APOEL FC

APOEL FC (Greek: ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias, lit. "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") is a Cypriot professional football club based in Nicosia, Cyprus. APOEL is the most successful football team in Cyprus with an overall tally of 29 national championships, 21 cups, and 13 super cups.

APOEL's greatest moment in European competition occurred in the 2011–12 season, when they advanced out of the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (winning a group that included FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Zenit St. Petersburg), then eliminated Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16, to become the first Cypriot team to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. APOEL's European competitions highlights also include appearances in the group stages of the 2009–10 and 2014–15 UEFA Champions League and the group stages of the 2013–14, 2015–16, and 2016–17 UEFA Europa League. They marked their most successful UEFA Europa League campaign during the 2016–17 season, when they managed to top their group (along with Olympiacos, Young Boys, and Astana) and eliminated Athletic Bilbao in the round of 32, to reach the last 16 of the competition for the first time in their history. APOEL is the only Cypriot club who have reached the group stages (and the knockout stages) of both major UEFA competitions (UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League). In the 2016–17 season, APOEL drew an average home league attendance of 7,126 and their highest league attendance was 15,462. Both were the highest in the league.

APOEL FC is part of the APOEL multi-sport club, which was founded in 1926 and maintains departments for several sports including football, basketball, volleyball, futsal, table tennis, bowling, cycling, archery, swimming and water polo. APOEL is one of the founding members of the Cyprus Football Association and also an ordinary member of the European Club Association, an organization that replaced the previous G-14 which consists of major football clubs in Europe.

History

1926–1929: The early years

The club was formed as POEL (Greek: ΠΟΕΛ; Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias, Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia) on 8 November 1926. The club's formation came about when a group of forty people, with a common vision, met and set the foundations for creating a football club that would represent the Greek residents of the capital and express their deep desire for Cyprus' incorporation (enosis) into Greece. The meeting took place at a traditional confectionery, owned by Charalambos Hadjioannou, downtown in Ledra Street and the first president of the club was Giorgos Poulias. The first clubhouse was the "Athenians Club" (Λέσχη Αθηναίων) at the end of Ledra Street.

After a journey to the football club in Alexandria, Egypt in 1927 the General Assembly of 1928 decided the players showed that they were not just good footballers but also excellent track and field athletes. Hence it was decided to create a track and field team in addition to the football team. The name APOEL was adopted to reflect this, with the 'A' standing for 'Athletic'. Soon after a volleyball team and a table tennis team were established.

The 1930s : The first league titles

Cyprus did not have any country-wide league until 1932. Football clubs of the time played friendly matches only. In 1932, Pezoporikos Larnaca organised an unofficial league, the first island-wide league, and it was won by APOEL after defeating AEL Limassol in the final by 4–0. In 1934, there was a disagreement between Trust and Anorthosis Famagusta on the organisation of the fourth unofficial league. APOEL and AEL Limassol organised a meeting for the foundation of a country-wide governing body and an official country-wide league. The meeting took place in APOEL's clubhouse on 23 September and the establishment of the Cyprus Football Association was agreed. Two years later the APOEL football team celebrated its first championship title of the official Cyprus football league. APOEL also won the championship for the following four years, making this a very successful period for the club with 5 consecutive championships (1936–1940).

The 1948 conflicts

Politics, however, would soon spark conflict within the team. On 23 May 1948 the board of the club send a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (Greek: Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition, which included wishes that "the rebellion" is finished. Several leftist club members perceived the telegram as a political comment on the Greek Civil War and they distanced themselves from the club. A few days later, on 4 June 1948, they founded AC Omonia, which until today is the archrival of APOEL and there has been a traditional animosity between the fans of the two teams.

1955–59 period

More conflicts led to further struggles for APOEL. Athletes belonging to the club frequently participated in national clashes. During the 1955–59 national uprising against the British, many of APOEL's athletes and members of the club were active members of EOKA (the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), the most outstanding example being the club's track and field athlete Michalakis Karaolis who was hanged by the British colonial authorities. During this period the football team had their closest brush with relegation as most football players were actively taking part in the national struggle.

Triumph in the 1963–64 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

The football team were quickly back to full strength and made their debut in European Competitions (the first not only for APOEL but for any Cypriot team) in 1963, when they faced the Norwegian team SK Gjøvik-Lyn in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Two victories for APOEL over both legs (6–0, 1–0) marked APOEL's successful European debut, as they became the first Hellenic team to progress in a European Competition. The next round against the tournament winners Sporting Clube de Portugal met APOEL with their heaviest defeat ever (16–1) and put an end to APOEL's European debut.

