"AEK, the best greek team..." Top 5 Page for this destination Athens Travelogue by AndyRG

Athens Travel Guide: 5,584 reviews and 9,916 photos

The last game of Stelios Manolas... - Athens

A historical team that you are proud to support...

AEK (Athlitiki Enosi Konstantinoupoleos, which means Athletic Union of Constantinople/Istanbul - see my next tip for details about its history) has a lot of achievements to show, in a variety of sports. In football (soccer), AEK has celebrated 11 Greek Championships, 12 Greek Cups, 2 Greek Super Cups. In european competitions, the team has also successes, like being at the semifinals of UEFA Cup in 1976-77.
It is the first club in greek history of sports that achieved to win a european trophy: 4/4/1968 is a brilliant date, AEK won Slavia Prague 89-82 in basketball inside the Kallimarmaro (Panathinaiko) Stadium of Athens. 70.000 people were there and this was a world record!

The symbol

In 1922, Greeks were forced to leave behind their houses at the coasts of Ionia at Asia Minor, where the greek spirit had grown for centuries. The refugees (1,5 million people) came to metropolitan Greece and found power to continue their lifes.
In 1924, two years later, some of them from Constantinople created AEK, a club that would remind the lost lands. The double-headed eagle, the symbol of Byzantium, is also the symbol of the team, which is proud for its origins.

The fans -and... not only- are everywhere!

AEK has less fans than the two other big teams of Athens, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos, but maybe the most fanatical. They follow AEK everywhere in Greece or Europe! This photo is from a volleyball game (9/3/2000), when the greek team was 3rd at European Cup.

Like in 1968!

AEK has just won 83-76 Kinder Bologna in basketball, at the final of European Cup in Lausanne (11/4/2000), and fans are on the streets, to celebrate it.
They are outside the Kallimarmaro -Panathinaiko- Stadium, like in 1968...

Another Cup

AEK has just scored (3-0 against Ionikos, 10/5/2000) and it is time for its 11th Greek Cup - the latest one was in 2002 against Olympiakos, see the "sports travel" tips about it. The final, as usual, was held at the Olympic Stadium of Athens.

The stadium

Since 1930 and so on, AEK was using its private stadium, "Nikos Goumas" in Nea Philadelphia, a northern suburb of Athens. It had been built by the side of a big park. It seemed like a cage-"hell" for the guest teams...
The stadium has been destroyed and hopefully it will not take years and years for the new one to be built at the same place...

After 32 years!

It is the last game, in basketball, between AEK and Olympiakos at the play-off games of the Greek Championship (79-70, 5/6/2002). AEK, after... 32 years, was again the champion, inside the Olympic Indoor Hall, the biggest in Europe.
AEKARA!

The history is continued...

After 9 years, AEK participated again at Champions League -the most important european competition in football- with success (6 games, 6 draws!). The picture is from the game against the dream-team of Real Madrid. The final score was 3-3 (2/10/2002, 2-2 in Madrid some days later!)... As for every team, the history is always continued, with sorrows ans joys...

Page Updated Feb 28, 2010
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Comments (135)

mountaingirlee Aug 24, 2009 at 1:32 AM Report Abuse

I lived in the French Alps for 5 years & know how beautiful that was.I visited Zagoria,Pelion etc and was stunned by it.This will be devastating to the area.The ski season 2009/10 will now be damaged too!
rsgsterk Feb 14, 2009 at 2:10 AM Report Abuse

Thank you for your helpful tips especially the ones about the mini museums in the stations.
mindcrime Jun 8, 2008 at 3:14 PM Report Abuse

"found again a little from their ancient spirit"? :) plaka kaneis vevea e?! kai eisai kai AEK! lol! nice tips! keep on travelin'! konstantinos
jethanand Mar 13, 2008 at 4:27 PM Report Abuse

Hi :) :) Your page on Greek Museum is wonderful. Thank you for posting and sharing..
RinaNeo Mar 6, 2008 at 9:03 AM Report Abuse

Greetings from Singapore, I will be having a holiday break in greece this coming april, your tips is gonna be really useful. cheers Rina
kleomania Mar 2, 2008 at 5:34 AM Report Abuse

MMM good info, thanks!!!
ghostdent Dec 26, 2007 at 9:34 PM Report Abuse

Dude, do you have a recipe for Koulouris, i stayed in athens a year ago and koulouris were my doom. I live in Chile and it is impossible to get them here and nobody knows how to make them. Please contact me at ghostdent@gmail.com
grace1980 Aug 17, 2007 at 1:22 PM Report Abuse

great things u wrote about athens indeed you are lucky to be part of such a beautifull country-city... keep writting about it i am in love with greece in general ....ur page makes me look forward for my next vacation to go there
Achikochi Aug 5, 2007 at 11:29 AM Report Abuse

Andy - how are you? How is life in Athens? You must be melting...!
slothtraveller Jul 17, 2007 at 3:26 PM Report Abuse

You are obviously a very proud Athenian, Andy! I look forward to visiting your city someday soon!