Aris Thessaloniki
Athlitikos Syllogos Aris Thessalonikis, means Athletic Club Aris Thessaloniki, is a major Greek multi-sport club founded on 25 March 1914 in Thessaloniki. The club's colours are yellow or gold of glory and black. The club is named after Ares, the ancient Greek God of War, but also associated with courage and masculinity, inspired by the successful military operations of the Kingdom of Greece during the Balkan Wars, and the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912 from the Ottoman empire. Its image is portrayed on the club's emblem.
Nicknamed God of War, Aris was one of the strongest Greek clubs during the Interwar period with champion teams in football, basketball and water polo. Until nowadays maintains a remarkable tradition in basketball, while "established" the sport in the country with the great star player Nikos Galis and the team of the 1980s, which was voted as the best Greek team of the 20th century.
Departments
Aris is considered to be one of the most important Greek sport clubs and today maintains departments in many sports, including:- Aris FC - Football
- Aris BC - Basketball
- Aris Volleyball Club - Volleyball
- Aris Water Polo - Water Polo
- Aris Baseball - Baseball
- Aris Ice Hockey - Ice Hockey
Honours
Football
- Super League Greece
- *Winners : 1927–28, 1931–32, 1945–46
- *Runners-up : 1922–23, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1979–80
- Greek Cup
- *Winners : 1969–70
- *Runners-up : 1931–32, 1932–33, 1939–40, 1949–50, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10
- Greater Greece Cup
- *Winners : 1971
Basketball
- Greek League
- Greek Cup
- FIBA Saporta Cup / EuroCup Basketball
- FIBA Korać Cup
- FIBA EuroCup Challenge
Volleyball
- Winners : 1996–97
- Runners-up : 1993–94, 1995–96,
- Winners : 1996–97
Waterpolo
- Greek League
- * Winners : 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1931–32
- * Runners-up : 1930–31
Weightlifting
- 2 Greek championships, Women: 1994, 1995
Ice Hockey
- 4 Greek Championships: 1989, 1990, 1991, 2011
Korfball
- 1 Greek Championship:2007
- 1 Greek Cup: 2007
- 1 'Beach Korfball Championship: 2008
Ball Hockey
- 1 Greek Championship: 2009
Roller Hockey
- 1 Greek Championship:2009
- 3 Greek Cups: 2007, 2008, 2009
- 1 Balkan Cup: 2009
Swimming
- 1 Greek Championship, Women: 1994
Boxing
- 1 Greek Championship, Men: 1972
Athletics
- 1 Greek Indoor Championship, Women: 1991
- 1 Greek Cup, Women: 1988
- 2 Greek Cross Country Championship, Women: 1961, 1962
Anthem
Notable athletes
- Football: Nikolaos Aggelakis, Kostas Vikelidis, Nikiphoros Vikelidis, Nikos Kitsos, Argyris Argyriadis, Kleanthis Vikelidis, Kostas Veliadis, Manolis Keramidas, Takis Loukanidis, Alketas Panagoulias, Konstantinos Drampis, Giorgos Zindros, Stelios Papafloratos, Theodoros Pallas, Alekos Alexiadis, Dinos Kouis, Vasilis Dimitriadis, Apostolos Liolidis, Traianos Dellas, Angelos Charisteas, Avraam Papadopoulos, Sergio Koke, Darcy Dolce Neto, Javito, Vangelis Platellas
- Basketball: Manthos Matthaiou, Faidon Matthaiou, Anestis Petalidis, Michalis Romanidis, Vangelis Alexandris, Charis Papageorgiou, Nikos Filippou, Stojko Vranković, Vassilis Lipiridis, Lefteris Subotić, Giannis Ioannidis, Panagiotis Giannakis, Nikos Galis, Miroslav Pecarski, Roy Tarpley, Harold Ellis, Walter Berry, José Ortiz, Charles Shackleford, Dinos Angelidis, Panagiotis Liadelis, Giorgos Sigalas, Will Solomon, Nestoras Kommatos, Jeremiah Massey, Bryant Dunston, Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, Sasha Vezenkov
- Volleyball: Lyubomir Ganev, Plamen Konstantinov, Michalis Alexandropoulos, Giannis Melkas, Thanassis Moustakidis, Dimitris Modiotis, Kostas Prousalis, Nikos Smaragdis, Riley Salmon, Clayton Stanley
