Olympiakos Nicosia

''Not to be confused with Olympiacos CFP, the sports club based in Greece Olympiakos Nicosia (; Olympiakos Lefkosias) 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 Association. The club colors are black and green. Olympiakos's home ground is the New GSP Stadium of 23,400 seat capacity. The team's other current nickname is Taktakalas from the area in Nicosia where the club hails. Olympiakos Nicosia has won three Cypriot First Division Championships one Cypriot Cup and one Cyprus Super Cup. In the past the club also had track and field, basketball, volleyball, cycling, table tennis and futsal teams. It also in the past had an orchestra, choir and camping divisions, the latter explains why the club's badge has a tent on it.

The Golden Decade

The 1962- 1972 decade is known as the "Golden decade" of Olympiakos as the club was champion of the Cypriot First Division three times, another three times it was runner-up, while it became the only Cyprus football club that participated three times in the Greek National 1st Division Championship. It all started in the 1961-62 season, when Olympiakos reached the cup final for the first time in the club's history. Despite this, the team did not manage to win the cup trophy, as it lost from Anorthosis Famagusta FC with a score of 5-2. The foundations had been laid however, in the 1964-65 season, Giorgos Paletsios an old Olympiakos football player for 18 years, who had also served as team captain, agreed to manage the team, without being paid a salary for his services. Paletsios proceeded to restructure the team's squad promoting to the first team young and talented players including: Kettenis, Limbouris, Argyrou. Bolstered with young enthusiasm, the team finished in second place in the championship, while in the same year the top scorer of the championship was Olympiakos player Costakis Pieridis, scoring 21 goals. In the 1965-66 season Olympiakos was once again runner-up, with 49 points, one point less than the then champion Omonoia. Top scorer of the championship was again an Olympiakos player, Panikos Efthymiades scoring 23 goals. In the 1966-67 season Olympiakos dominated the Cypriot Championship, with Pambos Avraamidis as their manager, the team finished in first place and won the championship with 55 points as many as APOEL Nicosia, who in the last game of the season beat Aris Limassol with the huge score of 17-1. The title was judged on goal difference and despite APOEL's huge score in the last game of the season, Olympiakos still had a superior goal difference so that the club was crowned champion. In 1967, the champion Olympiakos played against the Cup-winner Apollon Limassol, winning 1-0 therefore gaining the Pakkos Shield (as the Super Cup/Shield was then known.) In the 1968-69 season, Olympiakos with Englishman Eric Brookes as manager won the championship for a second time, collecting 52 points the same number as AC Omonoia. Olympiakos was champion however because of the better goal difference. Top scorer of the championship was once again Panikos Efthymiades scoring 17 goals. The third Olympiakos championship came in the 1970-71 season with Englishman Rod Bradley as the manager, the team finished in first place with 31 points compared to 27 of runner up Digenis Morfou. The title of top scorer was shared by 3 footballers who all scored 11 goals amongst them once again Panikos Efthymiades. In the 1972-73 season Olympiakos finished runner-up, while in the 1974-75 season the team finished third. In 1971 Olympiakos won the Paligenesias cup that was organised by the Cyprus Football Association(KOP), defeating Nea Salamis Famagusta. In this golden period, Olympiakos' managers were: Pambos Avraamidis, Giorgos Paletsios, Takis Papaxeniou, Eric Brookes and Rod Bradley. Andreas Filotas, Varnavas Christofi, Nikos Theocharidis, Demos Flourentzou, Giorgos Hadjikonstantis, Dimitrakis Argyrou, Yiannis Xipolitas, Savvakis Constantinou, Michalakis Argyrou, Sotirakis Georgiou, Lakis Avraamidis, Markos Markou, Andreas Nicolaou (Lympoyris), Vasilis Fragkiskou (Katsis), Dimitriadis, Tasos Louka, Andreas Assiotis, Giorgos Kettenis, Panikos Efthymiades, Costakis Pieridis, Charalambos Partasidis, Giannos Pavlou, Takis Papettas, Kokos Michael, Nikos Mailos, Michalis Stavrou, Giorgos Aristeidou, Koullis Iliadis, Lakis Mitsidis, Panagiotis Prodromou, Giannis Serafeim were the footballers of the great successes of this period.

Greek Experience

Olympiakos became the first Cypriot football team that participated in the Pan-Hellenic Championship, in the 1967-68 season, something which recurred twice more, in 1969-70, and in 1971-72, rendering the club the only Cypriot team that participated three times in the Greek National 1st Division Championship. Olympiakos has also taken part in all three European competitions.

European Experience

In the European Champions Cup in 1967 the club faced FK Sarajevo Yugoslavia. In the first game the teams drew 2-2, while in second game Olympiakos lost with 3-1. Also in the European Champions Cup, Olympiakos Nicosia played against Real Madrid in 1969, losing both matches with 8-0 and 6-1. Olympiakos later played in the same competition in 1971 and met Feyenoord of the Netherlands and lost 8-0 and 9-0. In the Cup Winners' Cup, Olympiakos took part once in 1977 playing against FC Universitatea Craiova Romania while in 1973 Olympiakos played against the German team VfB Stuttgart for the UEFA Cup. In all these European games Olympiakos was forced to play both games away from home as at the time the Cypriot football stadia did not meet the European regulations.

