Larissa F.C.
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| Full name | Αθλητική Ένωση Λάρισας (Athletic Union of Larissa) |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) |
Βασίλισσα του Κάμπου (Queen of the Lowlands) Οι Βυσσινί (The Crimsons) |
| Founded | 17 May 1964 |
| Ground |
AEL FC Arena Larissa, Greece |
| Capacity | 16,118 |
| Owner | Unbeatable Horse I.K.E. |
| Chairman | Andreas Liontos |
| Manager | Sakis Tsiolis |
| League | Superleague Greece |
| 2015–16 | Football League, 1st (Promoted) |
| Website | Club home page |
AEL F.C. (Greek: ΠΑΕ ΑΕΛ), also known with its full name Athlitiki Enosi Larissa (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωση Λάρισας, Athletic Union of Larissa), simply called AEL or Larissa, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Larissa, capital of Greece's Thessaly region.
Founded in 1964, it is directly associated with the city of Larissa and its representation. The club's emblem, is a rising horse and its colors are crimson and white. It is the only team outside the two major Greek cities (Athens and Thessaloniki) to have won the Greek Championship in the season 1987–88. AEL has also won twice the Greek Cup (1984–85 and 2006–07) and played in additional in two Cup finals (1982 and 1984). This record places the club among the top teams in the history of Greek football.
They play their home games at AEL FC Arena, a newly built stadium (2010) with a capacity of 16,118 seats. The team currently competes in the Greek Super League, the first division of national football championships.
Athletic Union of Larissa, The "Queen of Thessaly", the "Queen of the lowlands".. AEL, is the club that represents one of the greatest Greek football prefectures.. One Championship, two cups, four finals and many important successes at European level compose the temporal profile of the top team of the Greek region.
AEL was created from a vision of a powerful team that will represent a city like Larisa in the top category. The 17 May 1964, is referred to as the exact date of its establishment, and then – after a barrage of meetings and discussions – held at the Municipal Conservatory of Larissa and a catalytic last meeting of the local county clubs, it was decided the merger of Iraklis Larissa, "Aris", "Toxotis" and "Larissaikos". The Athletic Union of Larissa was now a reality, designed on the background of the Second Division, in shades of crimson and white, (not black and white, as initially decided) ... Typically, the conversion of the statute of Iraklis Larissa just a few days later – on 22 May – and its adoption on 8 June, gave AEL status, while teams "Dimitra", "Doxa Emporoipalilon" (based on "Aris Larissas" and "Doxa"), "Pelasgiotida" (by "Larissaikos" and "Pelasgikos") and "Olympos" (based on "Toxotis" and "Panthessalikos") completed this football family...On 7 June, Alcazar Stadium, the team's first home ground, recorded the initial friendly game, against Panionios who -by that time- was a very strong team, winning 2–1. Yugoslavian Alexander Petrovic, was the first foreign coach that was hired to ensure the impartiality of the team lineup. Thus, names of players like Zampas, Karelias, Kyriakos, Lellis, Papazoglou, Kassas, Saltapidas, Delfos, Katsianis and many others, passed into the history of thessalian football. Everything was ready to start, under the administrative umbrella of a 15-member ecumenical council, composed of representatives of clubs and organizations of the city, in which the property was held by the former president of Iraklis Larissa, K. Tzovaridis.
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