P.A.S.A. Irodotos F.C.

PASA Irodotos
Full name Ποδοσφαιρικός Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Αλικαρνασσού Ηρόδοτος
Podosferikós Athlitikós Sýllogos Alikarnassoú Iródotos
(Irodotos Football Sports Club of Halicarnassus)
Founded 18 June 1932 (1932-06-18)
Ground Municipal Nea Alikarnassos Stadium
Capacity 3,000
Owner Iraklis Nyktaris
Chairman Stelios Sokianos
Manager Guy Feutchine
League Football League
2017–18 Gamma Ethniki (Group 8), 1st (promoted via Play-Offs)
Website Club website

P.A.S.A. Irodotos Football Club, short for Podosferikós Athlitikós Sýllogos Alikarnassoú Iródotos (Greek: Ποδοσφαιρικός Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Αλικαρνασσού Ηρόδοτος, meaning Irodotos Football Sports Club of Halicarnassus) and also simply known as Irodotos, is a Greek football club, based in Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion. The club is named after the ancient historian Herodotus, descended from Halicarnassus, Asia Minor, whose bust is also used as the club logo. Irodotos was established in 1932 by refugees from Asia Minor (and specifically the site of modern Bodrum, then still called Halicarnassus), who were displaced following the Greco-Turkish War in 1922. By acclamation, Irodotos is considered the third most successful club in Heraklion in terms of achievements, due to its consistent presence in the Second and Third national divisions, but has maintained a considerable fan base, and a longstanding rivalry with local ex-Superleague side OFI, despite the fact the two haven't met in national competitions for almost 30 years. The club currently competes in the Football League, the second tier of the Greek football league system, while also administering amateur men's football and basketball departments. In the past it also had departments for wrestling, cycling, women's football and athletics. Its colours are blue and white.

History

Club older crest.

Early years and legacy

Several years after the public housing development of Nea Alikarnassos was founded (in 1925), former Halicarnassus residents and refugees established a sports club in order to strengthen the collective consciousness ties between the inhabitants of the settlement. The club was named after Herodotus (Greek: Ηρόδοτος), thus commemorating the ancient historian native to Halicarnassus. The club was officially established as Podosferikos Athlitikos Syllogos Alikarnassou Irodotos (or P.A.S.A. Irodotos) by then community president, Michalis Eleftheriadis and other prominent figures of the refugee community. In its early years, and until the end of the German occupation of Crete, Irodotos' sporting activities were primarily mild, before reverting to full activity in 1948.

Irodotos joined the Third Division of the regional Heraklion Football Clubs Association, managing consecutive promotions to reach the First Division and compete against historical clubs such as OFI and Ergotelis. Irodotos promoted to national competitions (e.g. the Beta Ethniki, second tier of the Greek football league system) in 1960, and played in the competition until 1965, when the club was relegated to the newly established Gamma Ethniki (third level in the league pyramid). In total, Irodotos has played 12 seasons in the Second National Division (relegated for the last time in 1982) and 16 times in the Gamma Ethniki, thus making it the club with the third most appearances in professional competitions based in Heraklion, behind ex-Greek Superleague local rivals OFI and Ergotelis. Furthermore, Irodotos has reached the Greek Football Cup Quarter-finals once in 1987–88 (losing to competition finalists Panathinaikos) and the Round of 16 twice, the first time during the 1981−82 season (eliminated by eventual competition winners AEK) and for a second time during 1988−89, when they were eliminated by club rival OFI.

Recent years

In recent years, Irodotos have played primarily in the Gamma Ethniki, from which they were last relegated in the end of the 2014–15 season after being deducted fifteen points by the Hellenic Football Federation in response to the murder of visiting fan Kostas Katsoulis by Irodotos hooligans in the municipal Nea Alikarnassos Stadium during a Football League 2 home match vs. Ethnikos Piraeus.[1]

After the tragic incidents that took place in 2015, Irodotos made a triumphant return to the Gamma Ethniki winning four trophies in a single season during 2016−17. More specifically, Irodotos was crowned champion of the Heraklion FCA Championship, while also managing to win the Heraklion FCA Cup, along with the Greek Football Amateur Cup and eventually the Greek Amateurs' Super Cup.[2] Their next season in the Gamma Ethniki saw them win the Group 8 title and qualify to the Football League promotion play-offs, where they eventually celebrated their return to the 2nd tier of the Greek football league system after a 36-year absence.

Players

Current squad

As of 24 August 2018

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

No. Position Player
1 Greece GK Alexandros Kasmeridis
2 Greece DF Konstantinos Provydakis
3 Greece DF Orestis Nikiforos
4 Greece DF Manolis Kandilakis
5 Greece DF Kostas Balafas (3rd captain)
6 Greece MF Christos Kasapakis
7 Greece FW Alexandros Smyrlis
8 Greece MF Michail Fragoulakis (captain)
9 Greece FW Billy Konstantinidis
10 Greece MF Manolis Foukarakis
11 Greece FW Vangelis Moraitis
12 Greece DF Manolis Panagiotakis
14 Greece DF Apostolos Doulgerakis
15 Greece GK Markos Kourakis
No. Position Player
16 Ghana MF Daniel Argilesi
17 Ivory Coast FW Brahima Bruno Koné
18 Greece DF Lefteris Gialousis (vice-captain)
19 Albania MF Orestis Mako
22 Greece DF Vasilios Babis
23 Greece DF Georgios Kargiotakis
24 Greece MF Georgios Kontogiannis (on loan from OFI)
25 Greece MF Michalis Avgenikou
26 Greece DF Konstantinos Zonakis
29 Greece MF Michalis Klinakis
34 Greece DF Charalampos Damianakis
94 Brazil FW Ailton Machado
99 Greece FW Antonis Amarantidis

Titles & honours

Domestic

Regional

References

  1. ↑ "Έσβησε" ο οπαδός, αναβολή αγώνων (in Greek). Kathimerini newspaper. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Απίστευτος Ηρόδοτος κέρδισε 0-1 την ΑΕ Καραϊσκάκη και πήρε και το… 4ο! (in Greek). grandsport.gr. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Mastrogiannopoulos, Alexander (5 June 2014). "Πρωταθλητές ΕΠΣ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟΥ (ver.2) (Greek)". ellinikopodosfero, Greek Amateur Football blog.
  4. ↑ "H προϊστορία στο Κύπελλο ΕΠΣΗ (Greek)". mpalakritis.gr. 11 February 2016.
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