The successful participation in pan-Hellenic Greek Championship

Other triumphs followed in the early 1970s. In 1973 the domestic double was achieved with coach Panos Markovic. The following year APOEL became the only Cypriot team to avoid relegation from the Alpha Ethniki. That was also the last season that the Cypriot champion played in the Greek Football League the following year due to the volatile situation in Cyprus during 1974.

The 1980s: European Cup 1986–87 withdrawal

The 1980s were a relatively fruitless period for APOEL. They have only won two championships (1980,1986), one cup (1984) and two super cups (1984, 1986). In 1986 APOEL was drawn against Beşiktaş J.K. for the second round of the European Cup. This was the first time that a Cypriot team faced a Turkish team in a European football competition. The Cypriot government prohibited APOEL from playing against the Turkish team, so APOEL was punished with two years disqualification from any UEFA competition. This penalty was later reduced to one-year.

The 1990s: The unbeaten "double" in 1995–96

The 1990s were a successful decade for APOEL with 3 championships (1990, 1992, 1996), 5 cups (1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999) and 4 super cups (1992, 1993, 1996, 1999). The most successful season in the 1990s was 1995–96 in which APOEL achieved a celebratory double while remaining undefeated in the league. The basketball team won a double on the same season, making this the ideal season for a 70th anniversary celebration.

The formation of APOEL FC Company

APOEL Football (Public) Ltd was established in May 1997, after the decision of APOEL committee. This had a significant effect on the club because it separated the activities of the football team from those of the sports club. The formation of the company was necessitated by the financial difficulties the team faced at the time. The company began its operations with a capital of CY £600,000.

2000s–2010s: Domestic domination

APOEL is the most successful football team in Cyprus since the 2000s. In seventeen years, the club won twelve championships (2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), four cups (2006, 2008, 2014, 2015) and seven super cups (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019). In the 2013–14 season, APOEL achieved a historical domestic treble by winning all the Cypriot competitions trophies, the league, the cup, and the super cup. The next season (2014–15), the club won their second consecutive double. In the 2016–17 season, APOEL managed to win their fifth consecutive league title and equalled the club's record which was set 77 years before (1936–1940).

2020s

The 2020–21 season marked the end of APOEL's dominance in Cyprus as they failed to make the championship playoffs for the first time in the club's history. The following season, APOEL finished third, missing out on Champions League qualification in the last matchday, and instead qualifying for the Europa Conference League. They missed out on the 2022–23 championship, finishing in second place, despite being first at the end of the regular season. APOEL returned to domestic glory in 2024, winning the championship for a record-extending 29th time. It has been revealed that APOEL has debts of 50+ million euros and so far they are trying to find investors in order to save the club from debts, unsuccessfully.

European ambitions

APOEL's first great run in European competitions came in 2002, when the team was knocked out on the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, entered the UEFA Cup and reached the second round of the competition. The following years, APOEL qualified four times for the UEFA Champions League group stages (2009–10, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2017–18), and managed to reach the quarter-finals in the 2011–12 season. The team also participated in the group stages of the 2013–14, 2015–16 & 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, managing to reach the last 16 of the competition in the 2016–17 season.

APOEL FC as a company

The football department of APOEL is legally owned by APOEL Football (Public) Ltd (Greek: ΑΠΟΕΛ Ποδόσφαιρο (Δημόσια) Λτδ), a public limited company, since 1997. The company's main activity is the management, operation and commercial exploitation of APOEL Football club. The company owns all the rights for the football department under an agreement with APOEL sports club and pays the club CY£100,000 annually for the privilege. The agreement between the company and the club is renewed every five years. The company has 1745 shareholders and besides the football club, also maintains a team boutique (Orange Shop), the APOELFC (Greek: ΑΠΟΕΛFC) magazine and the website among others.

Youth Academy

APOEL's youth academy is a separate legal entity from the football club. They are responsible for the under 21 teams for football, basketball and volleyball and they have their own board of directors and budget. The football academy has produced many quality Cypriot players over the years. Players started from the academy and had great contribution APOEL are: Marinos Satsias, Constantinos Charalambides, Nektarios Alexandrou, Michalis Morfis and Marios Antoniades. All of them have also competed at international level with the Cyprus national football team while Charalambides and Alexandrou have played for teams in the Greek Super League in the past.

