradually lost its credibility inside and outside stadiums and inevitably led eight years later, in May 1996, to the relegation which was spared in 1991, thanks to the amazing second round course. More generally, although great players such as late Lefter Millos, also unjustly shed, Ştefan Stoica, Paulo Da Silva, David Embé and Vangelis Tsoukalis, wore the shirt and tried to give the team its lost glory, failed nothing more than some effects—flickering, in a prescribed downward spiral that culminated with the painful return to the Second Division after 18 years.

Worst of all, however, occurred on 13 September 1997, when the "eagle stopped flying". Giorgos Mitsibonas, the player-symbol of the team, the gifted and talented figure that marked a glorious era, was killed in a car accident, near the village of Giannouli, 2 km outside of Larissa. He was 35 and left behind his wife and two young daughters. Even if he was not by that time an active player of the team, (he was playing in Tirnavos), the whole city said farewell along with him, to a large part of its passion for distinction and victory. The conscious efforts of local factors to keep the club standing were unsuccessful, the debts piled in between, and no one was able by this time, in the summer of 2001, to save the team. AEL fell for the first time in its history in the Third Division, and even threatened with disintegration, with relegation to the Regional Championship, and had to get to the bottom to lift its head again, taking advantage of the beneficial law of special clearance.

Summer of 2002: AEL reaches the worst point in its history. Playing again in the third national, almost without administration and money. The team's preparation for the new season was held in the local Alcazar Park (a place with rustic picnic areas, benches and trails, totally unsuitable for professional football training), near the city of Larissa. The first game was held on 25 August 2002 in Kalochori, Thessaloniki, against the local side ILTEX Lykoi. It was the 84th minute of the match, when the 2nd Assistant referee fell down after he was hit in the back, by an object that was thrown from the stands of the guest fans and was taken to the hospital. He claimed that he was unable to continue and the game never finished (The result was 1–1). The team was penalized with −3 points in the league table. Amateur players and volunteers were called to offer their services. The course was naturally very poor and the team risked with the relegation to the 4th National. Halfway through the season appeared on the scene the name of Nikos Sotiroulis, a local businessman who by that time was the club's one and only sponsor. Along with the unforgettable friend, the late Giorgos Katsogiannis and supporting factors of Amateur AEL predominantly Elias Fasoulas and Zissis Helidonis, he fought the first negative judgments and vindicated, when on 8 March 2003 he became the owner of the team with a cost of 116,000 euros in an auction that was held the previous day and in which he was the only candidate! The club a year later, was renamed to AEL 1964 FC (under the special conditions imposed by the law of special clearance) and celebrated its return to the second division. Some months before, on 1 June 2003, the team survived the relegation in the Fourth National and thereby dissolve, in the last game of the championship against Niki Volos, winning 1–0. Although the most crucial and exciting match in the team's history was the one before, that was held in Chania, where the "crimsons" tie 3–3 and stayed alive, condemning the hosts. The new period started then vigorously and with one and only target, the promotion, which was achieved after an exhausting marathon of 38 games... On 30 May 2004, at Alcazar, AEL sealed the second place and the ticket to the higher category (which was virtually and "ironically" ensured by the victory from 1–0 at ILTEX Lykoi just a week before, in the same ground and almost two years after the incident with the Assistant referee), crashing with 5–1 the already "doomed" Pontiakos Nea Santa, while the chant "We are coming back" was rocking the crowded stadium. Coached by Takis Parafestas, with players such as Katsaras, Ziagkas, Kyparissis, Kehagias, Theodosiadis, Kontodimos, Lazorik, Paleologos, and a new upsurge of the fans that followed everywhere, the team persuaded that was really coming back. The one who left, and was the initiator and founder of this effort was Nikos Sotiroulis, who after a few days in mid-June 2004, gave way to the new owner and chairman Kostas Piladakis. A new era had begun.