Cup Glory

In 1977, Olympiakos Nicosia beat Alki Larnaca 2-0 to win the Cypriot Cup. In 1991, Olympiakos Nicosia lost the Cypriot Cup in the finals losing 1-0 to AC Omonia. That was their last appearance in the Cypriot Cup finals.

Glory Days Revisited

Olympiakos Nicosia also played in the UEFA Cup (after finishing runner up in the Cypriot championship) in the 2001-02 season against the Hungarian team Dunaferr FC (drawing 2-2 in Nicosia and scoring a 2-4 away win, the first for the club in Europe) and proceeded to the next round of the Uefa Cup to play against Club Brugge of Belgium and was eventually eliminated.

Recent Decline

After a disastrous 2007-2008 season, where economic problems hindered the building of a strong squad, Olympiakos Nicosia finished bottom of the Cypriot First Division (the first time the club finished bottom). The club was relegated for the third time in its history. In both the 1983–84 and 1997–98 seasons the club had spent just one season in the second tier of Cypriot football, only to win the Cypriot Second Division title each time and return to the Cypriot First Division. The club is trying to re-organise itself and to return to the top flight as quickly as possible. In the 2008–09 season the club finished fourth and missed the promotion to the Cypriot First Division on the last day of the season by one point. In the 2009–10 season, an old goalkeeper of Olympiakos Petros Savva, was appointed as the new chairman. Savva initially re-appointed Andros Kouloumbris, an old player of Olympiakos, as manager. After the end of the first round, however, Kouloumbris was sacked due to the bad defensive record of the team, despite the team being in 3rd place. The next coach for 7 games was Saša Jovanović who only managed two wins, with the team languishing in 5th place after some bad appearances, Saša Jovanović was removed to make way for old Olympiakos player and ex-manager Nikodimos Papavasiliou. With Papavasiliou at the helm the team improved and entered the play-offs for promotion to the Cypriot First Division after finishing third at the end of the regular season. The club finished third at the end of the play-offs and therefore gained promotion, despite helping the team with winning promotion Nikodimos Papavasiliou's contract was not renewed at the end of the season.

Return to the Top Flight

After 2 seasons Olympiakos returned to the top flight in the 2010-2011 season and Pambos Christodoulou an old Olympiakos player and ex-manager of Doxa Katokopias was appointed as manager.

Stadium

Since 1999, with the exception of one season, the club has played at the 22,859-seat GSP Stadium, the largest in Cyprus, which they share with local rivals APOEL and Omonia Nicosia. Previously Olympiakos had played at the old GSP Stadium (1934-1998) and the Makario Stadium (1998-1999) (2008-2009). Both stadiums were also shared with APOEL and Omonoia but Olympiakos was the only club playing at the old GSP Stadium between 1978 and 1998 as Apoel and Omonoia had both moved to Makario.

Anthem

In Greek

Τρανός των γηπέδων με το μέτωπο ψηλά Της δόξας ο Αρχων σε χρόνια τρανά Καμάρι του κόσμου του αιώνιου πιστού σαν μαύρο διαμάντι που εκπέμπει τη λάμψη ξανά. Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου κτύπα ξανά Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου ανέβα ψηλά. (δις) Η αιώνια σου η λάμψη σαν ήλιος ψηλά στα χρόνια θα ζει σαν αιώνια θεά σαν θρήλος γυρίζεις με κάτασπρα φτερά σαν μαύρο διαμάντι που εκπέμπει την λάμψη ξανά. Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου κτύπα ξανά Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου ανέβα ψηλά. (δις) Παντού οι επάλξεις θα μας οδηγούν για όλους τους αγώνες θα μας καθοδηγούν τα γήπεδα πεδία θα μεταμορφωθούν ψηλά το κεφάλι το αγέρωχο καμάρι ζητάς. Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου κτύπα ξανά Κτύπα ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΕ μου ανέβα ψηλά. (δις)

English transliteration

Tranos ton gipedon me to metopo psila Tis doxas o arxon se xronia trana Kamari tou kosmou tou aioniou pistou San mavro diamanti pou ekpempei tin lampsi ksana Ktipa Olympiake mou ktipa ksana Ktipa Olympiake mou aneva psila I aionia sou i lampsi san ilios psila Sta xronia tha zis san aionia thea San thrilos gyrizeis me kataspra ftera San mavro diamanti pou ekpempei tin lampsi ksana Ktipa Olympiake mou ktipa ksana Ktipa Olympiake mou aneva psila Pantou oi epalxeis tha mas odigoun Yia olous tous agones tha mas kathodigoun Ta gipeda pedia tha metamorfothoun Psila to kefali to ageroxo kamari zitas Ktipa Olympiake mou ktipa ksana Ktipa Olympiake mou aneva psila

English translation

Brave team of the stadia with forehead held high, Emperor of glory from yesteryear, Admired by people forever faithful to you, Like a black diamond that will shine again, Go my Olympiakos, lets go again, Go my Olympiakos, climb high, Your century old shine like a sun high in the sky, You will live forever like an immortal God, Like a Legend you roam with bright white wings, Like a black diamond that will shine again, Go my Olympiakos, lets go again, Go my Olympiakos, climb high, Everywhere duty will drive us, For all battles they will guide us, Stadia will transform into battlefields, Hold your head up high and look for glory, Go my Olympiakos, lets go again, Go my Olympiakos, climb high.