Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia is a
CypriotCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
football club that plays in the capital
NicosiaNicosia, known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. Located on the River Pedieos and situated almost in the centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well as the main business centre...
and is considered one of the best teams of the country. Omonia has won 19 league championships, 12 Cypriot Cups and 14
Super CupsThe Cyprus Football Association Shield or the LTV Super Cup is a Cypriot association football trophy, contested in an annual match between the Cypriot Champion and the winners of the Cypriot Cup. If a team wins The Double , then the Double winner plays the Cypriot Cup finalist...
. Omonia has also claimed a record five domestic
doublesThe Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
- in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983.The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the team of the 20th century, remaining the only team to have won the Cypriot Cup 4 times in a row between the years 1980 and 1984.
The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the
Cyprus Football AssociationThe Cyprus Football Association is the governing body of football in Cyprus. It organizes the football league, whose top league is Cypriot First Division, Cypriot Cup, Cyprus FA Shield and the Cypriot national football team. It is based in Nicosia.Football was introduced to Cyprus early in the...
in 1953. As an athletic club, Omonia also has
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
,
volleyball Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules...
,
futsalFutsal is a variant of association football that is mainly played indoors. Its name is derived from the Portuguese fut ebol de sal ão and the Spanish fút bol sal a/de sal ón, which can be translated as 'salon football'...
and
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
sections.
History
AC Omonoia was founded in 1948 as a result of political turbulence of that period and the ongoing conflict between the left-wing and right-wing in the
Greek Civil WarThe Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom, United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
. In May 1948 APOEL sent a letter based on political content to SEGAS (Greek Gymnastic-Athletic Clubs Association), stating members violated the club's statute to not be involved in politics. After that letter, several footballers of the club criticized their club for its unfair ways which caused those players to be expelled from the team. Those players, along with others, established a new club which would also be based in Nicosia. The club would be named Athletic Club Omonoia Nicosia. Omonia also has a Youth Team In England which is split into two halfs, The Whites and The Greens. Omonia Whites Traveled To Sardinia back in april 2009 where they won a Football Tournament and became European Champions.
In 1953, clubs that were members of the Cyprus Amateur Football Association joined the
Cyprus Football AssociationThe Cyprus Football Association is the governing body of football in Cyprus. It organizes the football league, whose top league is Cypriot First Division, Cypriot Cup, Cyprus FA Shield and the Cypriot national football team. It is based in Nicosia.Football was introduced to Cyprus early in the...
. Omonoia joined the
Cypriot First DivisionThe Cypriot Championship First Division is the top tier football league competition in Cyprus. As of 2007 it is sponsored by Marfin Popular Bank and is hence officially known as Marfin Laiki League .-Format:...
in 1953 as well, finishing seventh out of nine clubs in their
first seasonNine teams contested the Cypriot First Division championship in season 1953/1954 won by Pezoporikos Larnaca .-League standings:-References:*...
. The club won their first league title in
1960-61-League standings:-References:*...
.
1970s and 1980s
The club was the dominant force in Cypriot football during the 1970s and 1980s, winning the league six consecutive seasons from
1974The Cypriot First Division 1973-74 season was contested by 14 teams, and AC Omonia won the championship. APOEL participated in the Greek championship as the previous year's champions. They finished in the 14th position and were not relegated.-League standings:...
until
1979-League standings:-References:*...
. A record remains unbeaten. The club fielded Cypriot legends such as
Sotiris KaiafasSotiris Kaiafas is a retired Cypriot football striker who played for AC Omonia Nicosia and Cyprus and won the European Golden Boot...
, Spas Tsevizof and Gregory Savva. Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the Europe's highest achievement, the
European Golden BootThe European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
after finishing as Europe's top domestic scorer in 1976 with 39 goals. – such feats led the Cypriot football association to name him as the greatest Cypriot player of the past 50 years in 2004.
During the 1980s the club won five consecutive titles between 1981 and 1985
They were champions from
1981-League standings:-References:*...
to
1985-League standings:-References:*...
and again in
1987-League standings:-References:*...
and
1989The Cypriot First Division 1988-89 was performed by 15 teams, and AC Omonia won the championship. The defending champion was Pezoporikos Larnaca.-League standings:-References:*...
.
1990s and 2000s
Although Omonia won the title again in
1992-93The Cypriot First Division 1992-93 league had 14 teams, and AC Omonia won the championship. The defending champion was APOEL.-League standings:-References:*...
