Eleftheroupoli F.C.


Eleftheroupoli F.C., officially known as A.E. Eleftheroupoli, the "Athletic Union of Eleftheroupoli", is a Greek association football club based in Nea Ionia, a suburban town in the Athens prefecture, Greece. The club currently competes in the Athens Second Division.
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History

Eleftheroupoli is one of the oldest football clubs in Greece, and it was founded by Greek refugees from Asia Minor. The archives of the country's newspapers, some originating from 1926, provide insights into a club referred to as Enosi Eleftheroupoli. The inception of the football department occurred in 1929, laying the foundation for its future development. In the year 1934, the club took a significant step by merging with the football clubs Aris and Dafni Nea Ionia, subsequently adopting the name Athlitiki Enosi Eleftheroupoli. In 1937, following a period of six years, the club joined forces with Elpida Nea Ionia, leading to the establishment of a reformed organization called AE Eleftheroupoli Elpida. In 1961, the football club merged with AE Nea Ionia, creating a more competitive team aimed at excelling in the second division. The subsequent year witnessed the dissolution of the merger between the two clubs, primarily driven by numerous disagreements regarding the club's organizational structure. The year 1967 saw, once again, the club forced to merge with AE Nea Ionia, ultimately leading to the creation of Elpida Nea Ionia as a consequence of the junta regime's influence. After the dissolution of the military junta in Greece, the club was re-established and adopted the name Athlitiki Enosi Eleftheroupoli. The team managed to win the local municipality championship three times from 1932 to 1935 and was recognized by the court of Athens as an official club. The club gained many new fans due to that success. In 1939, the club was recognized by the Hellenic Football Federation and the Athens Football Clubs Association, while at the same time, it competed in the local third division. Moreover, it took part in the national second division, known at the time as Beta Ethniki, for a duration of two football seasons during the early 1960s. Over the years, the club's reputation deteriorated due to its perennial presence in the regional leagues. The club produced many talented players, such as Stelios Skevofilakas, Stelios Panagiotidis, Georgios Magiras, Emmanouil Kountouris, Konstantinos Mavridopoulos, Ioannis Vlantis, Georgios Sevastiadis, Athanasios Mitilinaios, Tryfon Tzanetis, and others, who were later transferred to higher-reputation football clubs of Greece. Eleftheroupoli's player A. Papadopoulos died while defending Greece during World War II.

Stadium

The municipal stadium located in Nea Ionia serves as the home ground for the Eleftheroupoli football club, and it was built in 1962. The stadium's main access point is located along Olympias Street. In 2004, the entire stadium underwent significant renovations, including the installation of a state-of-the-art turf system on the pitch. It is important to acknowledge that the upgrade of the dressing rooms was accomplished solely in 2007. In 2015, the construction of the new facilities and stands was entirely funded by the government of Greece. Additionally, this stadium acts as the primary venue for A.O. Nea Ionia and P.A.O. Alsoupoli football clubs, playing a significant role in the community's sports culture. In August 2024, the local government funded the renovation of the stadium's track and the upgrade of the floodlights.
At the beginning of 1932, many significant matches of the club were held at AEK Stadium. This was largely attributed to the insufficient resources of local authorities and the overwhelming number of teams within the municipality of Nea Ionia, which hindered the establishment of a suitable facility for the local football clubs.
Part of the dramatic film 'The Striker with Number 9', directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, was filmed in this stadium.

Supporters

The club's fan base stems from the descendants of the 6,000 Asia Minor refugees who were selected to settle in the region during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922.

Honours

  • Shared record

Domestic performance

Season by season in the higher divisions

The best result is highlighted in bold.
Key: 1R = First Round, 2R = Second Round, 3R = Third Round, 4R = Fourth Round, 5R = Fifth Round, GS = Group Stage, R16 = Round of 16, QF = Quarter-finals, SF = Semi-finals, C = Champion, P = Promotion, R = Relegation.

Results against prominent teams

  • Matches are classified as home or away depending on the team's allocation established after the Hellenic Football Federation's competition draw. Home and away games may not always take place at the designated home venue of the respective team.

List of former players by stint and official transfer

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:
  • Played at least one season for the club.
  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
  • Performed successfully during his period in the club or at later/previous stages of his career.
Greece
Rest of Europe
Africa
  • Antoine Mbongue Ngoubo → Unknown