- Water polo: Stelios Dimitriou, Agisilaos Zografos, Fotis Zografos
European honours
Season | Basketball | Volleyball | Roller Hockey |
1984–85 | FIBA Korać Cup Semi-finals | ||
1987–88 | Euroleague 4th place | ||
1988–89 | Euroleague 3rd place | ||
1989–90 | Euroleague 4th place | ||
1992–93 | FIBA Saporta Cup Winners | CEV Cup Semi-finals | |
1993–94 | FIBA Saporta Cup Semi-finals | ||
1994–95 | CEV Cup Semi-finals | ||
1996–97 | FIBA Korać Cup Winners | ||
1998–99 | FIBA Saporta Cup Semi-finals | ||
2002–03 | FIBA EuroCup Challenge Winners | ||
2005–06 | Eurocup Final | ||
2008–09 | Balkans Cup Final | Balkan Cup Winners |
Notable supporters
- Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the Hellenic Republic
- Anthimos Ananiadis, actor
- Lelos Arouch, prominent member of Jewish community of Thessaloniki, son of Salamo Arouch
- Yiannis Boutaris, fmr. Mayor of Thessaloniki
- Angelos Charisteas, member of the UEFA Euro 2004 winning team
- Spyros Charitatos, journalist
- Kostas Chrysogonos, jurist, Member of the European Parliament
- Giannis Dardamanelis, Mayor of Kalamaria
- :el:Βαγγέλης Διαμαντόπουλος|Vangelis Diamantopoulos, fmr. SYRIZA MP
- B.D. Foxmoor, rapper and hip hop producer
- Nikos Galis, member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- :el:Κωνσταντίνος Γκιουλέκας|Kostas Gioulekas, fmr. Minister of Internal Affairs
- Evangelos Grammenos, president of the Hellenic Football Federation
- Aris Grigoriadis, world aquatics champion
- Giannis Ioannidis, fmr. Deputy Minister of Sport
- :el:Ιγνάτιος Καϊτεζίδης|Ignatios Kaitezidis, Mayor of Panorama
- :el:Σωτήρης Καλυβάτσης|Sotiris Kalyvatsis, actor
- Giorgos Konstantopoulos, President of the Greek Exporters Association
- :el:Βλαδίμηρος Κυριακίδης|Vladimiros Kyriakidis, actor
- Zoe Laskari, actress
- Katerina Laspa, journalist, TV host
- Michalis Leanis, journalist
- Giorgos Lentzas, journalist, TV host
- :el:Ρένια Λουιζίδου|Renia Louizidou, actress
- :el:Νίκος Μακρόπουλος|Nikos Makropoulos, singer
- Apostolos Mangiriadis, journalist
- Marinella, singer
- Rodolfo Maslias, Head of TermCoord of the European Parliament
- Faidon Matthaiou, FIBA EuroBasket Bronze medalist, the "Patriarch" of Greek basketball
- :el:Αντύπας |Antypas, singer
- :el:Μιχάλης Μητρούσης|Michalis Mitrousis, actor
- Fanis Mouratidis, actor
- Alexandros Nikolaidis, Olympic medalist
- Alketas Panagoulias, fmr. US and Greek national football team manager
- :el: Ανδρέας Παπαχαραλάμπους|Andreas Papacharalambous, Mayor of Strovolos, Cyprus
- Elena Papadimitriou, journalist
- Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, fmr. Mayor of Thessaloniki
- Akis Petretzikis, celebrity chef
- Secondo Poselli, composer of Hymn of Aris Thessaloniki, son of Vitaliano Poselli
- Emilios Riadis, composer
- :el:Άκης Σακελλαρίου|Akis Sakellariou, actor
- Nikolaos Sakellaropoulos, fmr. Vice-President of the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court of Greece
- Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission
- Panagiotis Spyrou, pioneer cardiac surgeon
- :el:Κατερίνα Στανίση|Katerina Stanisi, singer
- Nikos Tachiaos, Chairman of Attiko Metro SA
- Kyriakos Thomaidis, journalist, TV host
- :el:Ιωάννα Τριανταφυλλίδου|Ioanna Triantafyllidou, actor
- :el:Θανάσης Τσαλταμπάσης|Thanasis Tsaltabasis, actor
- Vassilis Tsitsanis, composer
- Vasilis Tsivilikas, actor
- Nikos Valergakis, fmr. President of Thessaloniki Bar Association
- Michalis Zorpidis, President of the Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki
AC Αris Thessaloniki Presidents
Gallery
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