New Age (2004–13): Piladakis years

Under new management from Georgios Donis, players like striker Thomas Kyparissis led AEL back again in the Super League after nine years of absence. The 19 transfers in the summer of 2004 radically changed the composition of the team and the coach had time to give the team the required homogeneity, starting from 15 May 2005 (Sunday), in Kastoria, (1–1), to Wednesday 25. Except Kyparissis, Papakostas, Ziagkas, Paleologos, Floros and Grigoriou, who continued from the previous season, players such as Christopoulos, Kipouros, the late Bahramis, Gikas, Stournaras, Föerster, Katsiaros, Digozis, Tsiatsios, Makris, Abouna, Nedeljković, Sisic, Giorgos Passios, Chatziliontas, Galitsios, and others, came to add their names to important pages in the team's history. Beside them, stood from summer until December 2004 the first Greek active scorer Alexis Alexandris and a well-known name in European football, the Romanian international midfielder Dennis Şerban, who played in many major teams, top of which was the Spanish Valencia. That same season, while in the 2nd Division, AEL reached to the "8" of the Greek Cup, having ruled in turn Acharnaikos, Apollon Athens, and Chalkidona of the First Division, before being excluded from the "European" Skoda Xanthi, which nevertheless beat 1–0 in the first match of Alcazar.

In the first year after its return to its division, AEL did the "bang" bringing in the summer of 2005 directly from the English courts, the UEFA Euro 2004 champion and former captain of the Greece national football team, Nikos Dabizas. A move that was made to shield the defense while sending the message that AEL did not return to Super League just to participate in the league, but to star. Along with AEL returned also its supporters, giving "presence" with tours admired throughout Greece. Toumba, Kaftanzoglio, Pankritio, Kleanthis Vikelidis, Zosimades... Comfortably stayed 8th, and a European opportunity occurred through Intertoto Cup, exploiting the weakness of PAOK to fulfill the criteria of UEFA. A European return, with two games against the Turkish Kayserispor did not bring the coveted Cup Qualification to UEFA Cup (within 0–0 draw, and a 2–0 defeat in Kayseri), but it was clearly an omen of a great European return, which was meant to be completed one year later. The 2006–07 season was one of its most successful, but also one of the most controversial in the club's modern history. On the one AEL rose again to the throne of Greek Cup Winners, and on the other flirted with relegation, eventually managing to secure salvation in the last matchday.

5 May 2007 is now a new landmark in the history of AEL 1964. Georgios Donis and his players brought the Cup "again in Pineios" after 22 years, creating a new benchmark in the glorious march of the team. This is only 5 years after 2002, the lowest point in the club's history. This is the final certificate that AEL returned to the elite of Greek football. Cup in 1985, the 1988 Championship, and a Cup again in 2007 in Volos where the game's MVP Nikos Dabizas and the vice captain, Zissis Ziagkas lifted together the third major trophy in the team's history. Their opponents were Panathinaikos for the third time in a Cup final where the "crimsons" prevailed with 1–2. The match was held in the Panthessaliko Stadium, inside Thessalian "territory". AEL secured beside all other the European participation for the second consecutive year, this time in the UEFA Cup. Jozef Kožlej and Henry Antchouet, took the baton from Ziogas, Kmiecik and Valaoras, signing with their own goals (who had the stamp of Giorgos Fotakis) this new "golden" page. The Slovak striker opened the scoring in just the third minute with a perfect header following a free kick from Fotakis, Papadopoulos equalized with a penalty won by Föerster and masterfully executed in the 44th, however, Antchouet was the player who held the final. In the 83rd minute the "Gabonese Arrow" poured on the offensive after the exemplary deep ball of Fotakis and "thundered" the goalkeeper Ebéde, writing the 1–2 that was meant to be the final score. The final whistle of Kyros Vassaras found over 10,000 fans of the team ecstatically singing "because we have lost our minds, this Cup is ours", giving rise to frantic celebration. The celebration began at Panthessaliko from the awarding of the trophy, continued to Alcazar which opened its gates to welcome the winners and ended in the Central Square of Larissa shortly after midnight.

Recent history

After the club's relegation and a final attempt to vindicate without much effort, Piladakis began building the team that would return immediately in the Super League. He hired the experienced and reputable coach in the English grounds Chris Coleman and along with him players of International range like Zequinha, the famous Portuguese midfielder Luís Boa Morte, the Brazilian winger Césinha and many others. The course of the team in the 2011–12 season started with the best omens, but soon all would be reversed. Financial problems that piled, appeared again and eventually led the coach and many of the players to the exit. Rupture between the owner and the organized fans substantially undermined the future of the team. Piladakis resigned and the club without any administration and financial support, deliberately relegated in the 3rd Division. A move that is used by many football teams in Greece and was based in a financial law (special clearance), made to ensure the deletion of the previous debts, as teams that competing in the 3rd Category are considered amateur.