UEFA Youth League participations

APOEL's U19 team participated for the first time in the UEFA Youth League group stage during 2014–15 season, drawn in Group F alongside Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax. APOEL managed to collect only one point after drawing 0–0 with Ajax at home and lost their other five Group F matches. They lost twice to Barcelona (2–3 at home, 0–3 away), lost twice to Paris Saint-Germain (0–3 at home, 0–6 away) and also lost to Ajax 1–4 away, finishing fourth in their group.

The next two seasons, APOEL's U19 team participated again in the UEFA Youth League. The 2015–16 season they competed in the first round of the Domestic Champions Path, being drawn to face Puskás Akadémia from Hungary. After a dramatic 3–3 draw in the first leg in Nicosia, APOEL U19 suffered a heavy 6–1 loss in Felcsút and were eventually eliminated. The 2016–17 season they competed in the first round of the Domestic Champions Path, being eliminated by Italian side A.S. Roma after losing 0–3 at home and 1–6 in Italy.

Colours and badge

APOEL's colours are blue and yellow. Blue symbolizes Greece and yellow symbolizes Byzantium. The logo is a blue and yellow shield with the name of the club written diagonally in blue. After the club won their 20th championship (2008–09 season), two stars were added above the logo to symbolize the 20 championship titles (one star for every ten championships won). Other than that, the badge has remained the same since the establishment of the club.

Stadium

APOEL's home ground since 23 October 1999, is the 22,859 seater GSP Stadium. It is the largest stadium in Cyprus and they share it with local rivals Omonia and Olympiakos Nicosia.

Before moving to GSP Stadium, APOEL used as home grounds the Makario Stadium (from 1978 until 1999) and the old GSP Stadium (prior to 1978).

Club culture and supporters

APOEL is one of the most popular teams in Cyprus. The main supporter group is PAN.SY.FI (Greek: ΠΑΝ.ΣΥ.ΦΙ), founded in 1979, with branches in major cities in Cyprus and abroad. They are identified by orange jackets or T-shirts, first worn during the 1992–93 first-round game against AEL Limassol at Makario Stadium. APOEL reserves shirt number 79 in honour of PAN.SY.FI.

The club's single-season home ticket record is 141,268 (15 league matches) during the 2010–11 season, and the highest average league attendance is 9,582 (13 matches) during 2012–13. Season ticket sales peaked at over 8,000 in 2014–15.

APOEL holds the record for highest home attendance in the Cyprus First Division with 23,043 tickets against AC Omonia during the 2002–03 season at GSP Stadium. The highest European competition attendance for a Cypriot team was 22,701 tickets against Olympique Lyonnais in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League last 16 at GSP Stadium.

Large away support has been recorded in UEFA competitions: over 6,000 fans traveled to London for the 2009–10 Champions League group stage match against Chelsea F.C. on 8 December 2009, over 5,000 traveled to Olympique Lyonnais on 14 February 2012, and approximately 4,000 traveled to Real Madrid on 4 April 2012 for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

During the 2009–10 season, APOEL sold 244,977 tickets for all home matches in domestic and European competitions, the highest by a Cypriot club in a single season.

Politics

APOEL FC supporters are associated with right-wing politics and, at times, the Democratic Rally (DISY) political party, as seen in 2008 when the club publicly supported DISY candidate Ioannis Kasoulides. The club’s fan base generally aligns with Greek nationalist and conservative ideologies, emphasising a Hellenic identity and opposing left-wing parties such as AKEL, and clubs aligned with them such as AC Omonia.

In October 2003, APOEL president Dinos Fysentzides publicly condemned a small group of neo-Nazi supporters known as the "Pirates", stating that they were in no way affiliated with the club and were barred from attending matches. The Pirates had displayed swastikas and Nazi insignia, performed the fascist salute, and expressed Holocaust denial on their website. Police confirmed that any members attending games would be arrested, and the club reported their identities to authorities. That same month, former APOEL player Varnavas Stipanovic denied any affiliation with the Pirate group, despite wearing one of their t-shirts during a May cup game against AEK at Larnaca’s GSZ stadium. A photograph of him in the shirt appeared on the group’s website. Stipanovic stated that he wore the shirt as a favour for a neighbour and was unaware of the group’s ideology. APOEL president Dinos Fysentzides suggested the photograph had likely been tampered with. Stipanovic expressed regret if his actions caused any upset.

