P.A.O.K. H.C.

PAOK Handball Club is the handball section of PAOK, the major multi-sports club based in Thessaloniki. PAOK has both men's and women's team. So far, PAOK men's team has won 3 Greek Championships and 3 Greek Cups and PAOK women's team has won 2 Greek Championship and 4 Greek cups. 2017-18 season marked the return of both Men's and Women's team to the European Competitions. Despite its relatively short history it is considered amongst the most successful departments of the Club.[1]

PAOK
Full name(Greek: Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών)
(Pan-Thessalonian Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans)
Nickname(s)Two Headed Eagle of the North
Founded1926
(Handball Club: 1999)
ArenaNeapoli Indoor Arena
Capacity2,000
President Grigorios Petridis
Head coach Stelios Seirekidis
LeagueHandball Premier
2018–194rd
Website
Official site
Active departments of P.A.O.K.
Football (Men's) Football (Women's) Basketball (Men's)
Basketball (Women's) Volleyball (Men's) Volleyball (Women's)
Water Polo (Men's) Water Polo (Women's) Handball (Men's)
Handball (Women's) Boxing Taekwondo
Cycling Athletics Ice hockey
Chess Wrestling Weightlifting
Swimming Judo Synchronized swimming

Men's Department

History

PAOK Handball CLub was founded in 1999 after it merged with another club from Thessaloniki, Triton. Stelios Seikeridis, former coach, has connected his name with the whole history of the club.

As the years passed the team became stronger and stronger until it reached two consecutive Greek Handball Championships in 2009 and 2010. In the end of the 2008–09 season they defeated Panellinios in the last game of the play-offs and in 2009–2010 Doukas, also in the last game.

In 2011 even though PAOK had the advantage and needed only a draw in the last game in Mikra, they lost the championship to AEK.

In 2012 they beat AEK 25–24 in Patras and won the Greek Cup.

In 2015 they beat AEK again 27–29 in Thessaloniki P.A.O.K. Sports Arena and won the Greek Cup. PAOK also won the Greek Championship the same year making it a double for the first time.

In 2017 PAOK beat Panellinios 25-23 winning the Greek Cup for the third time.

Recent seasons
Season Division Place Notes
2000–01A1 Ethniki9th
2001–02A1 Ethniki7th
2002–03A1 Ethniki7th
2003–04A1 Ethniki11thRelegated to A2
2004–05A2 Ethniki1stPromoted to A1
2005–06A1 Ethniki5th
2006–07A1 Ethniki5th
2007–08A1 Ethniki4th
2008–09A1 Ethniki1st
2009–10A1 Ethniki1st
2010–11A1 Ethniki2nd
2011–12A1 Ethniki3rdGreek Cup Winners
2012–13A1 Ethniki4thGreek Cup Finalists
2013–14A1 Ethniki5th
2014–15A1 Ethniki1stGreek Cup Winners
2015–16A1 Ethniki3rd
2016–17A1 Ethniki5thGreek Cup Winners
2017–18A1 Ethniki3rd
2018–19A1 Ethniki4th

Current squad
Number Player Position date of birth Height
1 Kostas KotanidisGoalkeeper7/2/19921,84
2 Vangelis ArampatzisRight Εxtreme4/8/19961.85
4 Apostolos PalaskasLeft Inter30/11/19881.87
0 Marko SimovićRight Inter19/2/19871.93
8 Dionisis KaragkiozopoulosRight Inter8/2/19961,87
9 Kostas TsesmetzidisRight Extreme23/3/19961,76
11 Nikos KokonisPivot4/8/19821,83
13 Davor TaskovićLeft Inter16/1/19861.97
14 Alexandros ApostolouRight Inter25/2/19971.91
17 Theodoros Petridis (c)Play Maker16/6/19861,83
19 Ioannis GiannakidisPivot1/1/20011,75
20 Emmanuel ElozieuwaLeft Extreme9/5/19991,80
21 Nikos NikolaidisLeft Extreme1/1/19921.83
23 Pantelis KostakidisLeft Extreme4/7/19971.87
24 Nikos LoizosGoalkeeper21/9/19901.87
25 Georgios MastorogiannisPlay Maker30/8/19811.84
44 Akis KypraiosRight Extreme24/5/19891,85
72 Antonis DeliasGoalkeeper19/7/19991,85
77 Sotiris GiosmouPivot9/10/19901,78

Administration and technical staff
Staff
President Athanasios Katsaris
Section Registrar Handball Grigoris Petridis
Coach Stelios Seirekidis
Assistant coach Antonis Tsolakos

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Notable players

Honours
  • Greek Championship:
    • Winners (3): 2009, 2010, 2015
    • Runner-up (1): 2011
  • Greek Cup:
    • Winners (3): 2012, 2015, 2017
    • Runner-up (1): 2013
  • Double
    • Winners (1): 2015

Greek Cup Finals
Finals Winner Finalist Score
2012 PAOK AEK 25–24
2013 AEK PAOK 27–23
2015 PAOK AEK 29–27
2017 PAOK Panellinios 25–23
Total
3
1