In the summer of 2013, Evangelos Plexidas, a local businessman from Trikala took over and promised immediate return. Although the team indeed promoted relatively easily from the 3rd category and also won the Greek 3rd Category Cup, and the 2013–14 Amateurs' Super Cup many incorrect choices about the team's administration and management were not accepted by the fans. The changing of 6 coaches in a single season (2014–15) and the leaving of almost 15 players (although the team managed to participate in the Football League Play-Offs but failed to promote), created again a poor situation that led the major shareholder in the decision to sell the majority stake of his shares to Alexis Kougias, a well-known Greek lawyer and football administrator in July 2015.

A year later, on 15 May 2016, the team finally gained the promotion into the Super League. In clear contrast with the last time, however, there was little enthusiasm among the fans, as Kougias, a widely divisive figure in Greek society, had longtime conflicts with them as well as the local community and veterans of the team. The first season back in top flight was a difficult one, with 3 managers employed: Sakis Tsiolis left almost immediately after the club's promotion on 2 June 2016, only to return five months later and replace Angelos Anastasiadis who took over after him the previous summer. He managed to keep his place on the bench until 21 March 2017, when he resigned for personal reasons. Thus, despite relative financial stability the team struggled on and off the pitch, yet managed to keep its top flight status by finishing 13th, just above the relegation places. After one match coached by caretaker Theodoros Voutiritsas, Alexis Kougias hired the Dutch André Paus, that managed to stay for seven games in the club's bench. On 14 September 2017 Belgian manager Jacky Mathijssen was announced and signed for the rest of the season. Despite that, 11 days later and after only three games (0–0 home draw with Atromitos a 4–1 away loss against Panionios and a 2–0 loss against Panathinaikos for the Greek Cup) he was fired. Ilias Fyntanis, the club's previous assistant coach returned as a caretaker and Kougias hired the 3rd manager for the ongoing season, Apostolos Mantzios. A day later, Mantzios announced that due to serious personal reasons he cannot take over. Ilias Fyntanis took over as the club's manager, and succeeded to make the team showing a more stable performance. Despite that, on 20 February 2018 he was fired once again and was replaced by the Serbian Ratko Dostanić that had coached the team in the season 2015–16 in the Football League. Ηowever, this new deal did not last for long. In Fact, only three games later, Dostanić resigned after a serious disagreement with the club's owner. Kougias hired the 42-year-old Sotiris Antoniou, himself originating from Agia, Larissa. He made his Super League managerial debut on 1 April 2018, on a 3–0 away defeat against Apollon Smyrnis. The team showed little improvement in the league but still avoided relegation relatively easily. They were also very close to qualification for the club's fifth cup final, but a last-minute goal for semifinal opponents AEK Athens send them through instead on the away goals rule.

Honours

Domestic

Super League

Winners (1): 1987–88

Runners-up (1): 1982–83

Greek Cup

Winners (2): 1984–85, 2006–07

Runners-up (2): 1981–82, 1983–84

Greek Super Cup

Runners-up (2): 1988, 2007

Super League 2

Winners (5): 1972–73, 1977–78, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2024–25

Runners-up (5): 1971–72, 2014–15, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24

Super League 2 Super Cup

Winners (1): 2025

Gamma Ethniki

Winners (1): 2013–14

Runners-up (1): 2003–04

Gamma Ethniki Cup

Winners (1): 2013–14

Amateurs' Super Cup

Winners (1): 2013–14

International

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Quarter-finals (1): 1984–85

Crest and colours

Crest evolution

The emblem of the club is a wild rising horse (same as the symbol of the city), believed to be an ancient thessalian-breed horse like Alexander the Great's Bucephalus.

Colours and kit evolution

The team's colours have been crimson and white since the formation of the club in 1964.