APOEL fans have also displayed political and nationalist banners at matches. In November 2017, during a match against Omonia, a group of Apoel fans hoisted a banner denying the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising, which provoked condemnation from Greek media and accusations of links to extremist nationalist groups. In August 2025, another incident involved APOEL fans displaying a banner at a match in Larnaca targeting Fidias Panayiotou with racist and abusive language, prompting a police investigation under Cyprus's Law on the Prevention and Suppression of Violence in Sports Venues.

Rivalries

Nicosia derby

The Nicosia derby (or the Derby of the eternal enemies) refers to the Nicosia's local derby, football matches played between APOEL and Omonia. It is the classic rivalry of the Cypriot football, as the two teams are the most successful and most popular football clubs of the island. The rivalry is also indicative of social, cultural and political differences and originates from 1948 when the board of APOEL sent a telegram to the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics (Greek: Σ.Ε.Γ.Α.Σ.), with the opportunity of the annual Panhellenic Track and Field Competition stating its wish for the "communist mutiny" to be ended. Club's players considering this action as a political comment on the Greek Civil War distanced themselves or were expelled from APOEL and a month later they formed Omonia. The first derby was played on 12 December 1953 and ended in a goalless draw.

Current squad

As of 25 March 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.

Out on loan

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

Club officials

Board of directors

Source:

Personnel

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Technical staff

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Medical staff

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Sponsorship

Main sponsors

• Main Sponsor – Stoiximan
• Sponsor of Sports Material – macron
• Official Broadcaster – cablenet
• Official sponsor – TA MERI FINANCE
• Official sponsor – ISX
• Official sponsor – LONDOU BROS
• Official sponsor – Nurofen
• Official sponsor – Jointace
• Official sponsor – G.u.m
• Official sponsor – PRODROMOU & MAKRIYIANNIS INSURANCE
• Official sponsor – Osteocare
• Supporter – Pizza Hut
• Supporter – PASTA STRADA Pasta & Salad Bar
• Supporter – PANAYIOTIDES Gifts Textiles
• Supporter – Hope CARE
• Supporter – LifeFitness
• Supporter – elvetiko DIAGNOSTIC CENTER
• Supporter – Vittel
• Supporter – TYMVIOS LABS Klinika Chimeia
• Supporter – REANDA
• Supporter – PETROLINA
• Supporter – Landas COLOUR Signs & Digital Printing
• Supporter – LYLE & SCOTT EST 1874
• Supporter – 1210 media
• Supporter – SEAPHIRE Ribco

Source:

Managerial history

Last Update: 7 October 2022

• 1931–1933 Hungary Antone Jean
• 1933–1951 Hungary József Künsztler
• 1951–1952 Cyprus Pambos Avraamides
• 1952–1953 Hungary Béla Guttmann
• 1953–1954 Cyprus Pambos Avraamidis
• 1954–1955 Israel Schwartz
• 1955–1956 Austria Hanz
• 1956–1958 Cyprus Kostas Talianos
• 1958–1959 Cyprus Takis Tsigkis
• 1959–1961 Greece Vaggelis Choumis
• 1961–1962 Cyprus Andreas Lazarides
• 1962–1963 England Jesse Carver
• 1963–1964 England Neil Franklin
• 1964–1965 Cyprus Kostas Talianos
• 1965–1966 Hungary Gyula Zsengellér
• 1966–1967 Hungary Lajos Szendrödi
• 196700000 Cyprus Lykourgos Archontidis
• 1967–1969 Cyprus Pambos Avraamides
• 1969–1970 England Jesse Carver
• 1970–1971 Cyprus Andreas Lazarides
• 1971–1972 England Ray Wood
• 1972–1974 Greece Panos Markovic
• 1974–1975 Cyprus Andreas Lazarides
• 197500000 Greece Panos Markovic
• 1975–1976 Cyprus Andreas Lazarides
• 1976–1977 Cyprus Savvas Partakis
• 1977–1978 England Keith Spurgeon
• 1978–1981 Cyprus Andreas Lazarides
• 1981–1983 England Mike Ferguson
• 1983–1985 Greece Panos Markovic
• 1985–1989 Northern Ireland Tommy Cassidy
• 1989–1990 Greece Giannis Matzourakis
• 1990–1991 Croatia Stanko Poklepović
• 1991–1993 Poland Jacek Gmoch
• 1993–1994 Cyprus Takis Antoniou
• 1994–1995 Greece Giannis Matzourakis
• 1995–1996 Bulgaria Hristo Bonev
• 199600000 Serbia Svetozar Šapurić
• 1996–1997 Poland Jacek Gmoch
• 199700000 Greece Nikos Alefantos
• 1997–1998 Austria Kurt Jara
• 199800000 Cyprus Andreas Mouskallis
• 199800000 Cyprus Costas Georgiou
• 1998–1999 Greece Georgios Paraschos
• 199900000 Serbia Slobodan Vučeković
• 1999–2000 Cyprus Andreas Michaelides
• 200000000 Serbia Svetozar Šapurić
• 200000000 Cyprus Markos Markou
• 2000–2001 Wales Mike Walker
• 2001–2002 Netherlands Eugène Gerards
• 2002–2003 Greece Takis Lemonis
• 200300000 Czech Republic Dušan Uhrin
• 2003–2005 Serbia Ivan Jovanović
• 200500000 Germany Werner Lorant
• 200500000 Cyprus Marios Constantinou
• 2005–2006 Poland Jerzy Engel
• 2006–2008 Greece Marinos Ouzounidis
• 2008–2013 Serbia Ivan Jovanović
• 201300000 Portugal Paulo Sérgio
• 2013–2015 Greece Georgios Donis
• 201500000 Germany Thorsten Fink
• 201500000 Portugal Domingos Paciência
• 2015–2016 Georgia (country) Temur Ketsbaia
• 2016–2017 Spain Thomas Christiansen
• 201700000 Netherlands Mario Been
• 2017–2018 Greece Georgios Donis
• 201800000 Portugal Bruno Baltazar
• 2018–2019 Italy Paolo Tramezzani
• 201900000 Germany Thomas Doll
• 201900000 Cyprus Loukas Hadjiloukas (interim)
• 2019–2020 Norway Kåre Ingebrigtsen
• 202000000 Greece Marinos Ouzounidis
• 2020–2021 Republic of Ireland Mick McCarthy
• 202100000 Greece Savvas Poursaitidis
• 2021–2022 Cyprus Sofronis Avgousti
• 2022–2023 Serbia Vladan Milojević
• 2023–2024 Portugal Ricardo Sá Pinto
• 202400000 Spain David Gallego
• 202400000 Portugal José Dominguez
• 2024–2025 Spain Manuel Jiménez
• 2025–2027 Uruguay Pablo García