European record
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Advance
2006–07 EHF Challenge Cup R2 RK Vardar 29-34 29-43 58–77
2007–08 EHF Challenge Cup R2 RK Kolubara 28-31 3rd place
Great Dane HC London 32-21
Burevestnik Lugansk 28-32
2008–09 EHF Challenge Cup R3 Sungul Snezhinsk 23-23 25-25 48–48
1/8 Știința Bacău 28-31 29-31 57–62
2009–10 EHF Champions League QR SPE Strovolos 32-29 1st place
ZTR Zaporizhia 30–30
Group Stage Chekhovskiye Medvedi 25-37 22-46 6th place
Montpellier HB 23-34 20-46
SC Pick Szeged 27-26 24-27
BM Valladolid 27-37 19-38
HCM Constanța 26-30 23-34
2010–11 EHF Cup R2 A1 Bregenz 23-31 24-27 47–58
2011–12 EHF Cup R2 Tatabánya KC 23-27 25-29 48–56
2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup 1/16 IL Runar 31-32 26-36 57–68
2013–14 EHF Challenge Cup R3 HC Victory Regia MINSK 26-27 21-28 47–55
2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup R2 Aloysians Von Taine 39-15 34-17 73–32
R3 Göztepe SK 29-28 26-35 55–63

European Distinctions

PAOK has been competing since 2006–2007 in European competitions, and has taken part in all EHF competitions up to the 2013-2014 season. PAOK returned to the European competition by taking part in the 2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup. In 2009–2010 season the team reached at the group phase of the EHF Champions League, which is its biggest achievement up to date.[2]

Women's Department

PAOK's women handball club is also competing in the first Greek division.
On season 2012-13 they beat Ormi Patras in playoff finals with 2-1 series and won the Greek Women's Handball Championship. In the 2013-14 season, PAOK won its first cup, beating Anagennisi Arta in the final with score 22-20.[3]

Current squad
Number Player Position date of birth Height
03 Eleni TsaousidouPlay Maker22/10/19971,73
04 Nansy StratakiLeft Inter29/12/19861,81
06 Vasia GatchiouPivot08/10/19971,75
09Anastasia PanagiotidouLeft Inter14/11/19981,73
10Maria HadjiparasidouPlay Maker06/06/19951,68
11 Danai SelemidouPlay Maker09/02/19991,60
12 Marija NikolicPivot06/12/19931,85
13[ Neda JurisicPlay Maker16/05/19951,73
15 Eugenia SamoladaRight Inter20001,85
16 Vicky GritzaliPivot20001,70
17 Cleo KourkoulakiExtreme20001,68
18 Evdokia BadiPivot20001,70
20 Christina KavazopoulouGoalkeeper18/09/19981,68
N/N Bruna CamboimGoalkeeper06/03/19951,80
N/N Athina Kostopoulouright inter30/12/19961,80

Administration and technical staff
Staff
President Athanasios Katsaris
Curator Dimitris Chasekidis
Coach Grigoria Golia
Assistant coach Voula Psomiadou

Honours
  • Greek championship
    • Winners (3): 2013, 2019, 2020
    • Runner-up (3): 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Greek Cup
    • Winners (4): 2014, 2016, 2019 , 2020
    • Runner-up (2): 2015, 2018
  • Double
    • Winners (2): 2019, 2020

Finals
Finals Winner Finalist Score
2014 PAOK Anagennisi Artas 22–20
2015 OF Neas Ionias PAOK 24–19
2016 PAOK OF Neas Ionias 32–31
2018 OF Neas Ionias PAOK 21–20
2019 PAOK Anagennisi Artas 33–23
2020 PAOK OF Neas Ionias 27–19
Total
4
2

Women's European record
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate Advance
2011–12 EHF Challenge Cup R3 HC Dnepryanka Kherson 22-28 17-27 39–55
2012–13 EHF Challenge Cup R3 KSS Kielce 18-31 23-25 41–56
2013–14 EHF Cup R2 HSC Veliko Tarnovo 28-20 22-24 50–44
R3 U Jolidon Cluj 28-32 25-39 53–71
2017–18 EHF Challenge Cup R3 OZRK Jedinstvo Tuzla 24-17 30-31 54–48
1/8 Lokomotiva Zagreb 17-37 20-33 37-70
2019–20 EHF Cup R1 Muratpaşa BSK 32-25 24-24 56-49
R2 ŽORK Jagodina 25-23 19-26 44-49

[4]

Arenas
P.A.O.K. Sports Arena

The indoor arenas which plays PAOK at the games of the regular season of the domestic league are Arena Mikra 3 which holds 1,800 seats and Evosmos Sports Hall which holds 3,000 seats. In former years PAOK has used PAOK Sports Arena for European Competitions and the Play-Offs of the domestic league which holds 8,500 seats.

References
  1. "Τετράδα και Ευρώπη ο Ποσειδών, εκτός ο ΠΑΟΚ". sentragoal.gr. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  2. "Club Info AC PAOK". www.eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  3. "Κυπελλούχος Ελλάδος ο ΠΑΟΚ". handball.org.gr. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. "Club Info AC PAOK Women". www.eurohandball.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
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