AC Omonia

Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia () is a Cypriot football club that plays in the capital Nicosia and is considered the best team of the country. Omonia has won 19 league championships, 12 Cypriot Cups and 14 Super Cups. Omonia has also claimed a record five domestic doubles - 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 Association in 1953. As an athletic club, Omonia also has basketball, volleyball, futsal and cycling sections.

History

AC Omonia was founded in 1948 as a result of the political turbulence of that period and the conflict between left-wing and right-wing in the Greek Civil War. In May 1948 APOEL sent a letter based on political content to SEGAS (Greek Gymnastic-Athletic Clubs Association), violating the club's statute to not be involved in politics. After that letter, several footballers of the club criticized the their club but that followed the expulsion of those players from the team. Those players with some other people established the new club of Nicosia, with the name Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia. In 1953, clubs that were members of the Cyprus Amateur Football Association joined Cyprus Football Association. Omonia joined the Cypriot First Division in 1953, finishing seventh out of nine clubs in their first season. Cyprus - List of Final Tables 1124-28 RSSSF The club won their first league title in 1960-61.

1970s and 1980s

The club was the dominant force in Cypriot football during the 1970s and 1980s, winning the league for six consecutive seasons from 1974 until 1979, a record remains unbeaten. The club fielded players such as Sotiris Kaiafas, Spas Tsevizof and Gregory Savva. Kaiafas won the European Golden Boot after finishing as Europe's top domestic scorer in 1976 with 39 goals.{{cite web | title = Kaiafas famed for golden goals| url = http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history/associationweeks/association=33/newsid=144838.html | publisher = UEFA| accessdate = 2008-09-22}} – 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 to 1985 and again in 1987 and 1989.

1990s and 2000s

Although Omonia won the title again in 1992-93, the decade was dominated by Anorthosis Famagusta. Rainer Rauffmann, who arrived at the club in 1997, was the league's leading scorer for four years and also played for Cyprus national football team after gaining Cypriot citizenship. The club won their nineteenth title in 2003, and they are currently one title behind rival team APOEL for the most championships. Cyprus - List of Champions RSSSF

Colours and badge

The club's badge is the shamrock. 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 Nicosia. There are plans for the club to build a 32,000-seat stadium, Omonia Stadium StadiumGuide.com located near Tseri, 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 Stadium (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 team hosts its matches at the biggest indoor sport venue in the island, the Eleftheria 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 Kaiafas' father, Sotiris Kaiafas, who won the European Golden Boot in 1976 and was first organised in 1992. Since then they are following the team everywhere in the world. The club fanbase largely comes from the working class and is often identified with the left wing. It is notable that the team is widely supported throughout Cyprus and it is by difference the most supported team of 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.

Current squad

For recent transfers, see List of Cypriot football transfers summer 2009.

Club officials

Board of Directors

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Coaching Staff

Notable former players

Listed according to when they made their debut:

Notable former managers

Igor Netto (1967)
Iontso Arsof (1988)
Helmut Senekowitsch (1991)
Dušan Galis (1999)
Asparuh Nikodimov (2000)
Arie Haan (2000)
Henk Houwaart (2000)
Toni Savevski (2002)
Franciszek Smuda (2004)
Ioan Andone (2006)
Dragomir Okuka (2007)
Ioannis Matzourakis (2007)
Giorgos Savvidis (2008)
Nedim Dudić (2008-2009)

Honours

Football

Cyprus Football Association

Cyprus Amateur Football Federation

Volleyball

Cup:
* Winner (3): 1999, 2006, 2009

Club records

Largest victory: 11-0 v Doxa Katokopia, Championship, 17 January 2004
Largest European Victory: 6-1 v FA Red Boys Differdange, Champions Cup, Round 1, 3 October 1979
Worst Defeat: 0-10 v Ajax Amsterdam, 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
Most Goals scored in a Match: 8 Rainer Rauffmann v Anagennisis Deryneia, 1998
Most Goals scored in league season:: 44 Sotiris Kaiafas, 1976-77

References

External links

;Fans sites

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