, the decade was dominated by
Anorthosis FamagustaΑnorthosis Famagusta FC is a Cypriot football and volleyball club which was originally based in Famagusta, but is now based in Larnaca, due to the Turkish invasion. Anorthosis won 13 championship titles, their last in season 2007-2008. They have won the Cypriot Cup 10 times...
.
Rainer RauffmannRainer Rauffmann is a German/Cypriot retired football striker, considered the best foreign player ever to play in the Cyprus first division.He was a striker, known for his speed and his ability to score with both feet...
, who arrived at the club in 1997, was the league's leading scorer for four years and also played for
Cyprus national football teamThe Cyprus national football team is the national football team of the island of Cyprus and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association. They have never reached the finals of either the European Championships or the World Cup....
after gaining Cypriot citizenship.
The club won their nineteenth title in
2003- Final standings :Updated as of May 11, 2003Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points...
, and they are currently one title behind rival team APOEL for the most championships.
Colours and badge
The club's badge is the
shamrockThe shamrock is a symbol of Ireland. It is a three-leafed old white clover. It is sometimes of the variety Trifolium repens but today usually Trifolium dubium .The diminutive version of the Irish word for "clover" is "seamróg", which was anglicised as...
. The shamrock supposedly represents the strength of the Omonia founders, and the green colour represents hope.
Stadium
Since 1999 the club has played at the 22,859-seat GSP Stadium, the largest in Cyprus, which they share with local rivals APOEL and
Olympiakos NicosiaOlympiakos Nicosia is a football club in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. The Club was founded in 1931. It is a founding member of the Cyprus Football Federation. The jersey colors are black and green...
. There are plans for the club to build a 32,000-seat stadium, located near
TseriTseri is a village in Cyprus to the south of the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. The region had a population about of 300 people before 1974 but at nowadays the population is approximately 9,000 people...
, in the suburbs of Nicosia but CFA does not give clearanance for the new stadium to start building.
Previously Omonia had played at the old GSP Stadium (1953-1978) and the
Makario StadiumMakario Stadium is an all seater multi purpose stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was the largest and main sports venue of the capital up to the construction of the new GSP stadium in 1999. At present it is mostly used for football matches and is the home ground of Digenis Morphou. The stadium holds...
(1978-1999). Both stadiums were also shared with APOEL and Olympiakos. Prior to 1953 the club had used the "Goal" Stadium.
The club's
basketball teamNissan Omonia , is a Cypriot professional basketball club based in Nicosia, Cyprus. The club competes in the Cypriot League. The president of the team is Miltiades Neophytou and the current manager is Renos Pittalis.-History:...
hosts its matches at the biggest indoor sport venue in the island, the
Eleftheria Indoor HallThe Eleftheria Athletic Center is an indoor arena beside Makario Stadium and Lefkotheo Indoor Hall in Engomi, Nicosia, Cyprus. It is the home venue of the AC Omonia, and Cyprus national basketball team. Currently the arena has a capacity around 6,800 seats and it is the biggest sports indoor hall...
with a capacity of 6,800 seats while the volleyball team shares the Lefkotheo Indoor Hall which was built in 1980 with APOEL Nicosia. For the 2006–07 season, the futsal team uses the Indoor Hall of Melkonian institute which is a part of the institute complex and has capacity of 500 seats.
Supporters
There are two major fan clubs supporting the team,
FAN CLUB. and
Gate 9, which is the most active and biggest fan club. The club took its name from Costas Kaiafas's father, Sotiris Kaiafas, who won the European Golden Boot in 1976. Gate-9 was first organized in 1992. Since then, thousands of loyal fans have followed the team around the world. The club's fanbase largely comes from the working class and is identified with the Communist Party of Cyprus (AKEL). From the time of its creation in 1948, AC Omonoia was and is widely supported throughout Cyprus and it is by far the most popular team throughout the island.
In 2001, the club broke the record for ticket sales, selling 109,303 tickets. In 2003, they broke their own record with the improved figure of 140,740 and the record was broken again the following year with 143,033 tickets sold. Every year new records are shattered in ticket sales.
Current squad
For recent transfers, see List of Cypriot football transfers summer 2009.
Board of Directors
Notable former players
Listed according to when they made their debut:
Sotiris KaiafasSotiris Kaiafas is a retired Cypriot football striker who played for AC Omonia Nicosia and Cyprus and won the European Golden Boot...
(1967)
Mihai MocanuMihai Mocanu was a retired Romanian football defender.He was born in Constanţa and debuted in Divizia A with Petrolul Ploieşti in 1963. He remained with Petrolul for the remainder of his career, except for the years 1972-1974 which he spent in Omonia Nicosia...
