Atsalenios F.C.

P.O. Atsalenios F.C.
Full name Panathlitikos Omilos Atsaleniou
Founded 1951
Ground Atsalenios Stadium
Heraklion, Greece
Ground Capacity 1,500
Chairman Greece Ioannis Kalempoumpas
Manager Greece Vasilis Krasanakis
League Gamma Ethniki
2015−2016 Heraklion FCA Championship 1st (promoted)

P.O. Atsaleniou F.C., short for Panathlitikos Omililos Atsaleniou (Greek: Παναθλητικός Όμιλος Ατσαλένιου, transliterated Pan-athletic Club of Atsalenio) and also known simply as Atsalenios or POA, is a Greek association football club based in the suburb Atsalenio of Heraklion, the largest city on the island of Crete. The club's short name Atsalenios can literally be translated made of steel (Greek: ατσάλι, being the Greek word for steel). The club currently competes in the Gamma Ethniki, the third tier of the Greek football league system. The club's crest is a vine leaf and its traditional colours are green and white.

History

Atsalenios' older crest.

Atsalenios was founded in 1951 as the Pan-athletic Club of Atsalenio by Asia minor refugees occupying the Atsalenio suburb, located in the southern area of the city of Heraklion, Crete. Since 1960, the club hosts its home games at the Atsalenios Stadium, a privately owned football stadium with a capacity of 1,500 spectators.[1]

In 1964, the club competed in the Beta Ethniki, the second tier of the Greek football league system for the first time in its history. Since 1976, Atsalenios has consecutively competed at national competitions, either as an amateur or professional club playing in the Delta Ethniki, the fourth tier of the Greek football league system. In 2003, Atsalenios was promoted to the Gamma Ethniki, featuring in seven consecutive seasons before being relegated in 2010.[1] The club has since briefly resurfaced in the 2013–14 Gamma Ethniki, where it was relegated to Heraklion FCA regional competitions for the first time in 38 years, after finishing 8th in the Gamma Ethniki Group 5.[2] Then it once again achieved promotion to the Gamma Ethniki during the 2015−16 season, when the club was crowned champions of Heraklion by finishing first in the regional league, and eventually placing first in the 2016 FCA Winners' Championship.[3]

Atsalenios currently holds the record for most Heraklion FCA Cup trophies won since the competition was established in 1971, with a total of 11 wins.[4] The club has also claimed 7 Heraklion FCA Championships.

Atsalenios maintains its own football academies, having produced a number of players that have since moved on to more prestigious clubs in Heraklion, such as OFI Crete and Ergotelis, as well as other Greek Superleague clubs.[1] Some of the most renowned players to emerge from Atsalenios' infrastructure segments include Michalis Sifakis (former Greek champion with Olympiacos, 15 international caps with the Greek national football team), his father Miron (1986−87 Greek Cup winner with OFI Crete), Manolis Roubakis, Petros Giakoumakis and others.[1]

Current squad

As of 3 July 2016. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Greece GK Miron Matalliotakis
Greece GK Georgios Chatziminas
Greece GK Georgios Giagiozis
Greece DF Aggelos Karvelas
Greece DF Giorgos Charitos
Greece DF Georgios Giakoumakis
Greece DF Antonis Araviakis
Greece DF Manolis Petrakis
Greece DF Babis Papadomichelakis
Greece DF Kostas Vrettos
No. Position Player
Greece MF Evangelos Stathoglou
Greece MF Antonis Maragkakis
Greece MF Panagiotis Petras
Greece MF Andreas Chatziandreou
Greece MF Manolis Roubakis
Greece MF Manos Fragiadakis
Greece MF Giannis Boutsakis
Albania FW Serxhio Abdurahmani
Greece FW Tasos Triantafillou
Greece FW Nikos Vrettos

Honors

Domestic

Regional

Notable former players

Greece

Managerial History

  • Croatia Rajko Janjanin (1996 – 2002)
  • Greece Pavlos Dermitzakis (2002 – 2007)
  • Greece Ioannis Taousianis (2007 – 2009)
  • Greece Μanolis Patemtzis (2009 – 2015)
  • Greece Vasilis Krasanakis (2015 – )

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΣΤΟΝ Π.Ο. ΑΤΣΑΛΕΝΙΟΣ – Συνάνης : Μεγάλη ιστορία ο ΠΟΑ – Από τις καλύτερες ακαδημίες στη Κρήτη (Greek)". www.football-academies.gr. 23 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "Έπεσε ο ΠΟΑ, σώθηκε ο Γιούχτας, άνοδο οι Τράχωνες (Greek)". www.cretavoice.gr. 8 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Πρωταθλητής Κρήτης ο ΠΟΑ! (Greek)". www.grandsport.gr. 5 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "H προϊστορία στο Κύπελλο ΕΠΣΗ (Greek)". mpalakritis.gr. 11 February 2016.
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