Panathinaikos Football Club, commonly referred to as Panathinaikos or simply PAO, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in Greece. Founded in 1908, the club is based in Athens, Greece, and plays its home matches at the famous Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 16,000.
Panathinaikos has a rich history, boasting 20 Greek league titles, 18 Greek Cups, and a UEFA Champions League final appearance, along with numerous other domestic and international honours. The club enjoyed its most successful era in the 1970s and 1980s under legendary manager Ferenc Puskás, who led PAO to multiple league titles.
Known for its dynamic style of play, the club has nurtured some of football’s greatest talents, including Mimis Domazos, Krzysztof Warzycha, Angelos Anastasiadis, and Dimitris Saravakos. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, Panathinaikos remains one of Greece’s most valuable football clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Greek and world football.
Panathinaikos FC is one of the most respected football clubs in Greece, with one of the highest average home attendances in the country. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 150 officially recognised branches of the Panathinaikos FC Supporters Club (PFSC), in at least 20 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Panathinaikos FC has 10 million fans worldwide. The club has a considerable social media following among sports teams in Greece, with over 1 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Panathinaikos FC had the loudest fans in the Greek Superleague.
Panathinaikos FC was formed in 1908 by George Kalafatis. During its early years, the club was primarily competing in local championships and friendly matches, as there was no national football league in Greece at that time. The team's colours have always been green and white, symbolising hope and purity respectively. The first major success of the club came in 1911 when they won the Panhellenic Championship.
In the 1960s, the club entered a period of great prosperity under the guidance of coach Stjepan Bobek. During this decade, Panathinaikos managed to win six Greek Championships and two Greek Cups. The peak of this era was in 1971 when the club reached the final of the European Cup, becoming the first Greek team to achieve such a feat.
After the 90s, Panathinaikos FC started facing financial difficulties and struggles in the Greek Superleague. Despite these challenges, the club managed to win the championship in 2004 and 2010. In recent years, Panathinaikos FC has focused on restructuring its financial model and investing in its youth academy, hoping to return to the top of Greek football. Notable coaches during this period include Henk ten Cate and Andrea Stramaccioni.
Originally funded by the wealthy Pharmaceutical Magnate George Kalafatis, Panathinaikos FC was founded in 1908 as a football club. In 1924, the club was registered as a football company. Majority ownership and control of the club have been in the hands of the Vardinogiannis family since 1979 when George Vardinogiannis became the majority shareholder. He assumed control of the club after investing a substantial amount in order to save the club from financial troubles.
Following George Vardinogiannis's decision to step down in 2000, his brother Yannis Vardinogiannis took over as president. However, in 2008, the Vardinogiannis family decided to reduce their share in the club to just 50%, opening up the club to other potential investors. This led to a change in the club's ownership structure, with 50% of the club's shares being held by the Vardinogiannis family and the remaining 50% being owned by various other shareholders.
In 2012, the Vardinogiannis family finally decided to sell their remaining shares in the club. The shares were acquired by the Panathinaikos Alliance, an association of the club's fans who raised the necessary funds through a share purchasing scheme. This made Panathinaikos FC one of the few football clubs in the world that are owned by their fans. Since then, the Panathinaikos Alliance has been the majority shareholder of the club, with various other minor shareholders also owning a part of the club.
In recent years, the club has faced several financial difficulties, leading to discussions about potential new investors. However, the Panathinaikos Alliance remains committed to maintaining the club's fan-owned status. Despite these challenges, Panathinaikos FC continues to be one of the most successful football clubs in Greece, with numerous national and international titles to its name.
Panathinaikos FC is one of the most successful clubs in Greece in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Greek Championship, which they won in 1920. In 1930, the club won their first Greek Cup and have since then gone on to win a record 18 Greek Championships and 18 Greek Cups. Those titles have meant the club has appeared a record 20 times in the Greek Super Cup; of those 20 appearances, Panathinaikos FC have won 4 times.
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Panathinaikos FC - Club History: A comprehensive overview of the club's history, including its formation, ownership changes, and major achievements. https://www.pao.gr/en/history/
UEFA - Panathinaikos FC: Detailed information on Panathinaikos FC's performance in domestic and international competitions. https://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50085/profile/history/index.html
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