Ionikos

Ionikos Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Ιωνικός) is a Greek professional football club based in Nikaia, Athens, Greece, currently competing in the Super League Greece, the top-tier of the Greek football league system.

From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in the Super League. During that span Ionikos finished as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), was a finalist in the Greek Cup, and participated in the UEFA Cup.

The club's colours are blue and white.

History

Foundation

Ionikos was established in 1965, from a merger of local clubs Nikaia Sports Union and Aris Piraeus, with Alex Meraklidis as new club's first president. The club's early years were not easy, but, with the support of its fans, Ionikos slowly improved through the 1970s and 1980s and eventually reached the top division in 1989.

The club's first promotion to the top flight was accompanied by unexpected problems—Dimitris Melissanidis withdrew as chairman, and the club needed 50 million drachmas to participate in the championship. Businessman Nikolaos Kanellakis stepped forward to provide the needed sum and become the club's new chairman.

Nikos Kanellakis

Kanellakis' arrival would be the beginning of the club's greatest era—from the 1989 promotion, Ionikos would spend 16 of the next 18 seasons in the Greek top flight, up until 2007, and during that time the team would finish as high as 5th-place in the league (on two occasions), reach a Greek Cup Final, and compete in the UEFA Cup.

Greek Cup Final 2000

Ionikos' UEFA Cup appearance came in the 1999–00 season—the opposition was French side Nantes, and Ionikos lost both home and away matches, 1–3 and 0–1, respectively. Ionikos reached the Greek Cup Final later that same season, where they came up against traditional power AEK, and, despite a valiant Ionikos effort, AEK won the match, 3–0.

On 21 April 2004 Ionikos experienced the most tragic moment of his his

This page also has a version in other languages :  Ионикос (russian)