First

Alternative

Facilities

Stadium

AEL FC Arena is the home ground of AEL. It is a UEFA 3-star rated stadium and has a seating capacity of 17,118 all covered but it can expand to 33,000 making it the third largest Stadium in Greece. As well as functioning as a football stadium, Arena also operates as a conference centre and music venue. Actual construction of the stadium lasted 14 months, beginning in September 2009 and ended in late November 2010. From May 2013 until September 2015, the team played its home games in the old Alcazar Stadium, due to economic disputes concerning the rent of the stadium between the owning company (Gipedo Larissa AE) and the precedent chairman, Evangelos Plexidas. On 22 July 2015, the club's former major shareholder Alexis Kougias promised in an interview that the team will return and compete for the season 2015–16 in the Arena. Indeed, on 26 August 2015, there was an agreement and an official announcement of the new season's tickets for the stadium. The team competed in AEL FC Arena for five years, (until July 2020) when new financial disagreements and tensions arose, this time between Kougias and the owning company of the stadium. This led to the team leaving AEL FC Arena once again and returning to a fully renovated Alkazar that was scheduled to host the club's games for the next two seasons. On 26 July 2023, there was an official announcement from the club's new owner Achilleas Davelis, that the team will compete once and for all in AEL FC Arena.

Training facilities

AEL has its own training facilities in the area of the village Dendra, near to the town of Tyrnavos. Those facilities cover over 30,000 square meters, have multisport purposes for all of the team's athletes and among the others include:

Three football fields (one used by the first team, with 1,500 seats capacity and one for the U21 team's official matches)

One football field with artificial turf

Hosting area for the First and Reserves teams

Gym

Saunas

Rooms for tactical purposes

Press room

Changing rooms

Offices

Parking services

Supporters

Monsters is the largest AEL FC supporters club. The first attempt to organise the team's supporters was made on 31 March 1982 during the game against Diagoras 30 fans that belonged to the older but old-fashioned club Ierolochites gathered in the Gate D of the old Alcazar Stadium that was meant to be the legendary Gate-1 afterwards. Monsters club was formed as an idea of having a true and passionate support to the team without restrictions or boundaries.

The fans tend to use various styles and sizes of banners and flags bearing the name and symbols of their club and have been following the team since the first day everywhere in Greece and Europe.

Monsters have a strong relationship with German team 1. FC Nürnberg's supporter's club called Ultras Nürnberg 1994 or just UN-94. Fans of both clubs often lift banners and create choreography in support of the fellow teams.

S.F. Alkazar (Greek: Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Αλκαζάρ) is the second biggest club of AEL supporters.

Records

Most Appearances: Giannis Galitsios (399)

Most Goals: Giannis Valaoras (73)

Biggest Home Win: AEL 8–2 Kavala (1981–82)

Biggest Away Win: Veria 2–5 AEL (1987–88)

Most Wins in a Season: 18 (1982–83, 1987–88)

Most Points in a Season: 50 (2008–09)

Record Home Attendance: AEL 2–1 Panathinaikos (18,493, Alcazar Stadium, 27 December 1987)

All records, counted for the Super League and former Alpha Ethniki championships.

Players

Historical squads

The 1988 Championship line-up and the 1985, 2007 Cup winning line-ups:

Current squad

As of 29 September 2026

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

Youth squad

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

Competition history

UEFA Champions League all-time club ranking

As of 26 May 2021

League and cup history

Key: 1R = First Round, 2R = Second Round, 3R = Third Round, 4R = Fourth Round, 5R = Fifth Round, 6R = Sixth Round, GS = Group Stage, QF = Quarter-finals, SF = Semi-finals, RU = Runner-up, W = Winner.

Point system: 1959–60 to 1972–73: 3–2–1. 1973–74 to 1991–92: 2–1–0. 1992–93 onwards: 3–1–0.

In the season 2012–13 the team gained 63 points but was penalized due to financial problems (−18 points in the final table) and finished 13th.

League total

*including 2025–26

(Leagues created in Greece in 1962-63)

European competitions

As of July 2009

Presidents

At the founding of the club and under the administration of a 15-member council, composed of club representatives and organizations of the city, Konstantinos Tzovaridis was appointed as the first president. The current president, Achilleas Ntavelis, is AEL's 31st president with several presidents having multiple spells in office (counted separately).

Kit manufacturers and sponsorship

Current sponsorships

Main Shirt Sponsor: NOVIBET

Back Shirt Sponsor: AEGEAN COLLEGE

Shorts Sponsor: TΑΧΙΝΙ ΟΛΥΜΠΟΣ

Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer: Erima

Great Sponsor: Auto Tsogias