(1972)
Constantin FrăţilăConstantin Frăţilă is a retired Romanian football striker.*Total matches played in Romanian First League: 221 matches - 95 goals.*European Cups: 12 matches - 7 goals*Winner of Romanian Cup: 1964, 1968...
(1973) Gregory Savva (1973)
Giorgos SavvidisGiorgos Savvidis is a former international Cypriot football midfielderand football manager.During his playing days he was regarded one of the best players in the country and was voted in the best 11 Cypriot...
(1981)
Spas DzhevizovSpas Dzhevizov is a football former forward.For the Bulgaria national football team Dzhevizov featured in 20 games and scored 3 goals. Between 1976 and 1984 he played in 205 matches and scored 96 goals for CSKA Sofia...
(1984)
Georgios ChristodoulouGeorgios Christodoulou is a former international Cypriot football defender.He played in teams such as AC Omonia, Olympiacos F.C. and APOEL FC.-External links:*...
(1986)
Emil SpasovEmil Spasov was a Bulgarian football player. Played as a midfielder or striker, he started his career in Levski Sofia in 1974 and stayed in the club until 1988 with short breaks. During this period he also played for Spartak Varna, Brage in 1985/86 and R. Antwerp F.C. in 1986/87...
(1988)
Costas MalekkosCostas Malekkos is a former international Cypriot football midfielder and current player/football manager of PAEEK.Considered as one of the best Cypriot players of the 90s....
(2000)Cyprus
Nedim Dudic Nedim Tutić is a Bosnian former football player nicknamed Neto who was until recently the manager of the Cypriot side AC Omonoia.-Club career:...
(1991)
József DzurjákJózsef Dzurják , born in 2 March 1961, is a retired Hungarian football player.-Career:His career started in 1983 when he started playing for Diósgyőri VTK where he´ll stay three seasons, before moving to the Hungarian giants Ferencváros in where he played between 1986 and 1990...
(1991)
Gunter ThiebautGunter Thiebaut is an Belgian football Striker who currently plays for Belgian Second Division club Lierse SK.-Career:...
(2002)
Gocha GogrichianiGocha Gogrichiani is a Georgian football coach and a former player.He won nine international caps and scored two goals for the Georgian national team, including the fourth goal in a 5-0 rout of Wales in Tbilisi in November 1994, during the qualifiers for Euro 96.At club level, he spent his peak...
(1993)
Charis NicolaouCharis Nicolaou is a Cypriot football midfielder. He is a right-footed midfielder. Nicolaou made his debut for AC Omonia in 1995 at the age of nineteen. He had a successful career in Omonia with 299 appearances...
(2006)
Petros KonnafisPetros Konnafis is a Cypriot defender who played for Apollon Limassol. His former teams are AC Omonia, Anorthosis Famagusta and KAA Gent. He briefly signed for Olympiakos Nicosia in 2009 but after training realised that he cannot continue playing competitively and decided to retire due to an old...
(2007)
Cyprus
Rainer RauffmannRainer Rauffmann is a German/Cypriot retired football striker, considered the best foreign player ever to play in the Cyprus first division.He was a striker, known for his speed and his ability to score with both feet...
(2004)Cyprus
Vesko MihajlovićVesko Mihajlović, is a Serbian former football midfielder and the current director of football of AC Omonia. He is widely considered as one of the best foreign players to have played in the Cypriot Championship...
(2005)
Dušan TittelDušan Tittel is a former footballer from Slovakia, who played internationally for Czechoslovakia and Slovakia . He was elected three times Slovakia player of the year.-External links:* *...
(2001)
Anders NielsenAnders Nielsen is a Danish professional football Full back, who currently plays for the Danish Superliga side AGF. He played as a Center back in Næstved BK, but brought to AGF as a Full back...
(2000)
Marco HaberMarco Haber is a retired German footballer, who played mainly as a central midfielder.-Football career :...
(2004)
Stefan Brasas-Career:Brasas started his career at Preußen Münster and VfL Bochum. In 1987 Brasas was transferred to the amateur team of SV Werder Bremen. After one year with the amateur club FC Mahndorf he was transferred to Stuttgarter Kickers in 1989. In 1991 Brasas' team was promoted to Bundesliga. Here,...
(2003) Vlatko Grozdanovski (2008)
Jozef KozlejJozef Kožlej is a Slovak professional footballer, currently player of Olympiakos Nicosia.He is well known for his excellent positioning in front of the oppossition goal and his notable scoring ability both with shoot and header....