Presidential history

APOEL has had numerous presidents over the course of their history. Since the establishment of APOEL Football Ltd, the presidents of the board of directors of the company (chairmen) have assumed all presidential duties for the football club. Here are complete lists of both:

Former players

List of former players with national team appearances or having won multiple titles with the club:

Honours

Source:

• Cypriot Championship Winners (29) (record): 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2023–24
• Cypriot Cup Winners (21) (record): 1936–37, 1940–41, 1946–47, 1950–51, 1962–63, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Cypriot Super Cup Winners (15): 1963, 1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2024

Records

Last update: 16 March 2017

• Record League win: 17–1 vs Cyprus Aris Limassol (4 June 1967) — 1966–67
• Record League defeat: 6–1 vs Cyprus Nea Salamina (2 May 1998) — 1997–98
• Record European competition win: 6–0 vs Norway SK Gjøvik-Lyn (8 September 1963) — UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Preliminary round 1st leg, 1963–64 000000000000000000000000000006–0 vs Faroe Islands HB Tórshavn (28 August 1997) — UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Qualifying round 2nd leg, 1997–98
• Record European competition defeat: 16–1 vs Portugal Sporting CP (13 November 1963) — UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 1st round 1st leg, 1963–64
• Most consecutive League games unbeaten: 34 — From 18 September 1946 to 23 November 1949
• Most consecutive League games won: 16 — From 21 December 2008 to 11 April 2009
• Most League points in a season:

3 for win: 83, 2015–16 (full season) — 69, 2008–09 (regular season)

2 for win: 51, 1976–77

• Most League goals in a season: 91, 2015–16
• Record average League home attendance: 9,582 — 2012–13
• Record League home attendance: 23,043 vs Cyprus Omonia (7 December 2002) — 2002–03
• Record European competition home attendance: 22,701 vs France Olympique Lyonnais (7 March 2012) — UEFA Champions League, Last-16 2nd leg, 2011–12
• Most League appearances for club: 371 — Cyprus Yiannos Ioannou
• Most League goals for club : 191 — Cyprus Yiannos Ioannou
• Most European competitions appearances for club: 91 — Portugal Nuno Morais
• Most European competitions goals for club : 9 — Brazil Aílton José Almeida

League and Cup history

IFFHS Club world ranking

Last update: 7 July 2024 Source:

External links

• (in Greek)
• (in Greek)
• (in Greek) (archived)