PAOK Thessaloniki
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| Full name | Pan-Thessaloniki Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών |
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| Nickname | Dikefalos Tou Vorra (Two Headed Eagle of the North) |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Colours | Black, White |
| Anthem |
PAOK, PAOK (Mimis Traiforos Petros Giannakos) |
| Chairman | Thanasis Katsaris |
| Titles | European Titles: (2) |
| Website | Club home page |
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P.A.O.K. (Greek: Π.Α.Ο.Κ., Πανθεσσαλονίκειος Αθλητικός Όμιλος Κωνσταντινοπολιτών, Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Constantinoupoliton, Pan-Thessaloniki Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans), known in European competitions as A.C. PAOK (Α.Σ. Π.Α.Ο.Κ.), is a major multi-sports club in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club is home to several teams, including football, basketball, volleyball, handball, water polo, swimming, wrestling, ice hockey, and weightlifting. PAOK was founded in 1926. Because of its crest, it is also known as the "Two-Headed Eagle of the North", in contrast with AEK, the "Two-Headed Eagle of the South". They are one of the most popular Greek clubs with millions of fans all over Greece (mostly in Northern Greece but not only), such as the Greek diaspora.
P.A.O.K. is the historical continuation of the Hermes Athletic and Cultural Association from the Pera area of Constantinople (present day Istanbul), established by Greek residents of the city in 1875. The need for Constantinople's Greek residents to express and support their Hellenism within Ottoman Turkey was what led to the creation of this club. In 1923, following the failed Greek invasion of Asia Minor and the agreed population swap between Greece and the newly established Turkish Republic, the Greeks of Constantinople renamed their club Pera. The club won many cups and continued to have a strong presence in the sporting sector. However, that situation did not last long. Most players were forced to flee, leaving behind a team, renamed Politakia, consisting of residents of Constantinople. Those who fled settled in Thessaloniki and in 1926 established P.A.O.K., retaining their Greek symbols: the twin-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire, and black and white for their colors, to symbolize the black of mourning for the tragic story of lost homelands, and white for the hope of a better tomorrow. This club history—stretching back to the 19th century—in effect makes P.A.O.K. one of Greece's oldest athletic clubs, but it also means that it shoulders a heavy historical burden.
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Wikipedia