(2006)Germany
Paulo RinkPaulo Roberto Rink is a former German-Brazilian football player who recently retired from professional football.He began his career playing for Atlético Paranaense...
(2006)
Magno MocelinMagno Mocelin, known as Magno , is a Brazilian footballer who is currently unattached. He plays as a forward.-Football career:...
(2008)
Georgios VakouftsisGeorgios Vakouftsis is a Greek footballer who plays for Skoda Xanthi F.C.. A striker, he is 192cm tall.His former clubs include: Panathinaikos, ACF Fiorentina, Ravenna Calcio, Iraklis FC, APOEL FC, AC Omonia and Ergotelis F.C..-External links:*...
(2008)
Zé EliasJosé Elias Moedim Júnior, aka Zé Elias , is a retired Brazilian football defensive midfielder, who played in various championships throughout Europe.He is the older brother of current U.S...
(2007)
Ricardo SousaRicardo André de Pinho Sousa is a Portuguese footballer who currently plays with NK Drava Ptuj, in the role of attacking midfielder....
(2007)
Hamad NdikumanaHamad Ndikumana born October 5, 1978 in Kigali,Republic of Rwanda) also known as Kataut by the Rwandan fans, is a Rwandan football defender who played for AC Omonoia in Cyprus.His main attribute is his excellent tackling.- Career :...
(2009)
Clayton Ferreira CruzClayton Ferreira Cruz, just Clayton , is a Brazilian footballer currently playing for AEL Limassol, in the Cypriot First Division.A skilled forward or winger, he preferably operates on the left....
(2008)
Claudiu NiculescuClaudiu Iulian Niculescu is currently playing for Dinamo Bucuresti soccer team. He has previously played for Universitatea Craiova and Dinamo Bucuresti and has also played at Genoa 1893 for a season....
(2008)
Ismail BaIsmail Ba is a Senegalese football midfielder currently with AEP Paphos in Cyprus.-Clubs:*1998-2000: Skoda Xanthi*2000-2001: Aris Thessaloniki F.C.*2001-2004: Skoda Xanthi*2004-2006: AEK Larnaca*2006-2008: AC Omonia...
(2008)
Francisco AguirreFrancisco Aguirre is a Argentine footballer. He played for AC Omonia in Cypriot First Division.He started his career at Banfield of Primera División Argentina. After spending three season at Primera B Metropolitana, he moved to Swiss 1. Liga club FC Chiasso, where he won promotion...
(2008)
Khalid SinouhKhalid Sinouh is a Dutch-born Moroccan international association football goalkeeper, who plays for FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie.- Career :...
(2006)
Zoran StjepanovićZoran Stjepanović is a Serbian midfielder who played for Ethnikos Achnas. His former teams are AC Omonia and Alki Larnaca.-External links:*...
(2005)
Gábor KorolovszkyGábor Korolovszky is a Hungarian defender who current plays for Aris Limassol in Cyprus. He played in many teams like MTK Hungária FC, Real Madrid, CD Toledo, Ujpest FC, AC Omonia and Apollon Limassol-External links:*...
(2006)
Musawengosi MguniMusawengosi Mguni is a football player, currently playing for FC Metalurh Donetsk as a striker.-Career:Mguni played for 3 and a half years in Cyprus for AC Omonia Nicosia. He scored 28 goals in 66 league appearances...
(2008)
Edgar MarcelinoEdgar Carvalho Figueira Marcelino is a Portuguese footballer currently playing for APOP Kinyras Peyias FC in Cyprus, mainly as a midfielder.-Football career:...
(2008)
Klodian Duro{Football player infobox| playername = Klodian Duro| image =| fullname = Klodian Duro| dateofbirth = | cityofbirth = {Football player infobox| playername = Klodian Duro| image =| fullname = Klodian Duro| dateofbirth = | cityofbirth =...
(2009)
Ioannis OkkasGiannakis 'Ioannis' Okkas is a Cypriot football striker, who currently plays for Anorthosis Famagusta FC. He is also the captain of the Cyprus national football team.- International career :...
(2009) Arlindo Gomes Semedo (Cafu) (2009) Kostas Kaiafas (2009) Andreas Charitou (1999)
Notable former managers
Igor NettoIgor Aleksandrovich Netto was a footballer from the Soviet Union, considered one of the greatest Soviet players ever. He started out as a left defender but, due to his offensive mentality, dribbling and technical abilities moved into midfield.- Biography :He was the captain of the USSR national...
(1967) Iontso Arsof (1988)
Helmut SenekowitschHelmut Senekowitsch was an Austrian football player and later a football manager.-Club career:He played for several clubs, including SK Sturm Graz, Real Betis and FC Wacker Innsbruck....
(1991)
Dušan GalisDušan Galis is a Slovak politician, a football trainer and a former Czechoslovak football player. In Czechoslovak league he played 226 matches and with 89 goals. He was capped 8 times for Czechoslovakia, scored 1 goal...
(1999)
Asparuh NikodimovAsparuh "Paro" Nikodimov is a former Bulgarian football player and later coach.He represented Bulgaria at the FIFA World Cups in 1970 and 1974.-References:...
(2000)
Arie HaanAdrianus Haan is a former Dutch football midfielder and the current manager of Chongqing Lifan, who scored 6 goals in 35 matches for the Dutch national squad of the 1970s. At club level he enjoyed a successful career with AFC Ajax, R.S.C. Anderlecht, Standard Liège and PSV Eindhoven...
(2000)
Henk HouwaartHenk Houwaart is a Dutch football manager and a former football player.He began his career in 1963 as a footballer playing for ADO Den Haag until 1967, when he left the club to play for FC Twente. After being selected once for the Dutch national team, he continued his career in 1969 in Belgium to...
(2000)
Toni SavevskiToni Savevski is a football player from the Republic of Macedonia. Savevski is widely regarded as one of the best foreign midfielders to have played in the Greek football league....
(2002)
Franciszek SmudaFranciszek Smuda is a former Polish footballer who played in Poland, the United States, and Germany. In 1983 he turned to coaching, becoming the manager of Lech Poznań, Wisła Kraków, Legia Warszawa, among others. As of August 2009, he is the manager of Zagłębie Lubin in the Ekstraklasa.- Playing...
(2004)
Ioan AndoneIoan Andone is a Romanian football coach and former player.He was born in Spălanca, and made his Divizia A debut with Corvinul Hunedoara in 1979. He later went to Dinamo Bucureşti where he helped win the league title in 1984 and 1990 and the cup title in 1984, 1986 and 1990...
(2006) Dragomir Okuka (2007)
Ioannis MatzourakisIoannis Matzourakis is a Greek association football manager and former player. He is currently employed by OFI Crete....
(2007)
Giorgos SavvidisGiorgos Savvidis is a former international Cypriot football midfielderand football manager.During his playing days he was regarded one of the best players in the country and was voted in the best 11 Cypriot...
(2008)
Nedim Dudić Nedim Tutić is a Bosnian former football player nicknamed Neto who was until recently the manager of the Cypriot side AC Omonoia.-Club career:...
(2008-2009)
Club records
- Largest victory: 11-0 v Doxa Katokopia
Doxa Katokopia is a Cypriot football team from Katokopia in the Nicosia District. Since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Katokopia is under Turkish occupation, and the club moved to Peristerona, which is near Katokopia...
, Championship, 17 January 2004
- Largest European Victory: 6-1 v FA Red Boys Differdange
Football Association Red Boys Differdange was a football club, based in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg. It is now a part of FC Differdange 03.-History:...
, Champions Cup, Round 1, 3 October 1979
- Worst Defeat: 0-10 v Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax, is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
, Champions Cup, Round 1, 24 October 1979
- Worst League Defeat: 1-7 v AEL FC, 1953-54
- Most League Points (2 for a win): 54, 1976-77
- Most League Points (3 for a win): 67, 1998-99
- Most League Goals: 91, 1960-61
- Most consecutive league matches unbeaten: 46, 29 January 1984 - 14 December 1985
- Most Appearances : 503 Andreas Kanaris
- Most Goals scored : 321 Sotiris Kaiafas
Sotiris Kaiafas is a retired Cypriot football striker who played for AC Omonia Nicosia and Cyprus and won the European Golden Boot...
- Most Goals scored in a Match: 8 Rainer Rauffmann
Rainer Rauffmann is a German/Cypriot retired football striker, considered the best foreign player ever to play in the Cyprus first division.He was a striker, known for his speed and his ability to score with both feet...
v Anagennisis Deryneia, 1998
- Most Goals scored in league season:: 44 Sotiris Kaiafas
Sotiris Kaiafas is a retired Cypriot football striker who played for AC Omonia Nicosia and Cyprus and won the European Golden Boot...
, 1976-77
External links
Fans sites